Spotlight on a College Alumna - Dr Yishay Orr - Class of 1992


28th October 2016
As we are near the end of secondary school for the Class of 2016, and with nerves and high expectations our...

 

 

Spotlight on a College alumna - Dr Yishay Orr - Class of 1992

As we are near the end of secondary school for the Class of 2016, and with nerves and high expectations our students look to their future, we take time out to recognise the remarkable achievements of one of our own alumnae, Dr Yishay Orr.

Dr Yishay Orr, MBBS BSc (Med) Hon FRACS PhD, is a Cardiothoracic Surgeon whose main clinical focus is the surgical treatment of adult and paediatric congenital heart disease.

Today, Yishay is the only female paediatric cardiothoracic surgeon in Australia.

Yishay graduated from Domremy College in 1992 and graduated from the University of NSW with a Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery First Class Honours, in 1999.

After internship and residency years, Yishay worked in hospitals in Australia and overseas, including in cardiothoracic surgery at Liverpool Hospital and then Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

In 2005 Yishay completed a research PhD at UNSW. During her Advanced Cardiothoracic Surgical training she worked at Royal Perth Hospital and at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, where her focus was on heart and lung transplantation and mechanical circulatory support in addition to adult heart and lung surgery.

She was recognised as the Doctor-in-Training of the Year in 2011 by the AMA (NSW). Yishay obtained a Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in January 2011, and then embarked on two years of paediatric cardiac surgery training at The Children’s Hospital Westmead, followed by a one year Fellowship at The Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas in 2013.

Yishay is heavily involved in humanitarian work, travelling as part of the cardiac surgery team with a non-profit organisation, Open Heart International, to underprivileged countries, including Fiji, Tanzania, Rwanda, Cambodia, Myanmar and Papua New Guinea. The team trains local teams to perform cardiac surgery and performs more complex cases.

In 2014 Yishay worked alongside a local surgical team in Mwanza, Tanzania, over five days performing in excess of fourteen cases of surgery and helping to grow a paediatric cardiac surgery unit in Mwanza. She posted, “There has been plenty of learning from both sides … I realize how much I take for granted a continuous supply of running water, electricity and oxygen. But I never cease to be amazed at how little we need in order to repair the hearts of kids safely and effectively.”* She continues to be part of this ongoing and worthwhile project, with her latest, an inaugural visit to India in June 2016.

Yishay is currently working as a Cardiothoracic Surgeon at the Children’s Hospital Westmead, Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick, and Westmead Hospital. She also practices at Westmead Private, Norwest Private and the Sydney Adventist Hospitals.

Yishay continues with her other active clinical interests including adult cardiothoracic surgery, active involvement in paediatric cardiac intensive care and planning for the establishment of a paediatric heart and lung transplant and mechanical circulatory assist program. She is currently the Supervisor of Surgical Education and Training (Cardiothoracic Surgery) at The Children’s Hospital Westmead.

She has been the invited speaker at numerous conferences in Australia and Canada, and has published extensively.

A remarkable, hardworking and dedicated woman, Yishay has openly devoted her life to a career on helping others. “She loves turning a baby ‘from blue to pink in a few hours … It’s technically demanding surgery, and one of the most rewarding things is that you can give someone 70 years of their life.’ “**

My years at Domremy College afforded me a safe, inspiring and stimulating environment in which to grow and develop as a young woman and to explore the areas of education that were of most interest to me while ensuring a diverse learning experience. I was challenged both mentally and physically and given many opportunities to learn and grow. The school had a very supportive and encouraging environment and the principles of resilience, compassion and care for others that were emphasized during my time at Domremy College have remained with me throughout life. We were always challenged to achieve excellence and believe that anything is possible and I firmly believe that this has guided me towards the amazing career that I am privileged to be able to pursue,” says Dr Orr***.

References:

*Dr Yishay Orr, A surgeon’s perspective, posted 30 November 2014 - http://www.ohi.org.au/east-africa/2014/11/30/asurgeonsperspective/

**Julie Robotham, A long, hard road to become the best in modern medicine – Published 30 April, 2011 - http: http://www.smh.com.au/national/a-long-hard-road-to-become-the-best-in-modern-medicine-20110429-1e0ru.html

***Dr Yishay Orr

2016

<< Previous | Next >>