Dr Sophie Tissot (Riddell, OL 2006)
Inaugural OLA Fellowship Winner 2021

Sophie is a Urology Surgical Trainee and Robotics Fellow at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne. Sophie completed her medical degree at the University of Adelaide after which she returned to Melbourne to work at St Vincent's Hospital. In her pre-surgical training years, she completed a Master of Surgery (University of Sydney), became the inaugural Chief Surgical Resident of St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne (2017-2018) and gained a position on the Urology Society of Australia and New Zealand surgical training program which she commenced in 2019. 

 Sophie is a latin dancer and passionate volunteer surf life saver. As Club Captain of Portsea Surf Life Saving Club (2014 – 2017) Sophie was awarded a Life Membership for her contribution to the organisation. 

 Sophie is currently involved in a project which is a validation study of hydrogel anatomical models to train doctors in robotic surgery. There has been a recent uptake of robotic surgery in favour of open or laparoscopic methods which has resulted in an all-time high demand for robotic surgical training. Surgical trainees like Sophie only work within the public system which limits the accessibility to robotic training, but with the OLA Fellowship funding, Sophie will now have access to robotic surgical training through the Australian Medical Robotics Academy (AMRA). The financial support from the OLA fellowship, will allow Sophie to be the first novice surgeon in Australia to complete hydrogel prostatectomy model training through AMRA, under the supervision of Professor Tony Costello AM, CEO of AMRA. 

 AMRA's objective is to change the current approach to teaching robotic surgery, to reduce the overall surgical complication rates that currently sit at 17% at 30 days postoperatively. Sophie and her colleagues believe that virtual simulation and then operating, repetitively, on life-like hydrogel models is a safer, more efficient, and more ethical way to teach robotics. 

 As a woman in a male-dominated field, there is often intrinsic doubts about one's skills and preparedness to undertake roles in the medical industry. Sophie continues to build her skills and experience by seeking non-traditional educational techniques, which she strongly believes are the way of the future. 

 The OLA is proud to award the inaugural OLA Fellowship to Sophie and is thrilled to provide the support she needs to further her medical training.