About Sancha

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I am a specialist Anaesthetist working in public practice in Newcastle NSW. My areas of clinical interest include perioperative medicine, gynae-oncology, colorectal surgery and vascular angio. 

I am a clinician-patient and I remain highly committed to providing the best possible patient experience through:

• a patient-centred approach to care delivery in my day-to-day work
• implementation of patient-focused perioperative care pathways (for example an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery for Colorectal patients) 
• working with others in translational research including especially the RecoverEsupport trial for breast and colorectal surgical patients
• delivering high quality education for doctors so they can provide the best possible care to patients

My interest in coaching began as an ANZCA Supervisor of Training. At the beginning of 2020 I set up a formal independent coaching practice assisting doctors with professional development. In 2020 I completed a Diploma of Professional Coaching from the Australian Institute of Professional Coaches and a Professional Development Certificate in Executive Coaching. 

In March 2021 I graduated as a Master Certified Physician Development Coach. This training through the Physician Coaching Institute in the USA is a rigorous 6 month program recognised by the International Coaching Federation. Through the program I learnt structures and skills specific to coaching doctors. The small cohort of 14 like minded friends, facilitated by expert physician coach Dr Francine Gaillour and Master Certified Coach Amorah Ross, has supported and challenged me every step of the way to be the best coach I can be. I have coached and been coached on every single aspect of the coaching programs I provide. 

I hold an Associate Certified Coach credential with the International Coaching Federation and I'm working towards the next level credential, the Professional Certified Coach credential. 

Recently I have been facilitating coach education for doctors, including presenting several coaching workshops for anaesthetists at the ANZCA Annual Scientific Meeting, assisting as an Instructor for the Physician Coaching Institute and facilitating the Capstan Partners SWITCH programs. I am also advocating for coaching skills to be taught to doctors through my roles in ANZCA. 

I am passionate about teaching and I'm privileged to learn alongside medical students, nurses, residents, registrars and other members of the healthcare team every day in theatre. 

My Post Graduate Certificate in Medical Education for Anaesthetists through the University of Dundee gave me core knowledge in adult learning theory and contemporary assessment techniques. I regularly use this knowledge when coaching doctors for educational issues. The Management and Leadership in Medical Education module provided a solid foundation in theory and practice for appropriate goal setting in a coaching environment.

Since 2013 I have worked as an instructor in the Hunter New England Simulation Centre. With increasing knowledge and skills in advocacy-inquiry feedback, I now see my role as a facilitator rather than a content expert. In my coaching practice I regularly utilise the debriefing and feedback skills that I have acquired.

As an expert in providing feedback with good judgement:

• I co-authored 2 modules for the ANZCA Fundamentals of Feedback online course, launched in 2016
• I co-delivered the ANZCA Fundamentals of Feedback workshop at the ANZCA Annual Scientific Meeting in Kuala Lumpur in 2019
• I collaborated on the development and ongoing delivery of the HNE Simulation Centre culture course for senior doctors entitled “Improving safety for junior doctors by strengthening the communication and feedback skills of senior doctors”. This course aims to equip senior doctors with skills to set JMOs up for success and provide meaningful feedback. The course also examines in detail factors that may lead to and strategies to deal with inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.

As an ANZCA Supervisor of Training from 2014 - 2019 I have extensive experience supervising registrars. During my tenure I particularly enjoyed assisting trainees experiencing difficulty. Over the years I successfully coached numerous trainees through rocky times of exam failure, personal difficulty and professional issues to eventually complete their training.

In my role as Supervisor of Training (and as Rotational Supervisor in 2019) I was part of the team responsible for recruitment of anaesthetic trainees.* My areas of experience include:

• writing selection criteria and interview questions
• interview skills including behavioural interviewing skills
• assessment of applications including CVs and selection criteria
• reference checking and providing references

* Obviously I cannot provide specific details about applications for anaesthetics training. That would unfairly advantage you over other candidates and would be unethical.

I am passionate about doctor wellbeing as I believe that happy, healthy doctors are safer doctors. 

I was involved in providing feedback during the drafting of the Long Lives Healthy Workplaces Plan for anaesthetics departments. 

In 2019 as Rotational Supervisor I established a number of small projects to improve doctor wellbeing including:

• an anaesthetic tuck shop for healthy meals and snacks after-hours
• a new mattress and pillows for registrars
• welfare resources for the anaesthetic department
• thank you and congratulations cards
• a mental health training day for anaesthetists

This bio makes it sound like my career trajectory has been smooth sailing. I can assure you it has not.

I am well placed to empathise with many of the challenges that life throws at doctors. Career breaks, illness, relationship breakdown, exam failure, imposter syndrome. I am very normal. And so are you too!