Where students meet surgery

Why SUSS exists

Surgery is a technically demanding and highly structured field, and meaningful exposure during medical school is often limited. SUSS was established to address this gap by creating a student-led platform that facilitates direct educational exchange, mentorship, and skills acquisition — complementing the formal medical curriculum.

The Society operates in close alignment with the University of Sydney's Discipline of Surgery, ensuring that its activities remain academically grounded, professionally relevant, and consistent with contemporary surgical standards.

A structured annual program

SUSS delivers activities designed to support students at different stages of their medical training — enhancing their understanding of surgery as a profession across its technical, cognitive, and ethical dimensions.

• Formal lectures from practising surgeons across a range of specialties.
• Skills workshops in foundational and intermediate technique.
• Professional development seminars on career pathways and training.
• Theatre exposure for contextual, face-to-face learning in practice.
• Student–surgeon engagement within affiliated teaching hospitals.
• Research opportunities and academic collaboration across partner units.

What we set out to achieve

• Promote surgical education for medical students at the University of Sydney.
• Support the nine RACS competencies — technical expertise, clinical decision-making, communication, leadership, scholarship, professionalism, and ethics.
• Encourage engagement between students and surgeons, focused on mentorship and educational exchange.
• Provide structured learning through lectures, workshops, and experiential theatre exposure.
• Build a professional, inclusive community for students with an interest in surgery.