Princess Alexandra Hospital surgical resident Dr William McDonald has won the Gordon Gordon-Taylor Prize for top marks in the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Examinations held in October 2025.
Awarded to one candidate for the entire Australasian region, the prestigious medal goes to the highest achiever in each of the primary General Surgical Sciences Examinations held in February, June and October.
William gravitated toward the surgical training program for which PA Hospital is well known, undertaking his intern year at PA and is now immersed in the surgical specialties on offer for his resident training.
“PA offers unique access to complex cases which creates a rich environment for learning,” he said.
“From day one you get thrown into a lot of procedural training that isn’t offered at other hospitals. The units are very encouraging and are really invested in growing trainees from the start of their placements.
“Many doctors from PA have done really well on the exam so having access to them and the registrars to answer your questions is so helpful, alongside a preparation strategy and allocated time for learning - and absolutely saying yes to opportunities as they come up during general training.”
William said the available resources and anatomy teachings within each department are essential when the surgical pathway relies heavily on independent preparation.
As someone who has always been fascinated with the brain and the spine, it is no surprise William is aspiring to do Neurosurgery which offers a lot of diversity in the types and complexity of cases with a great team.
“It was a bit of a surprise to have done so well in the GSSE but the award is reflective of a lot of hard work, and it is a good stepping stone into the next stage of surgical training,” he said.
A huge congratulations to William on this remarkable achievement and championing the excellence of surgical training at PA Hospital.