Surgical Society: Vascular Surgery Chair

Hi guys,

My name is Alex and I'm a 4th year, having completed my iBSc last year in Surgical Sciences. I know that myself as well as others have benefited greatly from the work and events that Surgical Society have organised over the years and that the Society plays a huge role in promoting and encouraging interests and a career in Surgery.

I have been a member since I started and was Cardiothoracic Chair in 2nd year, proving my passion and longstanding commitment to surgery. In my time I have:

• effectively chaired Cardiothoracics, liaising and organising talks with surgeons
• given tutorials on behalf of Surgical Society
• helped run iNUGSC as part of committee and a member
• attended other surgical conferences and widened my knowledge of Surgery in general
• been involved in a variety of Surgical Research

As Vascular Surgery Chair I will organise the typical activities expected such as suturing workshops and lectures from surgeons but I will go above and beyond and try to offer unique opportunities for students to attend theatre and shadow vascular surgeons and complete vascular research, through my connections with the Royal Free Vascular surgery team. I would appreciate your support. Thank you.

During a surgical conference at King’s, I attended a vascular workshop where we were taught the technique of a patch angioplasty. Using different materials in surgery to repair something that I initially did not even realise could be approached surgically was very interesting. In addition, speaking to the vascular trainee was very interesting as he explained the numerous techniques, they use to repair something so tiny but so vital. For these reasons, I would love to bring vascular surgery into more focus at UCL and introduce it to more students as a fun and prospective speciality. I believe I am well equipped for this role as I was a member of the OMFS committee as well as being the Suture The Future co-lead in year 2. Moreover, I have attended numerous UCL surgical society events including conferences. Together, these roles and my experiences have given me a good understanding of how surgical society works as well as how important having a good leader is.

I would start by holding a lecture series, introducing vascular surgery and presenting different speakers. Moreover, vascular surgery can be well tied into the medical curriculum and promoted at sessions by making some lectures relevant to the content we learn as this gives the students an incentive to attend. All the sessions mentioned can build up to our own vascular conference in term 2 which will involve interactive workshops. Moreover, this could also be a collaboration with other committees in surgical society. 

I am in my 3rd year intercalating in Cardiology and am incredibly passionate about Vascular Surgery. 

I received a committee excellence award as EM chair with UCL Medical Society. I hope to demonstrate this commitment next year at UCL surgical society.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any suggestions or want to hear about my plans next year.