Surgical Society: Academic Surgery Chair

'My experience: 

• I have been on the Academic Surgery subcommittee for the past two years and so am very familiar with the aims of the committee. 
• I am passionate and familiar with organising events and networking/mentoring schemes within UCL demonstrated through my time in MedSoc, ISOC, SurgSoc and as Academic Rep. 
• I have experience with running academic events aimed at allowing students to grow their portfolio. These include the Virtual Academic Surgery and the British Islamic Medical Association conferences.  
• I have increased my understanding of an academic career through the Surgical Sciences iBSc and in exploring my own passions for surgery so feel I am able to properly lead this division while still allowing room for growth and my own learning.   

I aim to work with my team to: 

• Foster a supportive and uplifting community to increase the inclusivity of academic surgery as a career. 
• Work with the shadowing and education officers to increase the networking and portfolio building opportunities available especially in the earlier years of the course such as through accessible networking opportunities and centrally advertised projects.  
• Work with subspecialty chairs to allow students to understand the specifics of an academic career in each field.  
• Build on previous work and continue to increase the profile of academic surgery at UCL. 

Hi everyone, my name is Hollie and I am a 4th year with a previous MSci degree in Biomedical Sciences.

As part of the Academic Surgery Subcommittee this year, I helped to coordinate several events and successfully organised the student oral presentation competition at the Virtual Academic Surgery Conference. I have experience gaining competitive AcaMedics Scheme surgical projects and summer research internships and have got involved in many wet-lab research projects. In addition, I am first author of a surgical literature review currently under consideration for publication.

I am running to be your Academic Surgical Chair as I would like to use my experience to help other students seek research projects and gain an interest in pursuing a career in academic surgery.

If elected for Chair I will strive to:  

1. Continue to build on the success of the Virtual Academic Surgery Conference and deliver a hybrid event with in-person workshops and networking opportunities
2. Coordinate with members of the AcaMedics scheme and the Royal College of Surgeons to advertise research opportunities and upcoming conferences  
3. Run sessions on the following: MBPhD programme, building a surgical portfolio and applying to the specialist foundation programme/core surgical training