Dr. Justin Bessell MBBS, MD, FRACS General and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon

Education and Qualifications

Dr. Bessell is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS)
in General Surgery with a well established record of accomplishment in basic
and clinical research, including a doctoral degree (MD) which was awarded by the
University of Adelaide in May 1996 for his 3 years of full time study culminating in acceptance of his thesis “The Development, Validation and Analysis of New Endosurgical Procedures in Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery”.

He is currently a Senior Lecturer in Surgery having graduated from the University of Adelaide Medical School in 1987 with the degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), and was awarded the Ruth Heighway Prize for Obstetrics in 1985.

Specialist Training

Dr. Bessell undertook his Internship and Basic Surgical Training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, South Australia. Thereafter he entered the Advanced Surgical Training program of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, training at all major teaching hospitals in South Australia.

In 1998 he was appointed chief resident in surgery, Lyell McEwin Health Service, South Australia, and Visiting General Surgeon, Pt. Augusta Hospital & Pt. Pirie Regional Health Service, South Australia.

During 1999, he moved from Adelaide to undertake 12 months of sub-specialty post-fellowship training in Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery at the Princess Alexandra and Mater Private Hospitals in Brisbane.

During the year 2000, he worked as a specialist in Hepato-Biliary Pancreatic Surgery within the quaternary referral unit of the Leicester General Hospital U.K.

In 2001, he returned to Adelaide to take up a position as a Consultant in Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery at the Lyell McEwin Health Service and Flinders Medical Centre, with admitting rights to a number of Adelaide’s prominent private hospitals.

Awards and Distinctions

Numerous awards and honours have been bestowed on Dr Bessell including:

• The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Florence Cancer Fellowship in 1993
• An Australian Postgraduate Research Award (Industry) in 1994 & 1995
• A National Heart Foundation Award in 1994
• An Anti-Caner Foundation research award in 1995
• A National Health and Medical Research Council Medical Postgraduate scholarship between 1994 and 1996
• The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Marjorie Hooper Scholarship in 1996
• The Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung - German Government Research Fellowship in 1996.
• Several International Travel Grants from the Gastroenterological Society of Australia

Biographical entries can be found in:

• Marquis Who’s Who® in the World
• Marquis Who’s Who® in Medicine and Healthcare
• Marquis Who’s Who® in Science and Technology
• Barons The Asia 500

Refereed Publications

Dr. Bessell has over 40 published medical articles and abstracts in peer-reviewed international surgical journals, and has presented innumerable papers and research topics at national and international surgical meetings and conferences.

Membership of Professional Societies

• Registered Specialist General Surgeon with State Medical Board
• Full Registration with The General Medical Council, U.K.
• Affiliate Fellow, Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland
• Australian Medical Association
• Medical Defence Association of South Australia
• Gastroenterological Society of Australia
• Surgical Research Society of Australia
• National Cancer Grant Application Assessment Panel,
  Anti-Cancer Council Of Victoria
• RACS Section of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery
• RACS Section of Military Surgery
• South Australian Trauma Advisory Committee
• RACS State Trauma Committee
• Obesity Surgery Society of Australia and New Zealand OSSANZ
• International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity IFSO