Consultant Specialist Orthopedic Surgery

A. HOW TO APPLY: 
 
1. MAKING AN APPLICATION 

a. For your application to be considered you must complete ALL requirements of 
the Application Package  
➢ Complete and signed Application Form (Form 2) 
➢ Certified Copies of all academic achievements/qualifications/training etc. 
➢ Recently updated Curriculum Vitae (12 months) 
➢ 3 Referees and their details i.e (email addresses & phone numbers) 
 
2. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION  

a. All applications should be addressed to: 

The Chairman 
Public Service Commission  
Level 2, FMFM II Government Building  
Apia, Samoa  
 
b. All Applications can be submitted using the following options; 

• PSC Level 2 – FMFM II Government Building; OR 
• Email: recruitment@psc.gov.ws  
 
c. All Applications for the position will be closed on 14 May 2026 at 5:00pm  
 
d. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact the Senior Executive 
Services on email ses@psc.gov.ws or telephone 22123.

B. Samoa Public Service  

The Samoa Public Service is comprised of government entities which fall under the 
following categories; Constitutional Bodies, Statutory Bodies, Ministries and State-Owned 
Enterprises (Public Bodies).  
 
C. About the Ministry of Health   

The Ministry of Health is the lead Government agency responsible for the governance and 
guidance of the health, healthcare and health industry of Samoa. The Ministry underwent 
a significant re-organization in 2019 with the primary aim of reviving the nation’s focus 
on disease prevention, community engagement and strengthening Primary Health Care

D. ABOUT THE POSITION: 

JOB DESCRIPTION  

Responsible to the: The Director General for the overall management of the position. 
Reports to the Deputy Director General – Hospital & Clinical Services as well as the Head of 
Department - Orthopedic Surgery.  

Primary Objective: 

This position supports and assists the HOD of Surgery (Surgical and Orthopedic Services) in the provision of efficient & quality services to inpatients and outpatients in the relevant specialized 
field of Orthopedic Surgery, under the overarching responsibility of the DDG Hospital & Clinical 
Services, consistent with the values of the Ministry of Health. 

Technical 

1. Assist the HoD in preparing, reviewing and updating clinical guidelines and treatment 
   protocols for effective and efficient quality of Orthopedic Surgery services.  
2. Be accountable and available at short notice to provide assistance and cover extending 
   into after-hours based on staff capability especially in Emergency scenarios, Disaster 
   management and periods of staff shortage.
3. Work together with the HoD ensuring close collaboration with Axillary services such as 
   Radiology, Laboratory, Pharmacy, Operating Theatre, Intensive Care and Emergency 
   Services and other relevant departments to ensure close coordination and collaboration in 
   effective patient management.
4. Participate as a member or leader in selected clinical governance subcommittee(s), at the 
   nomination of the HoD or Deputy Director General of Hospital & Clinical Services, for 
   e.g. in Drugs and Therapeutics Committee, Medical Equipment Committee, Infection 
   Control Committee, Overseas Treatment Scheme Committee etc. plus any other health 
   sector meetings that requires his/her expertise input for quality improvement in service 
   delivery. 

Duties and Responsibilities:  

1. Provide assistance to facilitate the implementation of specialized patient care and 
   management as well as all activities of the Department by working effectively with the 
   HOD and adheres towards a positive collegiate relationship.  
2. Assist the HOD in preparing, reviewing and updating clinical guidelines and treatment 
   protocols for effective and efficient quality of medical services provided within the 
   Department.
3. Available for consultation and liaison with other Departments and referring hospitals.
4. Assists the HOD in the clinical supervision, training and mentoring of junior medical 
   registrars, including house surgeons/interns on rotation within the department.
5. Assist the HOD in the provision of Annual Performance Appraisals of all surgical staff 
   under his/her team.
6. Undertakes Operational Research, write up and publication in Clinical Journal Article 
   Reviews.
7. Maintains appropriate records and confidentiality and ensures best practice of patient 
   care to obtain best possible outcomes.
8. Responsible for medical reports & medico-legal assessments and provision of expert 
   opinion under the guidance and directive of the HOD.
9.  Serve as the Acting HOD for the Surgical and Orthopedic Services department during 
   his or her absence from work when requested to do so. 

Key Deliverables:

1. Lead and encourage service-related reforms for quality improvement as it pertains to 
   surgical services and its contribution to the achievement of clinical health services targets 
   and key performance indicators.
2. Work together with the HoD to ensure that regular meetings for the department are 
   conducted or in combination with other medical specialty units (for e.g. emergency, 
   medical, obstetrics & gynecology) and other health professionals  (nursing, allied, 
   supportive) to discuss all clinical and administrative service issues pertaining to the 
   departments’ specialty operations including clinical audit case management, mortality 
   meetings, research journal clubs and medical continuous education meetings.
3. Undertake education, teaching and research activities to train, coach, mentor and support 
   staff, students and other stakeholders; be responsible for personal continuous professional 
   development and be a health advocate.
4. Successful implementation of Division Key Performance Indicators (KPI) as per FY 
   Budget Measures 

