Post by Vibha Sriram

Yesterday, we had the privilege of hosting our inaugural conference, Redefining Surgery: Shared Voices for a Shared Future, at the University of Buckingham Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences As President of the Women in Surgery Society, co-hosting this conference with Lahari Dammala, President of Scalpel Surgical Society, became one of the most meaningful experiences of my medical school journey. Over the past few months, this conference taught me patience, resilience, teamwork, delegation, and the importance of creating opportunities for others. We were incredibly honoured to welcome inspiring women surgeons who generously gave their time to teach, mentor, and encourage students aspiring towards surgical careers. A huge thank you to Miss Sarah Hudson-Phillips for speaking about mentorship, sponsorship, resilience, and overcoming barriers within surgery. Her discussion on the importance of building support systems and advocating for others was incredibly impactful. Thank you to Miss Nourelhuda Darwish for sharing her journey into vascular surgery, speaking honestly about the challenges she faced, the importance of perseverance, and the value of having a strong community within surgery. We were also extremely grateful to Ms (Dr) Samantha Tross for sharing her journey in orthopaedic surgery and reminding us of the importance of positivity, determination, and finding a way forward through challenges. One of the most rewarding parts of the day was watching students engage with the hands-on workshops. Thank you to CLARIBONE Ltd. for supporting the Suzuki frame workshop, which gave many students exposure to concepts and skills they may not otherwise encounter early in medical school. A very special thank you to Ms (Dr) Samantha Tross for leading the orthopaedic workshop and sharing her expertise with students throughout the session. Thank you as well to Miss Nourelhuda Darwish for supporting the suturing workshop, which students thoroughly enjoyed. A special thank you to Prof Bijendra Patel and Ms Anushka Jindal’s team from Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry for delivering the laparoscopic skills workshop. Seeing students receive one-to-one guidance in laparoscopic simulation was truly wonderful. We are also very grateful to Geeky Medics for sponsoring prizes for our poster presenters. A heartfelt thank you to Buckingham Student Union and Miss Sarah Ruff for their support, guidance, and encouragement throughout organising this conference. We truly appreciate all the help that went into making this event possible. Finally, thank you to Lahari Dammala and our amazing committee team: Aadya Mishra, Ritisha Hooda, Simmi, Riya Jain, and Sriya Murugan. I am incredibly proud of what we created together. This conference was led by an all-women organising committee, something that makes this achievement even more special to me. Women in Surgery Student Association UK (WinSSA)TheThe Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh