NEW BLOOD Two trainees share their experiences as vascular surgeons for a week

NEW BLOOD

Lauren Shelmerdine introduces two medical students who won the opportunity to experience life as a vascular surgeon

fter the success of the

Ainaugural ‘So you want to be a vascular surgeon?’ courses held last year, a second set of events this year offered an exciting new opportunity for top learners.

The winning medical student of the skills competition at each course centre – in Edinburgh and Birmingham – was given the opportunity to take part in a one- or two-week elective at a UK vascular unit, courtesy of an educational grant from global device company Terumo Aortic.

Rebecca Williams, a medical student from Hull York Medical School, came top at the Edinburgh course – held at the College – for the best end-to-side anastomosis.

Semhar Abraha, who attends Warwick Medical School, performed the best patch angioplasty at the Birmingham course.

Both women elected to spend their placements with Becky Sandford, Consultant Vascular Surgeon and RCSEd Vascular Specialty Board member, at St Thomas’ Hospital, London.

The ‘So you want to be a vascular surgeon?’ courses are a collaboration between the RCSEd and the Rouleaux Club, the UK vascular trainees’ association. This year’s winners both gained positive feedback from the day.

Read what the students had to say about their experiences on the course and while on their placements (right).

Lauren Shelmerdine (right), MRCSEd and co-convenor of the courses, congratulates Edinburgh winner Rebecca Williams; inset left: Williams fully embraces her vascular placement

“I would highly recommend it to other medical students, especially if you haven’t had much exposure to the field”

I took part in the course held at the RCSEd in May. It was a jam-packed day, with a variety of interactive sessions and presentations. This was one of the first events I had attended in person since the COVID-19 pandemic and it was exciting to have practical sessions scheduled.

I would highly recommend it to other medical students, especially if you haven’t had much exposure to the field or are interested in surgery as a whole. The sessions were interesting and hands-on – it was definitely worth the time spent!

The day gave me an insight into the spectrum of vascular operations, the lifestyle of a trainee and the calibre of equipment used in endovascular procedures, with the opportunity to ask questions throughout.

One of the activities on offer on the course was a consultant-led suturing workshop. Each participant received individualised feedback on their technique in an enthusiastic and nurturing environment.

Due to the pandemic I had missed out on my elective placement during on my elective placement during The course included medical school, so I was grateful for a suturing workshop the placement opportunity and the chance to experience another hospital Trust. I was made to feel extremely welcome by the vascular team and was able to see a variety of aspects of the specialty during my week there. I saw a complex open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, amputations and many endovascular procedures. In clinic I saw patients after their operations, who were pleased with the results. They were grateful for the improvement in quality of life. I could appreciate how this would be a rewarding career. During the placement I learned that vascular is ‘the help’. All other surgical specialties call you if they run into trouble or need assistance. The vascular surgeons have the capability to manage and resolve the problems that might cause panic. They are able to save lives.

REBECCA WILLIAMS

HULL YORK MEDICAL SCHOOL

“The elective was a golden opportunity to see what a career in vascular surgery entails”

This course was a great experience as it gave me an insight into the variety offered by the speciality and I heard from surgeons at different levels of training. The skills workshops were well organised with great facilitation.

On the first day I started on the on-call handover meeting at 8.30am. This was a great opportunity to get an understanding of the myriad conditions managed by the vascular team as they discussed every patient’s plan.

I observed a bilateral common femoral endarterectomy with profundoplasty and iliac stenting in the ‘hybrid’ theatre. It was valuable to see the joint approach on a case between vascular surgeons and interventional radiologists. I followed up on the patient throughout their stay until they were discharged three days later, and got an understanding of the care plan following discharge.

Over the following days I had a range of different experiences. For example, I got to scrub in on an open repair of an aortic aneurysm, which was a great opportunity to brush up on my anatomy and witness some intricate surgical skills, including graft insertion. I also learned a lot from shadowing the anaesthetist during anaesthesia induction and talking through the preoperative assessment for aortic patients.

I shadowed the registrar on call before observing another open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. I also followed a patient suspected of aortic dissection through the assessment pathway from taking their history to management.

I spent one day at the emergency vascular clinic, which takes referrals for non-life or non-limb threatening emergencies, and shadowed the vascular nurses who triaged the newly presenting patients and the consultant while making management plans. This provided me with experience of a great array of presentations, including post-surgical seroma, lower-limb ulceration and critical-limb ischaemia.

The last day of the elective was the highlight as I got to scrub in as first assistant on a registrarled theatre list. I was fortunate to assist in different procedures, including multiple phlebectomies, a toe amputation and an above-knee amputation. I was able to use some of the basic surgical skills I learned, such as simple interrupted sutures, subcuticular sutures and hand ties. It was a very rewarding experience with hands-on experience supported by feedback and teaching.

Overall, my time in theatre was great and gave me an introduction to surgical skills and the functioning of a surgical team. The elective was a golden opportunity to see what a career in vascular surgery entailed and I was able to tailor it to get an overview of the different aspects of the specialty. The elective with a vascular department has been the best experience I have had as a medical student.

SEMHAR ABRAHA

WARWICK MEDICAL SCHOOL

Above: Semhar Abraha in action at the Birmingham course, before her work was judged to be the best on the day Below: Both winners spent their placements with Consultant Vascular Surgeon Becky Sandford at St Thomas’ Hospital, London Lauren Shelmerdine Vascular SPR, North East England, Rouleaux Club Executive Committee member and representative on RCSEd Vascular Surgical Specialty Board

Find out more about next year’s courses at bit.ly/vascular-courses

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