The Hunter Doig Medal

“I was really honoured to receive the medal named after two outstanding trail blazing female surgeons. When I was appointed as a senior lecturer in 2001, only 3% of consultant surgeons were women and I am delighted that there are now so many women pursuing a career in surgery. Moving forward, it is really important that we all play our role in ensuring that surgery is an attractive and rewarding career choice for both men and women.”

“I was delighted and humbled to be awarded the Hunter Doig medal in 2010. It came at a time when I was chairing a Specialty Board for Women in Surgery at the College…. To my mind, the medal was for all the team, reflecting a commitment to women in surgery and a belief that this would make surgery a better working environment for all.”

“For me, the motivation I have for being a vascular and trauma consultant is more than matched by my desire to be a great wife and mother. I want to do both well. It can feel daunting to know how to balance a fulfilling career with family life, and sadly some are even deterred from trying. Both male and female trainees write me thank you cards, grateful for a vision of how this might be possible.”

Professor Din was elected to the Council of the College in 2023.

“I was delighted to have my contribution to surgery, scientific research and training recognised by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 2015. I was really overwhelmed to receive the Hunter Doig medal, especially as Miss Doig herself was there to present it. We need surgeons for the future, and it is critical that surgery be an attractive career choice for both men and women.”

“Receiving the Hunter-Doig medal was a very significant moment for me. It came near the end of my surgical training. I used to joke that the best you could hope for as a trainee was the absence of criticism but knowing that my work had been reviewed and felt to be of merit was a remarkable sensation. I think I was the last winner to have the medal presented by Miss Doig, and it was such an honour to meet her. She was so kind, and very specific with some career advice!”

In 2024, she was awarded an MBE in the King’s New Year’s Honours, for services to the NHS.

“Receiving the Hunter Doig medal was a real boost to me at a pivotal time in my career. I had young children, was trying to write up my PhD, had the final years of training looming ahead and felt I was spinning too many plates. I loved my job but didn’t have many female role models. When I heard the news that I had been awarded the medal, it not only gave me a renewed sense of purpose, it also helped me feel I was more credible. I felt more confident to stand up to outdated misogynistic views, challenge accusations that I was not committed to a surgical career and to offer younger surgeons support and guidance.”

She is an expert on fractures around joint replacements and is regularly invited to speak at international meetings.

“I have been lucky to meet innumerable women who have inspired me along the way, including the winners of this prestigious medal who excel across a diverse range of surgical fields. I believe in the importance of visibility and the “you need to see it to be it” principle. As an arthroplasty surgeon, despite only 2-3% of hip and knee replacement surgeons being female, I am constantly meeting women who inspire me."

“It was incredibly humbling to be nominated for this award, and being awarded it helped me realise that in an environment where women are often underestimated or undermined despite our achievements, perhaps we can have a positive impact, without feeling that we must conform to society’s expectation of how a surgeon should look, sound and behave.”

“Receiving the award is such an honour. It is a surreal feeling to be awarded the same prestigious medal other outstanding women in surgery received; women I trained under as a junior doctor, and I always looked up to like Lorna Marson and Farhat Din. Understanding and conducting clinical research is the foundation to best clinical practice. It is very important to me to support and bring along the next generation surgeons by encouraging them to be involved and to recognise that in cancer surgery it is important to engage with patients or patient representatives to find out what’s important from their perspective. Trainees should feel to be part of a bigger picture and not just a training number.”