
First Incision
Amanda Nikolic
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Top 10 First Incision Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best First Incision episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to First Incision for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite First Incision episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Hollow Viscus and Pelvic Trauma
First Incision
01/17/22 • 40 min
This week's trauma episode is presented with our guest host Ben Finlay.
We cover hollow viscus injuries including:
- gastric
- duodenal
- small bowel
- colonic, and
- rectal injuries
We also cover pelvic trauma including:
- pelvic fractures and the Young and Burgess classification
- pelvic bleeding management including how to perform preperitoneal pelvic packing
- bladder injuries, and
- ureteric injuries including how to do a retrograde urethrogram
Disclaimer
The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam.
This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or publisher or any other person. The listener should conduct and rely upon their own independent analysis of the information in this document.
The author provides no guarantees or assurances in relation to any connection between the content of this podcast and the general surgical fellowship exam. No responsibility or liability is accepted by the author in relation to the performance of any person in the exam. This podcast is not a substitute for candidates undertaking their own preparations for the exam.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility or liability is accepted by the author or publisher or any other person as to the adequacy, accuracy, correctness, completeness or reasonableness of this information, including any statements or information provided by third parties and reproduced or referred to in this document.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility for any errors in or omissions from this document, whether arising out of negligence or otherwise, is accepted.
The information contained in this podcast has not been independently verified.
© Amanda Nikolic 2022

Guest Episode with A/Prof Phil Carson
First Incision
11/14/22 • 45 min
Welcome to this guest episode with A/Prof Phil Carson. A/Prof Carson is a general surgeon from Darwin and the most recent ex-censor in chief of RACS. We are lucky enough to have him for this special episode to cover a range of topics filled with pearls and insights from his varied and interesting career.
We cover:
- some background into his life as a rural generalist in Darwin.
- what to do to prepare for practice if you are considering a career as a rural general surgeon.
- we gain some insights into RACS and its role in surgical training and exams through A/Prof’s position on the college council and as the censor in chief.
- we hear from the other side what the college really wants us to get out of the exam process!
- through his rewarding career in the territory we hear about working with Australia’s Aboriginal people.
- he shares how he keeps calm and clear-headed when faced with difficult clinical and administrative situations as a surgeon.
- we also cover the clinical topic of necrotising fasciitis, and how to approach a question in the exam you feel you haven’t prepared for.
- as well as finish with advice for trainees once they’ve passed their exam!
I'm so excited to share this episode with you!
Disclaimer
The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam.
This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or publisher or any other person. The listener should conduct and rely upon their own independent analysis of the information in this document.
The author provides no guarantees or assurances in relation to any connection between the content of this podcast and the general surgical fellowship exam. No responsibility or liability is accepted by the author in relation to the performance of any person in the exam. This podcast is not a substitute for candidates undertaking their own preparations for the exam.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility or liability is accepted by the author or publisher or any other person as to the adequacy, accuracy, correctness, completeness or reasonableness of this information, including any statements or information provided by third parties and reproduced or referred to in this document.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility for any errors in or omissions from this document, whether arising out of negligence or otherwise, is accepted.
The information contained in this podcast has not been independently verified.
© Amanda Nikolic 2022

Perianal Fistulas and Haemorrhoids
First Incision
06/07/21 • 34 min
Finishing off the perianal content for the colorectal module with perianal fistula and hemorrhoids. Everything you ever wanted to know about all the classification systems, treatment options, and some operative descriptions for these conditions.
Disclaimer
The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam.
This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or publisher or any other person. The listener should conduct and rely upon their own independent analysis of the information in this document.
The author provides no guarantees or assurances in relation to any connection between the content of this podcast and the general surgical fellowship exam. No responsibility or liability is accepted by the author in relation to the performance of any person in the exam. This podcast is not a substitute for candidates undertaking their own preparations for the exam.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility or liability is accepted by the author or publisher or any other person as to the adequacy, accuracy, correctness, completeness or reasonableness of this information, including any statements or information provided by third parties and reproduced or referred to in this document.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility for any errors in or omissions from this document, whether arising out of negligence or otherwise, is accepted.
The information contained in this podcast has not been independently verified.
© Amanda Nikolic 2021

