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The Scalpel Undergraduate Surgical Conference was held on 7 November 2009 at Wythenshawe Hospital. It was the first national conference of its kind, and drew medical students from all over the country. The event was held in collaboration with The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS), The Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT) and Doctors Academy.

The conference was attended by 120 medical students from as far away as Dundee and Peninsula medical schools. It provided a platform for students to present their original research, audit or case reports at a national level to other students and a select panel of surgeons with a passion for teaching and research. The best presentations were awarded prizes, which were generously sponsored by Mr Peter Richardson, Mr Rory McCloy and the London Student Journal of Medicine.

The day was chaired by our local eminent surgeon, Professor Gus McGrouther. Speakers included Professor Nanchahal from Imperial College London, whose fascinating lecture covered the advancements in plastic surgery research. Professor Stanley, a local orthopaedic surgeon, discussed the role of the surgeon and shared wisdom from a full and varied career. The keynote address came from Miss Helen Fernandes, a consultant neurosurgeon from Cambridge and the Chair of Women in Surgery. Her talk covered the history of surgery, as well as her experiences as a female surgeon and the aspects of neurosurgery that drew her to choose it as a career.

A fantastic array of workshops was available, kindly supported by Doctors Academy and the RCS. This was a great opportunity to learn some practical surgical skills or ask expert advice about getting into surgery. A lively evening dinner was held at Red Chilli restaurant, which allowed delegates to relax and share their experiences of other UK medical schools.

The conference was the climax of a triumphant year for Scalpel, which has been gaining momentum since its re-launch in 2006. A second conference is planned for 2010, which promises to be even better than the last!

Elspeth Hill
President of Scalpel, The University of Manchester Surgical Society

Ambrose Boles
Co-ordinator, Scalpel Undergraduate Surgical Conference 2009

(published on the London Student Journal of Medicine)