Each year, the Academy of Surgical Educators present the Educator of Merit Awards to recognise the exceptional contributions of our surgical educators. Our full list of 2024 winners are here.

Nominations for the 2025 Educator of Merit Awards open from 14 April to 9 May 2025. Stay tuned for updates in Fax Mentis and start considering those supervisors and facilitators who dedicate their time to pro bono and deserve to be recognised.

Meet Dr Chris Cole, a cardiothoracic surgeon based in Brisbane, who was awarded the SET/SIMG Supervisor of the Year 2024 for Queensland.

What inspired you to pursue surgical education?

When I completed my surgical training, I was aware that despite having passed the exams and completed all the requirements of training, I was still a "beginner" and not a "master". I wanted to teach to challenge myself and continue to improve because teaching is a test of mastery.  If I can teach it, then I must have a degree of mastery. The challenge of teaching made me a better surgeon.

What is your proudest moment as a surgical educator?

When running formal education sessions, I've often found solutions that just seemed natural to me and were praised by my colleagues as innovative or creative solutions. Moving our training entirely online and running online skills sessions across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand during COVID-19 was a proud moment. Developing an aortic arch surgery simulator from products I bought at Kmart and drilled and assembled in my garage was another proud moment.

Any advice for new surgical educators just getting started?

Teach because it’s natural for you but remember how far you've come. With each passing year we become more experienced, but our juniors are starting at the same point. The distance from the beginning of our journey to today becomes longer, so remember what it is like to be at the beginning of your journey and be patient in your teaching.