Dr Robert Tam

Dr. Robert Tam is a highly experienced cardiothoracic surgeon with a passion for teaching and patient safety. After graduating from the University of Queensland in 1979, he completed his fellowship in General Surgery in 1987 at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, followed by a fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Prince Charles Hospital in 1992. Dr. Tam received further training in heart-lung transplantation at the British Heart Foundation Fellowship at the Southampton General Hospital and at the Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, UK, where he prepared to establish the Lung Transplantation Program in Queensland.

Dr. Tam has a joint appointment as a Staff Specialist in cardiac and thoracic surgery at the Prince Charles Hospital and is a lead surgeon in Australasia's first successful heart lung liver transplant, as well as being widely published in heart valve replacement through mini sternotomy. In 1996, he established the Cardiothoracic unit at Ramsay's Greenslopes Private Hospital and was the Director until 2008. He then became the Medical Director of the Surgical Services Group at the Townsville Hospital (TTH) where he re-established the suspended Cardiothoracic unit and continues to practice both cardiac and thoracic surgery.

As a strong advocate for patient safety, Dr. Tam holds a current appointment as an Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) surveyor. He was elected by his peers to the position of Chair of the Cardiothoracic Board of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and is an Executive Member of the Australia and New Zealand Society of Cardiothoracic Surgery (ANZSCTS). He also serves on the Committee of the Statewide Cardiac Clinical Network (SCCN), is a member of the Australian Lung Foundation, and serves as a Committee Member of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Dr. Tam's extensive experience and passion for teaching younger surgeons make him a valuable asset to the medical community.