Making career choices can be difficult for trainee surgeons. Recent changes to undergraduate and postgraduate surgical training have led to a significant reduction in exposure to different surgical specialties for younger doctors, which can make it difficult to choose a specialty.
The selection of articles below was compiled by the RCSEd’s Women in Surgery working group to provide a snapshot of life in different surgical specialties at trainee and consultant level.
Contributions come from a broad range of individuals, including clinical surgeons and academics. The selection also features articles on alternative career paths, including less-than-full-time training.
The Women in Surgery group gratefully thank everyone who has taken the time to put their experiences on paper.
Lorna Marson
Chair, Women in Surgery Working Group
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Read "Becoming a Cardiothoracic Surgeon " by Rajamiyer Venkateswaran, SpR in Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Heart and Lung Transplantation, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham
Read " A Day in the Life of a Locum Consultant Thoracic Surgeon " by Johnny Ferguson, Locum Consultant Thoracic Surgeon, Papworth Hospital, Cambridge.
Read " A Day in the Life of a Cardiothoracic Specialist Registrar " by Andrew Drain, Specialist Registrar, Papworth Hospital, Cambridge.
Read " A Day in the Life of a Cardiothoracic Specialist Registrar " by Douglas West, Specialist Registrar, The Western Infirmary, Glasgow.
Useful links:
ENT (Otolaryngology)
You can find career advice on "Becoming an ENT surgeon" from the British Association of Otolaryngologists .
Read " My Experience of Flexible Training in ENT " by Mary Shanks, Lead Surgeon for the Scottish Cochlear Implant Programme, Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock
Read " A Day in the Life of a Professor of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery " by Professor Janet Wilson, Professor of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne
Read " A Day in the Life of an ENT SpR " by Ross Anderson, Specialist Registrar in ENT, North Midlands & Yorkshire
Read " A Day in the Life of a Surgical Trainee in ENT on the hospital retainer scheme " by Kerry Lang, SHO in ENT
Useful links:
General Surgery
Read " Becoming a General Surgeon " by Javed Sultan, Research Registrar, Upper GI, Newcastle University
Read " A Day in the Life of an Academic Transplant Surgeon " by Lorna Marson, Senior Lecturer in Transplant Surgery, Clinical and Surgical Sciences (Surgery), University of Edinburgh
Read " A Day in the Life of a General Surgical Trainee " by Juliette Murray, SpR in General Surgery, West of Scotland
Read " A Day in the Life of a General Surgery Research Fellow " by Richard Skipworth, Research Fellow in General Surgery
Useful links:
Neurosurgery
You can get advice on "How to Become a Neurosurgeon" from the Society of British Neurosurgeons .
Read " A Day in the Life of a Neurosurgical Trainee " by Paul Brennan, Neurosurgical Trainee
Read " A Day in the Life of a Neurosurgical Trainee " by Roddy O’Kane, Neurosurgical Trainee
Useful links:
Ophthalmology
Read " Becoming an Ophthalmologist " by Rehman Siddiqui, MRCOphth, MRCSEd, MSc, Specialist Registrar Ophthalmology, Grampian University Hospitals, Aberdeen & Badrul Hussain, MRCOphth, MRCSEd, Specialist Registrar Ophthalmology, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London
Read " A Day in the Life of an Ophthalmology Surgical Trainee " by James Cameron, Ophthalmology Surgical Trainee, Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, Edinburgh
Useful links:
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Read " A Day in the Life of a Maxillofacial Trainee " by Craig Wales, Maxillofacial trainee
Read " A Day in the Life of an SpR in Orthodontics " by Dr Claire Bates, Specialist Registrar in Orthodontics
Useful links:
Orthopaedic Surgery
Find out about " A Career in Orthopaedic Surgery " by Professor Hamish Simpson, Professor of Orthopaedics, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
Read " A Day in the Life of a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon " by Maria van Kampen, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, North Tyneside General Hospital
Read " A Day in the Life of an Orthopaedic SpR " by Simon Thomas, Specialist Registrar in Orthopaedic Surgery
Useful links:
Paediatric Surgery
Read an Overview of Paediatric Surgery
Read " A Day in the Life of a Paediatric Surgical Trainee " by Martyn Fleet, Paediatric Surgical Trainee.
Useful links:
Plastic Surgery
Read " Becoming a Plastic Surgeon " by David McGill, Plastic Surgery Registrar, Birmingham
Read " The Life of a Plastic Surgery Trainee " by Kristian Sorensen, Research Fellow
Read " A Day in the Life of a Plastic Surgical Trainee " by David McGill, Plastic Surgery Registrar, Birmingham
Useful links:
Urology
Find out about " Becoming a Urologist " by Grant Stewart, Surgical Research Fellow, Association for International Cancer Research, University of Edinburgh Medical School
Read " A Day in the Life of a Urology SpR " by Khurshid Ghani, Urology SpR, London Deanery
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Alternative Career Paths
Read "Why take an intercalated BSc." by Sylvie Dubois Marshall, Clinical Research Fellow, Edinburgh Breast Unit
Read "My Experience of Flexible Training in ENT " by Mary Shanks, Lead Surgeon for the Scottish Cochlear Implant Programme, Crosshouse Hospital, Kilmarnock
Read " Less Than Full Time Training in Surgery – A Personal Perspective " by Lorna Marson, Senior Lecturer in Transplant Surgery, Clinical and Surgical Sciences (Surgery), University of Edinburgh
Read " A Day in the Life of a Surgical Trainee in ENT on the hospital retainer scheme " by Kerry Lang, SHO in ENT
Read " A Day in the Life of a General Surgery Research Fellow " by Richard Skipworth, Research Fellow in General Surgery
Read " A Day in the Life of A Urology Teaching Fellow " by Ailsa Bain, Teaching Fellow in Urology, Sunderland Royal Hospital and University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Read " Working Abroad, Surgical Training in Africa " by Khurshid Ghani BSc(Hons) MBChB MRCS(Ed)
Read " Working Abroad, SABRE " by Khurshid Ghani BSc(Hons) MBChB MRCS(Ed)
Read " Working Abroad, Surgical Database " by Khurshid Ghani BSc(Hons) MBChB MRCS(Ed)