Surgical practice in the U.K.: A personal view Special release

Abstract

One of the most interesting experiences a surgeon can obtain is to practise in the UK. Apart from the professional bits, many other features contribute to the overall experience helping to put many things in the right (or wrong!) perspectives. This essay is an attempt to relate my own personal experiences, views and opinions. No doubt some of the views would be controversial but I feel that the young medical student and surgical trainee would obtain some benefits from this write up before proceeding on this now familiar journey. This essay would lean heavily on General Surgical Practice but opinons are expressed about other branches of surgery and indeed other aspects of medical practice as a whole. A surgeon spends all his (or her) professional life in the Operating theatres, Out-patients' clinics Wards as well as other ancillary places like the Accidents & Emergency room, the Radiology department, Surgical pathology & Post mortem departments, the Radiotherapy department and perhaps other medical departments like physics, paediatric, obstetrics etc. This review would try to focus on the surgeon and his practice in some of those places.