The ageing surgeon

Wise guidance for winding down from a full workload is at hand

Whereas surgeons may be perceived by some of their colleagues as arrogant, self-centred and totally lacking in humility and insight, much has been achieved by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) in recent years to influence surgeons’ behaviour through a number of strategies related to the nine core competencies that guide surgeons in their lifelong journey.1 Towards the end of that journey, surgeons have passed the peak of their operating abilities,2 face a lower volume of cases with potentially more complications,3 and move into the transitional period of their career, progressing from an operating surgeon to . . . what?