Cutting Edge: Your Journey to Becoming a General Surgeon

Miss Sala Abdalla BSc MBBS FRCS (Gen Surg) is a Consultant General and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon based in London. She is a graduate of Imperial College, London, and has completed her specialist surgical training at several internationally renowned teaching hospitals across the capital. She is widely recognised for her longstanding commitment to surgical training and mentorship of trainees at all stages of their careers, both within the United Kingdom and internationally. She plays an active role in postgraduate education through her involvement with the London School of Surgery, the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and a range of national and international educational initiatives.Beyond her clinical and educational work, Miss Abdalla is deeply committed to improving equitable access to safe surgical care worldwide. She serves as Managing Director of Operation International UK, a charitable surgical organisation that has worked in close partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons of England to deliver sustainable, life-changing surgical care in underserved and resource-limited settings.Drawing on her clinical experience, educational leadership, and global health work, Miss Abdalla brings a unique and informed perspective to this manual. Her aim is to educate, empower, and inspire the next generation of surgeons, fostering technical excellence, ethical practice, and a lifelong commitment to service.Miss Chien Lin Soh MBBChir MA (Cantab) MRCS is a Core Surgical Trainee in the London deanery with a clinical focus in general and vascular surgery. She graduated with distinction from the University of Cambridge, where she also completed an intercalated degree in Manufacturing Engineering. Her diverse experience spans clinical settings across the United Kingdom, the United States, and Asia, complemented by a strong background in non-clinical fields including management consulting, finance, and translational research. Through her contributions to this manual, Miss Soh aims to offer a valuable early-career perspective for aspiring general surgeons, drawing on both her clinical and interdisciplinary experience.

• About the authors. Foreword: Professor Dame Averil Mansfield FRCS. Foreword: Miss Hannah Maple FRCS PhD. Preface. Acknowledgements. 1 Introduction: The speciality of general surgery. 2 The early years: Medical school. 3 The early years: Foundation training. 4 The middle years: Core surgical training. 5 The later years: Higher surgical training. 6 Preparing for consultant practice. 7 Less than full time (LTFT) and flexible training in surgery. 8 Diversity, equity, and the challenge of discrimination in surgery. 9 Challenges in general surgery: Navigating the modern landscape. 10 What to do when things don’t go as planned. 11 Expanding horizons: Alternative and portfolio careers in surgery. 12 Emotional survival in surgery. 13 Side hustles and interests beyond medicine. 14 General surgery in the age of social media. 15 The future of general surgery: Innovation, technology, and transformation. 16 The calling of general surgery: A final word from the authors.