Post by Samruddhi Tagalpallewar

On March 16th, we had the absolute privilege of hosting the very first National Women in Surgery Networking Reception organised by Women in Surgery Student Association UK (WinSSA) in collaboration with Barts and the London Plastics Surgery Society, UCL Women in Surgery, KCL Women in Surgery, St. George's Surgical Society, and Imperial College London! This event marked a significant milestone as first of its kind, but also by bringing together 5 different London universities, over 75+ medical students, professionals, and advocates and 10+ surgeons from all across the country. It was a day features a keynote speech from WinSSA Patron Averil Mansfield, engaging panel discussions, and interactive workshops. We were thrilled to have such an incredible lineup of speakers and panelists who shared their expertise, stories, and invaluable advice. I want to thank our keynote speaker Professor Averil Mansfield, our panelists Evelyn Mensah Radhika Rampat Zuzanna Nowinka Ms. Stacey Strong Dr Sujitha Selvarajah Ms Nagina Subati and Ms Anusha Jegatheeswaran. The event also featured 3 different workshops: • Leadership as a surgeon facilitated by The Healthcare Leadership Academy and Hiba Khan • Mental health and wellbeing for surgeons delivered by Katherine J. • How to ace your CST portfolio led by Lelyn Osei Atiemo and Dr Ilaria Pecorella We are incredibly grateful to all the committee members, sponsors (The MDU, ASPC - Association Of Surgeons In Primary Care, and Medical Protection Society), speakers, and attendees who made this day such a success! Your dedication and support are truly what made this event possible, and we can’t wait to build on this foundation to continue advocating for and uplifting women in surgery. 💗 I would like to extend an extremely heartfelt thank you to the Women in Surgery Student Association UK (WinSSA) committee for their hardwork in making the event such a success. Your support, passion, and dedication have truly set the stage for an incredible journey ahead for WinSSA. This was just the first of many events to come, and we are beyond excited for what the future holds!