There is a global interest in and growing knowledge about how best to select residents in surgery. In 2010, Paice et al claimed that selection was “the missing link in patient safety work”1. The starting point for collegial discussions on the matter and opinions about selection are things we know and have experience of; and we know that there is a spectrum running from excellent to unsuitable surgeons. Some continue to ask, are surgeons “born or made”, i.e., is it innate talent, or their training that matters? Is competence-based education better than the apprenticeship model?2,3.  Further, it is well-established that all facets of competence matter for patient outcomes, not only technical skill4-6. The detrimental effect a less competent or even dysfunctional colleague can have on patients and the workplace environment is also widely recognised7. Attrition from surgical residency programs has been reported to be up to 20%, reflecting bad investments of resources8. Another challenge is that surgery accounts for most adverse events in health care, and that up to 15 % of patients in elective surgery suffer a treatment-related injury9,10. We all want the next generation to be better than us. Selection is thus a foundational factor in raising the standard level of treatment and care, reducing adverse events, improving workplace collaboration and heightening the reputation of the profession.

There is a global interest in and growing knowledge about how best to select residents in surgery. In 2010, Paice et al claimed that selection was “the missing link in patient safety work”1. The starting point for collegial discussions on the matter and opinions about selection are things we know and have experience of; and we know that there is a spectrum running from excellent to unsuitable surgeons. Some continue to ask, are surgeons “born or made”, i.e., is it innate talent, or their training that matters? Is competence-based education better than the apprenticeship model?2,3.  Further, it is well-established that all facets of competence matter for patient outcomes, not only technical skill4-6. The detrimental effect a less competent or even dysfunctional colleague can have on patients and the workplace environment is also widely recognised7. Attrition from surgical residency programs has been reported to be up to 20%, reflecting bad investments of resources8. Another challenge is that surgery accounts for most adverse events in health care, and that up to 15 % of patients in elective surgery suffer a treatment-related injury9,10. We all want the next generation to be better than us. Selection is thus a foundational factor in raising the standard level of treatment and care, reducing adverse events, improving workplace collaboration and heightening the reputation of the profession.

Some characteristics have been found important for surgeons to be successful, such as having a strong academic background and commitment to lifelong learning; possessing sufficient manual dexterity and fine motor skills to reach proficiency; displaying emotional stability; extroversion and conscientiousness; good communication skills and ability to work in teams; critical thinking ability; situational awareness; robust decision-making and problem-solving skills11-14. A more recent addition to the list is “technical orientation”, i.e. willingness and ability to work in a technology-based environment15.

We are proud to present the BJS Prize session from 49th ASiT Annual Surgical Conference held at the ICC Belfast from 7-9 March 2025. The BJS Prize winner was Hashem Malkawi: "Open repair vs endovascular repair in connective tissue disease patients with thoracoabdominal aortic pathologies - a systematic review & meta-analysis".

Listen into to Katherine Gallagher's lecture "Inflammation in tissue regeneration and vascular disease".

This lecture is presented as a part of our 2025 vascular series in conjunction with lectures recorded at the 2024 Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland Annual Scientific Meeting.

Listen into to Rachael Forsythe's lecture "Imaging biomarkers in aortic and peripheral artery disease: the Hubble Space Telescope of cardiovascular research".

This lecture is presented as a part of our 2025 vascular series.

Listen into the Kinmonth Lecture "Green surgery: process and products" delivered by Professor Mahmoud Bhutta at the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland Annual Scientific Meeting 2024. This lecture is presented as a part of our 2025 vascular series.

Fabien Lareyre presents his BJS Lecture “The emerging role of artificial intelligence in vascular surgery” from the 2024 Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland Annual Scientific Meeting. This lecture is presented as a part of our 2025 vascular series.

As a part of our vascular series, we are delighted to bring you the BJS Prize Session from the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland’s Annual Scientific Meeting, held in Brighton in November 2024. The BJS Prize winner was Ismay Fabre for her paper: Surgical Site Infections in Major Lower Limb Amputation: An International Multicentre Audit (SIMBA). This is presented as part of our 2025 vascular series.

Vascular surgery research is an exciting growth area, shaped by emerging technologies, novel methodologies, and a growing emphasis on sustainability and equity in healthcare. To capture these key developments, the BJS Academy is launching the 2025 vascular theme series, a collection of insightful discussions featuring leading experts in the field. Over the next six weeks, this series will offer a dive into cutting-edge topics, ranging from artificial intelligence (AI) in vascular surgery to green surgery initiatives and advancements in imaging biomarkers.

This year’s series is structured around key lectures and presentations delivered at the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland’s Annual Scientific Meeting (VASGBI ASM) in Brighton, November 2024, and expert-led sessions. These talks highlight key developments and opportunities in vascular surgery today. The series will be published online at weekly intervals and will serve as a valuable resource for vascular surgeons, interventionalists, researchers, and allied healthcare professionals.

