Surgical Society: Women in Surgery Chair

I am deeply committed to championing Women in Surgery at UCL. While the surgical field is evolving, aspiring female surgeons still face unique barriers regarding representation, mentorship, and career progression. I want to use this platform to dismantle those barriers, amplify female voices, and create actionable pathways for success.

Representation matters. A major priority for my campaign is to actively invite leading female surgeons and pioneers in fields like plastic and reconstructive surgery to UCL. By hosting specialized workshops and networking events with these role models, I want to show students what is possible and provide them with the practical skills needed to excel in the operating room.

Furthermore, building a competitive surgical portfolio requires early and confident involvement in research. Drawing from my own rigorous academic background, including navigating complex systematic and narrative reviews,I want to create focused mentoring initiatives. I want to provide aspiring female surgeons with the structured guidance they need to get published, present at conferences, and stand out in future specialty applications.

Through my roles as an Impartial Chair and a presenter on 'The Bridge' podcast, I have honed my ability to facilitate vital conversations and advocate fiercely for equality. I will bring that same unwavering dedication to building a robust, supportive community where women in surgery feel empowered, equipped, and ready to lead.

I am running for WinS Chair because I want Women in Surgery at UCL to deliver consistently across the whole year. Over the last 3 years, I’ve shown sustained commitment to SurgSoc, including serving on the core committee and helping deliver major events. Through INUGSC 2026, I led the Widening Participation Conference, organising a sixth-form conference and managed logistics to ensure it ran smoothly. I can recruit, delegate, and execute high-quality events.

My goals:

1. Deliver a standout conference unlike any other year, with delegates from across the world.
2. A structured mentoring scheme with real matching and monthly check-ins.
3. Host a collaborative conference later in the year with other universities to expand the network and widen access.
4. Run a “Breaking Barriers” skills series that include workshops and talks that empower members and increase exposure to specialties where women are underrepresented.
5. Launch a “Women Wednesday WinS” newsletter spotlighting the stories, experiences, and achievements of women in surgery.

I am passionate about representation with purpose. I want to actively spotlight and support pathways into specialties with low female representation, like cardiothoracic and neurosurgery, while also strengthening BAME representation in our speakers, mentors, and outreach.

I am organised, experienced, and care about making surgery feel accessible to everyone. Vote for me, and I will make WinS bigger than ever before, inspiring the next generation of female

WINS has shaped my university experience. I joined as a subcommittee member in Year 2, and for the past two years have served as Mentoring Lead on the Core Committee. Through mentoring, I’ve had honest conversations with students navigating doubt, comparison, and the pressure to be “exceptional” in surgery.

Those conversations changed how I think about representation - it is not enough to showcase excellence; we must make it feel attainable.

That is why I’m running for Chair.

My vision for WINS is centred on Embracing the Ordinary - because every story is extraordinary. Not just as a conference theme, but as a guiding principle.

Surgical careers are often presented through milestones and accolades. While inspiring, they can feel distant. I want our flagship event to feel relatable - highlighting steady progress, non-linear journeys, collaboration, and the realities behind achievement. What appears “ordinary” - persistence, balance, resilience after setbacks - is often extraordinary in strength.

Having worked across both subcommittee and core committee, I understand how to translate vision into action. I value continuity, early planning, strong collaboration, and building initiatives that last beyond a single committee year. WINS should not just inspire future surgeons - it should reassure them there is space for them exactly as they are.

I want WINS to be a society where ambition feels possible, progress feels personal, and no one feels they have to become someone else to succeed.

As part of WINS committee for 2025-2026, I am delighted to run for WINS Chair this year! Through promoting and delivering the 2025 WINS Conference, I worked closely with the committee and surgeons at the forefront of their fields. This gave me valuable insight into the planning and coordination required to execute a national conference. Receiving positive feedback was a proud achievement and reinforced the meaningful impact WINS has on students.

I've developed my skills as Networking Representative for the Royal Society of Medicine Student Section by organising surgical networking events in Wales and London. I've also supported cross-university initiatives, including the Acute Care Conference and 2026 Women Across the World Conference, organised collaboratively by the 4 London medical schools.

My Goals:

1. WINS Conference & Networking Events with surgeons in leadership, academia and innovation, broadening perspectives on surgical careers.
2. Workshops & Speciality Panels exploring AI integration, robotics and emerging innovations shaping modern surgery.
3. Scrubbing into theatres, providing early exposure to surgical environments and clinical skills.
4. Inter-Uni collaboration to foster connections nationally and expand opportunities.
5. Mentorship Scheme with a wider range of specialities available, and consistent support.

I am committed to ensuring WINS continues to evolve in ambition and innovation, remaining an inspiring, inclusive society that empowers the next generation of women in surgery.

Shadowing a female surgeon before entering medicine was a defining moment that sparked my interest in women in surgery. Observing leadership and confidence in theatre inspired me to consider surgery early and reinforced my belief that women have an important and growing place within the field.

While undertaking my Surgical Sciences iBSc, I have gained valuable insight into the realities of a surgical career. I recently helped surgeons organise a surgical hackathon, uniting engineers, surgeons and students. This highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, and I'm eager to apply these learnings to expand the reach and impact of our society.

Serving on the WiNS committee this year allowed me to give back to the community that inspired me. I designed promotional content, supported conference organisation and managed event media. My concurrent role on the RUMS Events Committee has provided practical expertise in event coordination, teamwork and logistics - skills I will bring to future initiatives.

I am deeply committed to widening participation. Having organised a medical conference for lower-income secondary school students, I plan to introduce a dedicated outreach stream within the WiNS conference to ensure students from all backgrounds feel represented in surgery.

As Chair, I would introduce a surgical shadowing scheme connecting students with surgeons, a 'Day in the Life of a Surgeon' series, and an inter-university boat ball to connect with like-minded peers.