SELECTION CRITERIA 

MERITS: Skills and Abilities 

COMPETENCY: Essential 

DESCRIPTOR 

• Excellent Clinical Skills including procedural skills.
• Must be articulate and have excellent communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Able to work within a multidisciplinary team, work under pressure in a resource constrained environment/facility and can cope with adverse outcomes.
• Able to recognize and escalate the care of complex medical problems using evidence based approach.
•  Able to assist in organizing professional development activities (conferences, meetings and workshops) and shows responsibility in personal development and learning new skills.
• Able to assess and manage complex surgical (and medical) problems using evidence-based approach and offer expert clinical opinion on a range of patients presentations.
• Demonstrate ability in organizing professional development activities (CME activities, simulation activities, workshops), personal development and learning new skills.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES 

• Observes the highest standard of professional conduct in accordance with the approved Medical Practitioners of Samoa Code of Professional Standards 2007.
• A professional who demonstrates the highest values and ethical practice.
• Must have the trust, respect and confidence of the medical, nursing and other allied health professional together with the patients and community.
• Achieved the minimum Continuous Medical Education (CME) points for individual professional development.
• Compliance with approved/endorsed protocols and clinical guidelines.
• Having satisfactory performance through the Annual Performance Appraisal as prescribed by the Samoa Medical Council  
• All written records and documentation must be well written, legible and easy to comprehend.
• Progression within the Consultant Specialist Level is subject to:  
  i. Having met the requirements endorsed by the Samoa Medical Council for CME points 
  ii. Satisfactory  Annual Performance Appraisal as prescribed and monitored by the Samoa Medical Council through the HOD & DDG H&C Services 
  iii. Feedback reports from Peer Reviews.

EXPERIENCE (Essential)

• Minimum of 7 years of clinical experience in Orthopedic Surgery, or 10 years working experience 
  inclusive of general and specialized (even in training), as a Medical Officer.
• Should have conducted a Research or Audit upon completion of specialist training, or be the author/co author of a published medical article or medical research  
• Aware of, with good knowledge of medical and government legislation, policies and medico-legal 
  compliance.
• Aware of concept/tools used in clinical or public health leadership management, audits, research, monitoring and evaluation and clinical governance. 

PAST WORK PERFORMANCE (Essential)

• Experience working in a hospital with limited resources; confident and competent in teaching and training staff.
• Experience in resuscitating patients with life threatening emergencies and subsequent management of critically ill or injured patients, initiating and participating in an emergency response, and supporting team members and relatives of very sick patients.
• Experience in managing and supervising the junior registrars to maintain patient safety and quality of care.
• Strong knowledge of evidence-based standards of Orthopedic Surgery.
• Acquired evidence-based standards of safe practices in Orthopedic Surgery.

QUALIFICATIONS (Essential)

• Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Orthopedic Surgery (MBBS), MBChB or MD from a recognized training institute.
• Holds post-graduate Masters of Medicine in Orthopedic Surgery, or Fellow in Orthopedic.
• Surgery from a recognized medical training institute.
• Holds a Full Registration from Samoa Medical Council.
• Holds a Current Annual Practicing Certificate/ License as approved by the Samoa Medical Council. 

E. BENEFITS  

Duty Station: TTM Hospital Motootua, Apia Samoa
Duration: Appointment will be guided by the Government of Samoa’s standard contract term of 
employment of 3 years.  
Salary: A standard package that consists of a Base Salary and Responsibility Allowance1. For an 
overseas candidate successfully appointed to the role, the Base Salary may be negotiable subject 
to qualifications and experience, to be determined by the Commission. 
Hours of Attendance: The standard working hours are from Monday to Friday – 9:00am to 
5:00pm. Given the nature of Hospital Service (24 hours, 7 days a week) the appointee will be 
required to work on a rostered basis and to attend to patient when called in as needed. 
Performance Reviews: The Appointee’s performance shall be reviewed in accordance with the 
Performance Management Guideline. 
Annual Payout: Appointee is entitled to a payout of five (5) days untaken annual leave per 
contract year which is equivalent to a total of fifteen (15) days to be paid at the cessation of the 
Contract Term 
Annual Leave: 20 days’ annual leave per annum on pro rata basis  
Sick Leave: 20 days’ sick leave per annum on pro rata basis.  
Other Leave: All other leaves are subject to the rules set out in the Public Service Working 
Conditions and Entitlements Manual and Commission Endorsement. 
End of Contract Benefits: The Appointee is entitled at the expiry of the Contract Term, to a 
payment equivalent to 8 working days for every contract year served at the salary rate paid to the 
Appointee on cessation of employment.  
National Provident Fund: Government shall pay a percentage of the Appointee’s contribution or 
another rate prescribed by the National Provident Fund from time to time.  
Accident Compensation Corporation: Government shall pay a percentage of the Appointee’s 
contribution or another rate prescribed by the Accident Compensation Act 1989. 
Duty Travel: The government, development partner or relevant body meets all travelling expenses 
at prescribed rates necessarily incurred by staff required to travel away from Apia on official duty 
travel.  
Regional/ International Recruited Staff: A successful candidate recruited from overseas is to 
bear all costs associated of relocation and will not be the responsibility of the Ministry.