Salivary Gland Anatomy and Tumours
First Incision
12/19/22 • 53 min
In this first episode from the Head and Neck module of our curriculum we touch on salivary gland pathology. Including:
- Salivary gland anatomy - including the parotid and submandibular glands. As part of this we cover the important anatomical relations and the parasympathetic supply (highly examinable!)
- Common tumours of the salivary glands and how to treat them
- Some operative tips and how to describe how you would perform a superficial parotidectomy and submandibular gland extirpation
- Common complications of these operations including Frey's syndrome
I can highly recommend the Open Access Atlas of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Operative Surgery as a study resource for head and neck surgery. This is a free online resource which has great articles on each operation including relevant anatomy and pictures of each step of the surgery. I found this super useful to use during my preparation. Here is the link to the whole atlas:
http://www.entdev.uct.ac.za/guides/open-access-atlas-of-otolaryngology-head-neck-operative-surgery/
Parotidectomy: https://vula.uct.ac.za/access/content/group/ba5fb1bd-be95-48e5-81be-586fbaeba29d/Parotidectomy-1.pdf
Submandibular gland excision: https://vula.uct.ac.za/access/content/group/ba5fb1bd-be95-48e5-81be-586fbaeba29d/Submandibular%20gland%20excision.pdf
Disclaimer
The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam.
This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or publisher or any other person. The listener should conduct and rely upon their own independent analysis of the information in this document.
The author provides no guarantees or assurances in relation to any connection between the content of this podcast and the general surgical fellowship exam. No responsibility or liability is accepted by the author in relation to the performance of any person in the exam. This podcast is not a substitute for candidates undertaking their own preparations for the exam.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility or liability is accepted by the author or publisher or any other person as to the adequacy, accuracy, correctness, completeness or reasonableness of this information, including any statements or information provided by third parties and reproduced or referred to in this document.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility for any errors in or omissions from this document, whether arising out of negligence or otherwise, is accepted.
The information contained in this podcast has not been independently verified.
© Amanda Nikolic 2022

08/16/21 • 38 min
We're taking a break this week from the HPB module to talk about the exam. Specifically how to manage your stress and maximise your performance in this awesome discussion with Dr Sarah Dalton. Dr Dalton is a performance coach and works with trainees on how to use the power of their mindset and thinking to overcome the issues we all face leading up to these sorts of exams.
I really enjoyed our discussion and hope you get something out of this episode that helps you as well!
This is the 'ABC Conversations' podcast episode we kept mentioning which interviews Ben Crowe, Ash Barty's performance coach. It's a great listen: https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/conversations/ash-barty-sports-mentor-ben-crowe/13418314
Dr Sarah Dalton works with Capstan Partners if you want to look into coaching for your exam: https://capstan.com.au/about-us/
Disclaimer
The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam.
This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or publisher or any other person. The listener should conduct and rely upon their own independent analysis of the information in this document.
The author provides no guarantees or assurances in relation to any connection between the content of this podcast and the general surgical fellowship exam. No responsibility or liability is accepted by the author in relation to the performance of any person in the exam. This podcast is not a substitute for candidates undertaking their own preparations for the exam.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility or liability is accepted by the author or publisher or any other person as to the adequacy, accuracy, correctness, completeness or reasonableness of this information, including any statements or information provided by third parties and reproduced or referred to in this document.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility for any errors in or omissions from this document, whether arising out of negligence or otherwise, is accepted.
The information contained in this podcast has not been independently verified.
© Amanda Nikolic 2021

