General Surgery Fellow

**Location**:Wellington Regional Hospital
**Service**: General Surgery Services

**Contract**:Full time, 12 months fixed term - starting 2 February 2026

**Salary**:As per ASMS SECA - Fellow step

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is dedicated to serving all New Zealanders. Through integration and collaboration, we - re building a health system underpinned by partnership, equity, sustainability, whānau-centred care, and excellence.

**About the role**

We are seeking a highly motivated Breast and Endocrine Surgical Fellow to join our busy and supportive team at Wellington Regional Hospital. This fellowship offers advanced, hands-on training for a senior trainee or recent graduate aiming for a subspecialty career in breast and endocrine surgery. We welcome applicants who have either completed General Surgery training (FRACS or equivalent) or will complete their training in 2025, achieving FRACS.

The Fellowship is designed to bridge the gap to independent practice, allowing the successful applicant to operate and manage patients as an emerging specialist under senior supervision where needed.

Teaching and supervision of RMOs and registrars is an important aspect of the role, providing leadership and contributing to the ongoing education of junior staff. The Fellow will also be first on the roster for consultant-level general surgical on-call duties, backed up by a second Senior Medical Officer (SMO).

The Fellow will work both supervised and independently across operating theatres and outpatient clinics, and active participation in the department - s audit programme is mandatory. The wider General Surgical Department covers all general surgical sub-specialties, offering rich opportunities for broader surgical experience.

Key Responsibilities:

- Surgical management of breast and endocrine conditions, with progressive independence.
- Teaching and supervision of RMOs and surgical registrars.
- Consultant-level general surgical on-call duties with senior backup.
- Participation in audit activities and quality improvement initiatives.
- Involvement in multidisciplinary team meetings and service development.

The fellow will:

- Attend and assist with operating lists and outpatient clinics.
- Gain skills in bedside ultrasound, thyroid nodule fine-needle aspiration (FNA), and nasendoscopy.
- Be encouraged to participate in departmental research initiatives.

**About the Team/Service/ Location**

The Breast and Endocrine Unit is structured into two collaborating teams: one focused on breast surgery, and the other on endocrine surgery. The Fellow will rotate between the two areas based on service needs and personal interest, receiving comprehensive exposure to both specialties while providing meaningful service commitment.

Breast Surgery Team:

- Comprises 3 specialist breast consultants, 1 General Surgery trainee, 1 non-training registrar, a breast nurse practitioner, and breast care nurses.
Manages the range of benign and malignant breast conditions.
- Offers exposure to the full range of oncoplastic techniques, including wireless lesion localisation, therapeutic mammoplasty, local chest wall perforat or flaps and immediate implant based and latissimus dorsi reconstruction
- Strong emphasis on timely cancer care aligned with national Faster Cancer Treatment (FCT) targets.
- Excellent collaboration with the wider multidisciplinary team including pathologists, radiologists, medical and radiation oncologists and plastic surgeons.

Endocrine Surgery Team:

- The team consists of three high-volume endocrine surgeons who specialise in thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal surgeries. They operate in a tertiary hospital setting and are supported by both a training registrar and a non-training registrar.
- Works closely with medical endocrinology and renal specialists, and participates actively in multidisciplinary meetings (MDMs) for thyroid and regional endocrine cases.
- Manages complex referrals from across the lower North Island.
- Engaged in clinical research and innovation, including fluorescence-guided parathyroid surgery, intraoperative PTH monitoring, and thyroid molecular testing.

Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley district is located centrally in Wellington and has over 6,000 full-time equivalent staff, making us one of the major employers in the Wellington region. We operate three hospitals - Wellington Regional Hospital in Newtown, Hutt Valley Hospital and Kenepuru Hospital in Porirua - as well as the Kāpiti Health Centre at Paraparaumu.

**About you**
- Completion of General Surgery training (FRACS or equivalent) or expected completion by 2025
- Eligible for registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ)
- Strong commitment to a career in breast and/or endocrine surgery
- Prior experience or academic interest in breast and/or endocrine surgery
- Commitment to research and innovation
- Skills in bedside ultrasound, FNA, and endoscopy ar