About Us

Austin Northern Surgical Association

ANSA is the trainee-led association of the Austin-Northern Surgical training hub.

ANSA, formerly known as the Austin Surgical Trainees Education Commitee (ASTEC), was established in 2016, which has since grown to incorporate our Northern trainees in its expanding community.

The committee was created initially as a means to fulfil three main roles:

Provide a platform to foster non-technical competences espoused by the RACS, such as communication, collaboration and teamwork, management of leadership, professionalism and ethics, health advocacy, and scholarship and teaching.
Generate a consciousness of charity and instill the ethos of giving back to the community from which trainees benefited.
Develop a counter-balance to surgical supervisors by creating a community of trainees that would advocate for trainees and hold the future supervisors and institutions accountable

ANSA has since grown into a vibrant community with now over 50 active members from JDOCS to SET trainees. In addition to its primary roles aforementioned, the agenda for 2021 includes:

Welcome Session

Education Program: comprehensive program which includes tutorials, simulations, Fellow Exam Preparation Workshop

SET application workshop and interview practice

Access to private assisting opportunities

Gratias Cena dinner

We welcome all to the ANSA community.

For more information or if you had any questions, please contact us.

Meet the Team

Chair

Tess Howard

Dr Tess Howard is a SET 4/5 general surgical registrar with an interest in upper GI, breast, and emergency general surgery. She dedicated towards surgical education and teaching and has previously been on the ANSA committee in 2022 as one of the educational officers and in 2023 as the deputy chair.

She has 2 children, a 6 month old and a 3 year old, and is a passionate advocate for women in surgery, flexible training and surgical parents.

Outside of medicine, she enjoys spending time with her family, their two sheep dogs and developing her dream “inner city farm” home.

Deputy Chair

Sonia Gill

Dr Sonia Gill is a GSET2 surgical registrar with a keen interest in colorectal surgery & surgical service provision in regional/rural communities. She is passionate about global health, stemming from a trauma elective in South Africa; trainee well-being & surgical education of junior doctors and medical students. As the co-chair of VERITAS 2022, Sonia is also a strong advocate for collaborative trainee-led research. Outside of the hospital, Sonia enjoys cooking, spin classes & travelling the globe.

Treasurer

Abid Khan

Dr Abid Khan is a SET 4 general surgical registrar with a strong interest in colorectal, emergency general surgery and trauma. He enjoys teaching and thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to teach and guide medical students particularly those with a strong interest in surgery. One day he hopes to bring back his skills and knowledge to the Western Region to give back to the area in which he grew up in.

Outside of medicine, he enjoys playing squash, travelling, watching musicals and plays and playing games, riddles and quizzes. He loves escape rooms having done over 40 and still counting!

Secretary

Rumana Islam

Sponsorship Officers

Roshini Nadaraja

Dr Roshini Nadaraja is a GSET 2 surgical registrar with special interest in rural and colorectal surgery. She spent one year rotating through Northwest Regional Hospital as a NSET trainee in 2020/2021. She advocates for work life balance and prioritises mental well-being in surgical training.

Outside work, she enjoys being active with activities such as cycling, hiking, running and swimming and has recently ventured into the journey of becoming a triathlete!

Gratias Cena Convenors

Isabelle Huynh

Amar Lakhani

Renata Rajtak

Dr Isabelle Huynh is an unaccredited surgical registrar rotating through Austin and Northern Health Services. She has a keen interest in Upper GI and Bariatric Surgery. She has had extensive international experience through training and working in London as well as a General Surgical elective in Nepal. She is passionate about medical student education as well continuing her career development through various research projects. Outside of work, Isabelle enjoys hiking, exploring the world and spending time with her loved ones. students. As the co-chair of VERITAS 2022, Sonia is also a strong advocate for collaborative trainee-led research. Outside of the hospital, Sonia enjoys cooking, spin classes & travelling the globe.

Dr Amar Lakhani is currently a GSET1 surgical registrar at Austin and Northern Health services. He has a keen interest in emergency and bariatric surgery which he hopes to pursue in the future. Amar has demonstrated his passion for teaching and education as the educational officer for ANSA in 2022. Furthermore he has a strong research background being involved in numerous collaborative trainee-led research projects. In his spare time you will find Amar on the golf course, walking his dog or with his camera as he travels the world.