SJS Orthopaedics

about

Dr Philip Markham

BMedSci, MBChB, FRACS, FAOrthA

 

Medical School

My decision to pursue a medical career was made when I was in high school, with the desire to pursue a worthwhile career helping the sick return to health. That recovery is no more pronounced than in the field of orthopaedics, where surgery is used to restore patients’ mobility and ultimately improve the quality of their lives and health. My medical training started with entry to Edinburgh Medical School in Scotland, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB). An elective term at St. Vincents Hospital, Sydney, during my medical school years sparked my interest in working in Australia.  

Basic Surgical Training

After completing my internship I gained entry to the Edinburgh Basic Surgery Training (BST) rotation for a 3year period of cross specialty surgical training. Much of the time was spent in General Surgical specialties, and those early years gave me a thorough grounding in tissue handling and surgical techniques. My initial experience in Orthopaedic surgery at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh sparked my interest in pursuing an Orthopaedic career. In particular I enjoyed the rewarding experience of restoring mobility and function in patients who were debilitated by arthritis, with joint replacement surgery. On completion of the BST I was awarded with Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (MRCSEd) and I made the move to work in Australia.  

SPECIaLIST ORTHOPAEDIC TRAINING

The Australian orthopaedic training I found to be high quality, with ample practical experience and almost daily theatre time. After spending some initial years in Newcastle and regional NSW I gained entry to the Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) Training Program where I spent 5 years completing formal Orthopaedic training in Sydney hospitals. They included the Royal North Shore, the Royal Prince Alfred as well as busy peripheral hospitals at Nepean, Canberra and Gosford. By the end of the program I had accrued over 10years of orthopaedic surgical experience and a case log of over 8,000 operative cases. I was awarded with Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS).
FELLOWSHIPS With the aim to continue to develop my skills, I underwent further training for a year with subspecialty Fellowships in Hip, Knee and Revision Joint Replacement Surgery (in Canberra with Prof. Paul Smith) and in Reconstructive and Shoulder Surgery (on the Central Coast with Dr. Ed Bateman). Together the Fellowships provided me with a breadth of expertise in Upper and Lower limb orthopaedic subspecialties. Following the Fellowship year I was awarded with Fellowship of the Australian Orthopaedic Association (FAOrthA).  

Current Practice

Since my Fellowships I have worked intensively as an Orthopaedic surgeon in public hospitals in Sydney, the Central Coast and the Illawarra, operating on both trauma and elective patients. I’ve enjoyed working at the variety of locations and my private practice SJS Orthopaedics (the abbreviation stands for “Sydney Joint Specialists”) now spans all three areas. There are new offices in Gosford and Wollongong, and sessional consulting at Macquarie University Hospital, Sydney. I’ll continue to hold public appointments at hospitals on the Central Coast and in the Illawarra, and I have admitting rights at private hospitals on the Central Coast (North Gosford Private, Brisbane Waters Private), Illawarra (Wollongong Private) and at Macquarie University Hospital, Sydney. Please contact my offices with any enquiries and my secretarial staff will be pleased to assist. My practice aims to be patient centred, and GP and patient enquiries are always very welcome. Please refer to my Appointments page for our contact details and follow the links on the Services page for further procedural information.