The Platt Fisher Lecture

April saw the beginnings of a new tradition. Mrs Kyle was delighted to inaugurate the Platt Fisher Lecture in her first year as Head of Girls’ Division. This annual public talk aims to inspire, and began with an address from its namesake: Old Girl Dr Sheila Fisher (née Platt, Class of 1970). Dr Fisher took the audience on a captivating review of the many roles she has held in her life so far: maxillofacial surgeon, wife and mother, Bolton School Governor, minister and more. Her school years had a huge impact: she said of her primary school headteacher, ‘Without his inspiration, I wouldn’t be standing here.’ Her time in the Girls’ Division gave her so much more than a good academic education: not only lifelong hobbies and friendships, but also the school’s ethos and the confidence to believe in herself. ‘Much is required of those to whom much is given’, a line in the school prayer, describes an attitude she has carried throughout her life. She offered the audience advice for ‘the time life goes pear-shaped’ through her own, deeply personal experience of losing two uncles to cancer while her father became seriously ill. She knew she somehow had to find a place within cancer treatment, but didn’t achieve the grades to study medicine as planned. She accepted an offer to study dentistry, and in her final year discovered the field of maxillofacial surgery, which required a dental degree in addition to full surgical training! She therefore encouraged the audience to recognise their dreams and never give up on them. The next decade of surgical training was everything she had dreamed of, particularly because it was a time of revolutionary inventions and innovations within the field, and she was at the forefront. She recapped her career as a surgeon, eventually becoming a consultant, training surgeons and pioneering new techniques. She also talked about her ‘very different but equally rewarding second career’ when she took a senior lectureship position at Leeds. Dr Fisher spoke in depth about working in a male-dominated profession: only once in her entire career was she interviewed against a woman. Dr Fisher noted that, despite much progress, ingrained perceptions and misogyny are unfortunately not dead, but also that working with men has been a real pleasure! She advised girls to gain respect in male-dominated spheres by showing commitment and skill to prove they are not just a token presence.

PLATT FISHER LECTURE

Watch the inaugural Platt Fisher Lecture:

She talked about asking herself after she married, ‘Was I Mrs Fisher, the wife, or Miss Platt, the surgeon in training?’ and posed the question of women’s identity in the workplace, encouraging girls to think about the role this plays in society before making the decision for themselves. On balancing work with motherhood, she said, ‘It may be controversial of me, but I certainly feel that for me, and for many other women, you’re actually better following your own vocation’. However, she described her children as her ‘greatest blessing’. She was determined to have time with them and therefore worked flexibly: finding alternative ways of doing the job fully, but making it work for her. Finally, Dr Fisher addressed retirement, not as stepping back but as a time when there is ‘so much to offer, so much still to do, so much more life to be lived to the full’. This time the unexpected element was Covid, and she spoke about helping with the vaccination programme. She also mentioned her work in ministry and her position on the Bolton School Board of Governors. Looking towards the next decade, as a Trustee of Wigan and Leigh Hospice, Dr Fisher hopes to see the amazing end of life care that is available in hospice brought to the wider world. Addressing the young people in the audience, Dr Fisher said: ‘Know yourself. Know what matters most to you. Value your friends. Go for your dreams and never be afraid to pursue the opportunities that life offers. Treat others, and treat our world gently and with respect, and always strive to do good for others as well as for yourself. Despite the challenges of today, and we don’t live in an easy world, we know that, you are the ones who hold our hopes for a better world, and you all have the skill and the confidence to make it so. So, I wish you all every blessing as you go forward, learning from your own lives.’ In answering audience questions, Dr Fisher spoke about the impact of luck on her life, and advised those listening to go for the opportunities that present themselves. She enthusiastically recommended medicine as a career, emphasizing the need to build relationships and trust. Her final piece of advice was to ‘prove that you’re good, always be courteous, always be firm’ and ‘try to work with people’, while never giving up on your dreams. Following the huge success of the Platt Fisher Lecture, Dr Fisher returned to speak with an incredible turnout of 75 girls from the School’s Dymond Society, and a more intimate Sixth Form aspiringmedic group.