Post by Alisa Ivanov

As the new academic year begins, I wanted to reflect on how inspiring it was to be on the Women in Surgery committee at UCL last year. My highlight was the day of our Annual National Women in Surgery Conference, where we welcomed over 160 delegates and 60+ speakers delivering talks, workshops, and Q&As. These included inspirational women balancing parenthood and surgery, surgeons with unique career journeys, and figures such as Professor Dame Averil Mansfield CBE (the first female professor of surgery in the UK) and Fiona Mynt. Within my time I promoted events throughout the year and during the conference, while also helping on the day itself. I really appreciated the opportunity to network with the surgeons, help organise the day and be part of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes of such an impressive conference. This is exactly the type of environment which should be fostered for all aspiring surgeons because it brought like-minded students and professionals together. After this, I felt inspired and motivated and look forward to being involved with this in the future.