A big thank you to all of the registrars and demonstrators who attended and helped at SDAW in August, and to those who completed the survey!
SDAW report for members, including Survey Summary
SDAW 2025 was a great success, with positive feedback from both trainees and demonstrators. The event covered 14 of the 42 core skills across 12 stations. A mixture of examination, investigation, procedural, and injury immobilisations was covered.
A total of 23 registrars attended, a decrease from previous years, which allowed for smaller group sizes and more time for one-on-one training and assessment. Trainees found the course to be a “pleasure,” with a strong focus on practical, clinically relevant content that helped them feel a “sense of belonging.” In fact, 100% of trainees agreed that SDAW was a positive learning experience, and many felt it was excellent preparation for the OSCE.
Constructive feedback from registrars included a desire for stations on ear and nose foreign body removal, shoulder examinations, and dislocation manoeuvres. There were also comments about the radiology station not having enough time to cover chest X-rays and a need to adjust the difficulty of the ECG station. The Education Committee is looking at what it can do with the resources available to make improvements where it can.
Demonstrators (made up of Fellows and other professionals) also provided positive feedback, with 80% rating the administrative aspects as “excellent”. The office team was praised for the planning and setup, which helped the demonstrators deliver a high-quality learning experience. The demonstrator group included two new Fellows, Adrianne Pimentel and Hilary Burbidge, as well as experienced Fellows and other professionals, like a hand therapist and senior nurses.