Inspiring the next generation

Following the success of last year’s visit to Belfast schools, the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (ASGBI) joined forces with the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh to undertake another local outreach activity ahead of the annual ASGBI International Surgical Congress.

In April, visits were made to two schools in the Edinburgh area with the aim of promoting surgery as a career for students considering their futures. The participating schools were Broughton High School and Liberton High School. 

Each half-day session enabled the students to meet surgeons of various types and hear directly from them about their working lives. There was a comprehensive introductory presentation covering many of the reasons why we become surgeons, the pathway through school, university and surgical training as well as the pitfalls we encounter along the way. There was a fireside discussion with representatives from the Moynihan Academy, which enabled the group to ask questions about motivation, career choices, working long hours and the highs and lows within our collective experiences. 

Various hands-on workshop activities were designed to give students a taste of life as a surgeon. These included gloving and gowning practice, getting to grips with virtual reality, using stapling devices, testing laparoscopic skills and learning the core basics of hand knot-tying and blood pressure monitoring.

At Broughton High School, one of the Surgeons’ Hall Museums team brought along some interesting historical props. Using each of these items, he explained the origins of early surgical thinking and practice over many centuries. He highlighted the use of chloroform by Sir James Young Simpson in Edinburgh and the antiseptic contributions that Lord Joseph Lister brought to the field. The students were also able to imagine and enact an historical mock limb amputation. 

The students were asked to give feedback on their experience and they provided consistently positive responses. Some 98% of those who attended confirmed that they had enjoyed the workshops and 76% indicated that the day had helped to expand their considerations for their future career paths.

Moreover, the students reported that they felt the event was well organised and had enabled them to realise that people from all backgrounds can achieve in medicine. They said they appreciated the opportunity to talk to real surgeons about their work and the challenges they have faced. 

When asked if there was anything that could be improved, the students suggested more time and more hands-on experience, indicating that they had enjoyed and felt engaged throughout the experience. There was also an appetite to discover more about applying to university from those who had been inspired to explore the possibilities of a surgical career.

Perhaps the most prominent signifier of the success of the event came from a Liberton High School student, who confirmed they had changed their subject choices for next year because they now wanted to become a surgeon. At Broughton High School there were also altered aspirations – at the beginning of the session, one student said they were considering a career in surgery. By the end, the number had increased to five.

ASGBI and RCSEd were very fortunate to have received fantastic support for the schools visit from Medtronic and CMR Surgical. This enabled us to provide the attendees with a varied and interesting programme along with cutting-edge technology and tools.

Stephanie Wood, Principle Colorectal Disease State Manager for UKI at Medtronic, said: “Medtronic is proud to have been able to support ASGBI’s recent visit to schools around Edinburgh. We believe that tomorrow’s product designers and healthcare professionals are among today’s students. By showing them how industry and healthcare professionals collaborate to save lives, we hope to inspire them to choose a career in health.” 

Gareth Rhind, Professional Education Lead for UKI at CMR Surgical, added: “It was an absolute pleasure to be invited to showcase our virtual reality training tool for the Versius Robot at Liberton High School. Surgical robotics is in its infancy and its true potential has yet to be realised. The students of Liberton will be part of a golden generation that will see the technology reach new hights. Introducing technology to students at this level ensures that young minds get the opportunity to see their potential in surgery, and that the playthings of today really do refine the skills for exciting careers.” 

Together, ASGBI and RCSEd are committed to supporting surgeons at every stage of their careers — from early engagement and training through to professional development and leadership. By delivering initiatives such as this, we aim to inspire future generations, provide meaningful support throughout the surgical journey, and play a central part in advancing surgical care in the UK and beyond. This lifelong support is vital to fostering excellence, resilience and innovation in the surgical profession.