Neck Trauma
First Incision
01/04/22 • 49 min
This episode explores blunt and penetrating neck trauma with special guest Ben Finlay.
We discuss:
Blunt cerebrovascular injury including:
- the grading system
- Denver screening criteria
- diagnosis
- management
Penetraing neck trauma
- zones of the neck
- hard and soft signs of vascular and aerodigestive tract injuries
- approaches to management including the 'zonal approach' and 'no-zone' approach
- exposures of zone I, II and II injuries
- repair of carotid and aerodigestive tract injuries
- the dreaded exposure of subclavian injuries
Links:
Kenji Inaba's talk on Subclavian Artery Injuries for the Arizona Trauma Association: https://arizonatrauma.org/subclavian-injuries/
'DSTC' is the Definitive Surgical Trauma Care course which is fantastic and we highly recommend doing if possible! https://dstc.com.au/
And the Top Knife chapter on neck trauma we mentioned is a book entitled 'Top Knife: the Art and Craft of Trauma Surgery' by Hirshberg and Mattox. Another great trauma resource.
Disclaimer
The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam.
This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or publisher or any other person. The listener should conduct and rely upon their own independent analysis of the information in this document.
The author provides no guarantees or assurances in relation to any connection between the content of this podcast and the general surgical fellowship exam. No responsibility or liability is accepted by the author in relation to the performance of any person in the exam. This podcast is not a substitute for candidates undertaking their own preparations for the exam.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility or liability is accepted by the author or publisher or any other person as to the adequacy, accuracy, correctness, completeness or reasonableness of this information, including any statements or information provided by third parties and reproduced or referred to in this document.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility for any errors in or omissions from this document, whether arising out of negligence or otherwise, is accepted.
The information contained in this podcast has not been independently verified.
© Amanda Nikolic 2022

Salivary Gland Pathology and Neck Space Infections
First Incision
01/23/23 • 27 min
In this episode we go into some of the pathologies that can affect the salivary gland, as well as the different neck infections we need to know about.
Topics covered include:
Salivary Gland Pathology
- Salivary gland calculi (sialolithiasis)
- Infections / Inflammation including sialadenitis
- Plunging ranulas
Cervical Infections
- Compartments of the neck
- Different infections and neck abscesses
As I mentioned in the first episode of this series I can highly recommend the Open Access Atlas of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Operative Surgery as a study resource for head and neck surgery. This is a free online resource which has great articles on each operation including relevant anatomy and pictures of each step of the surgery. I found this super useful to use during my preparation. Here is the link to the whole atlas:
http://www.entdev.uct.ac.za/guides/open-access-atlas-of-otolaryngology-head-neck-operative-surgery/
Here are some topics covered in this episode:
Sialolithiasis: https://vula.uct.ac.za/access/content/group/ba5fb1bd-be95-48e5-81be-586fbaeba29d/Sialolithiasis%20and%20sialendoscopy.pdf
Ranula: https://vula.uct.ac.za/access/content/group/ba5fb1bd-be95-48e5-81be-586fbaeba29d/Ranula%20and%20sublingual%20salivary%20gland%20excision.pdf
Parapharyngeal space: https://vula.uct.ac.za/access/content/group/ba5fb1bd-be95-48e5-81be-586fbaeba29d/Access%20to%20parapharyngeal%20space-1.pdf
Deep neck abscesses: https://vula.uct.ac.za/access/content/group/ba5fb1bd-be95-48e5-81be-586fbaeba29d/Surgical%20drainage%20of%20deep%20neck%20abscesses.pdf
Disclaimer
The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam.
This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or publisher or any other person. The listener should conduct and rely upon their own independent analysis of the information in this document.
The author provides no guarantees or assurances in relation to any connection between the content of this podcast and the general surgical fellowship exam. No responsibility or liability is accepted by the author in relation to the performance of any person in the exam. This podcast is not a substitute for candidates undertaking their own preparations for the exam.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility or liability is accepted by the author or publisher or any other person as to the adequacy, accuracy, correctness, completeness or reasonableness of this information, including any statements or information provided by third parties and reproduced or referred to in this document.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility for any errors in or omissions from this document, whether arising out of negligence or otherwise, is accepted.
The information contained in this podcast has not been independently verified.
© Amanda Nikolic 2023

Financial Guest Episode with DPM Financial
First Incision
01/09/23 • 41 min
On this guest episode, we talk to Anthony Payne, a financial and tax consultant with DPM Financial about some of the financial changes we will face transitioning from being a registrar to fellowship and consultancy.
Some of the topics we cover include:
- Transitioning from employee to sole trader, and the implications on this for Tax, Super, Insurances and Leave.
- What an ABN is and why you need it
- GST as a sole trader and what you need to know
- The typical financial set-ups of private practice including setting up your own rooms or joining an existing group
- Legal and financial aspects of setting up your own private group and how to get it right from the get-go.
- A variety of different strategies to minimise your tax
And so much more!
Anthony Pane obviously has significant experience and expertise helping doctors manage their finances and transition through all stages of their careers. If you want to learn more or reach out for an obligation-free appointment you can find them on their website dpm.com.au.
Disclaimer
The information discussed in this episode is of a general nature and is not intended to serve as individual advice. The views and opinions expressed are the views of DPM and not First Incision. DPM Financial services recommends you obtain advice concerning specific matters before making any decisions.
The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam. This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or publisher or any other person. The listener should conduct and rely upon their own independent analysis of the information in this document.
The author provides no guarantees or assurances in relation to any connection between the content of this podcast and the general surgical fellowship exam. No responsibility or liability is accepted by the author in relation to the performance of any person in the exam. This podcast is not a substitute for candidates undertaking their own preparations for the exam.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility or liability is accepted by the author or publisher or any other person as to the adequacy, accuracy, correctness, completeness or reasonableness of this information, including any statements or information provided by third parties and reproduced or referred to in this document.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility for any errors in or omissions from this document, whether arising out of negligence or otherwise, is accepted.
The information contained in this podcast has not been independently verified.
© Amanda Nikolic 2023

Guest Episode on Urology with Dr Anita Clarke
First Incision
11/28/22 • 43 min
This week we are joined by the incredible urologist Dr Anita Clarke to talk about all things urology!
We cover:
- the benefits of multidisciplinary surgical approach
- putting in a ureteric stent
- the diagnosis and management of bladder cancer (for general surgeons)
- management of intra-operative ureteric injuries
- the difficult urinary catheter and inserting a suprapubic catheter
As well as other life advice, insight into the life of a surgeon, and exam advice (from a previous chief examiner).
I hope you enjoy this special guest episode :)
Disclaimer
The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam.
This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or publisher or any other person. The listener should conduct and rely upon their own independent analysis of the information in this document.
The author provides no guarantees or assurances in relation to any connection between the content of this podcast and the general surgical fellowship exam. No responsibility or liability is accepted by the author in relation to the performance of any person in the exam. This podcast is not a substitute for candidates undertaking their own preparations for the exam.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility or liability is accepted by the author or publisher or any other person as to the adequacy, accuracy, correctness, completeness or reasonableness of this information, including any statements or information provided by third parties and reproduced or referred to in this document.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility for any errors in or omissions from this document, whether arising out of negligence or otherwise, is accepted.
The information contained in this podcast has not been independently verified.
© Amanda Nikolic 2022

Introduction to Skin
First Incision
02/07/22 • 24 min
This week's episode introduces us to the topic of 'skin'. I know it seems weird that I would do an episode just on this but bear with me! The topics covered include:
- the function of the skin as an organ
- histopathology of the layers of the skin
- Fitzpatrick skin types
- history and examination of a skin lesions
- principles and pathophysiology of flaps and grafts
- topical treatments for skins cancers
Everything we need before taking a deep dive into skin cancers in the coming weeks!
Disclaimer
The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam.
This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or publisher or any other person. The listener should conduct and rely upon their own independent analysis of the information in this document.
The author provides no guarantees or assurances in relation to any connection between the content of this podcast and the general surgical fellowship exam. No responsibility or liability is accepted by the author in relation to the performance of any person in the exam. This podcast is not a substitute for candidates undertaking their own preparations for the exam.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility or liability is accepted by the author or publisher or any other person as to the adequacy, accuracy, correctness, completeness or reasonableness of this information, including any statements or information provided by third parties and reproduced or referred to in this document.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no responsibility for any errors in or omissions from this document, whether arising out of negligence or otherwise, is accepted.
The information contained in this podcast has not been independently verified.
© Amanda Nikolic 2022
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FAQ
How many episodes does First Incision have?
First Incision currently has 119 episodes available.
What topics does First Incision cover?
The podcast is about Health & Fitness, How To, Medicine, Podcasts, Education and Surgery.
What is the most popular episode on First Incision?
The episode title 'Financial Guest Episode with DPM Financial' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on First Incision?
The average episode length on First Incision is 39 minutes.
How often are episodes of First Incision released?
Episodes of First Incision are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of First Incision?
The first episode of First Incision was released on Jul 28, 2020.
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