The BJS Prize Session: Showcasing ground-breaking research from researchers around the UK and Ireland who were successful in reaching the prestigious BJS prize session at the VSGBI ASM. A great resource for learning, collaboration, and examples of how to get your research recognised.

The fifth and final installment in our Research for Greener Surgery Conference 2024 series explores global energy challenges and opportunities.

Held on 17 December 2024 at the University of Birmingham, the Research for Greener Surgery Conference brought together leading experts to discuss sustainable healthcare practices.

The fourth installment in our Research for Greener Surgery Conference 2024 series explores clean energy for healthcare, as a panel discussion chaired by Dion Morton, in two parts: part one, clean energy in the NHS; and two, sustainable clean energy from a global perspective.

Held on 17 December 2024 at the University of Birmingham, the Research for Greener Surgery Conference brought together leading experts to discuss sustainable healthcare practices. Stay tuned for more in this series.

In December 2024, the 24th College of Surgeons of East Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) Scientific Conference took place in Harare Zimbabwe, alongside the 25th Anniversary of COSECSA.

Dr. Mpapho Joseph Motsumi from Botswana won the BJS Prize for his paper titled: “ Comparing the digital and the traditional methods of teaching surgical procedure-cognitive skills.” On 6th December 2024, the BJS Prize was presented at a surgical education Plenary Session and was awarded by the President of the Surgical Society of Zimbabwe.

Tune into Dr. Motsumi's prize-winning lecture below.

The third installment in our Research for Greener Surgery Conference 2024 series explores the environmental impact of anaesthesia and how it can be reduced.

Held on 17 December 2024 at the University of Birmingham, the Research for Greener Surgery Conference brought together leading experts to discuss sustainable healthcare practices. Stay tuned for more in this series.

The second in our Research for Greener Surgery Conference 2024 series explores reusables and disposables, the culture and the evidence base.

Held on 17 December 2024 at the University of Birmingham, the Research for Greener Surgery Conference brought together leading experts to discuss more sustainable healthcare practices.

The BJS Academy are delighted to showcase the 2025 BJS Lecture, delivered by Rutger Ploeg, at the Surgical Research Society’s Annual Meeting.

The 2025 Annual Meeting of the Surgical Research Society (SRS) took place on 16-17 January 2025 at St Catharine’s College in Cambridge. The meeting followed the usual format and centred on the presentation of research undertaken by surgeons in training, scientists and medical students.

The first lecture in our Research for Greener Surgery Conference 2024 series explores carbon modelling—a crucial tool in understanding and reducing the environmental impact of surgery.

Watch the presentation by Virginia Ledda and the insightful discussion which follows.

Held on 17 December 2024 at the University of Birmingham, the Research for Greener Surgery Conference brought together leading experts to discuss more sustainable healthcare practices.

The Research for Greener Surgery Conference, held 17 December 2024, brought together leading experts to explore how surgical research can drive sustainable healthcare practices. Hosted at the University of Birmingham, the event featured discussions on reducing the environmental impact of surgery while maintaining high-quality patient care.

Watch as Professor Aneel Bhangu summarises the key messages from the conference, highlighting the most important insights and takeaways.

Full recordings of key sessions will be available via BJS Academy.

Purpose: The Research for Greener Surgery Conference took place at the University of Birmingham on 17 December 2024. This was attended by 382 delegates in-person and over 350 virtually. The Conference aimed to build on the existing knowledge on research in sustainability and to provide updates on the ongoing body of research funded by the NIHR to create environmentally sustainable operating theatres in the NHS. The aim was also to promote local initiatives taking place in different NHS trusts and encourage collaboration and upscaling.

Insights from 2024: Following an opening session from Professor Aneel Bhangu, co-director of the Green Surgery Unit, and Professor Adam Tickell, vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, updates from the last year of activity in sustainable surgery were provided from a wide range of experts in the field. These included Natalia Kurek (Greener NHS), Hugh Montgomery (Lancet Countdown on health and climate change), Liza Jabbour (Birmingham Institute for Sustainability & Climate Action) and Jasmine Winter-Beatty (Imperial College London). Results were shared from the completion of the Cheetah trial carbon model, which showed that the trial intervention, previously proven to be clinically beneficial and cost-effective, also leads to carbon savings. The evaluation of this triad of outcomes (clinical, cost and carbon) will support the adoption of the intervention in clinical practice worldwide.

Randomised cluster trials: Progress made on the DRAGON (Reusable versus disposable drapes and gowns for greener operating theatres) trial recruitment was then presented, which led to a discussion on the practical aspects of implementation of the trial results within the NHS. The trial is currently recruiting in the UK. A new anaesthesia-centred trial was introduced, the NOBLE trial, which focusses on the delivery of nitrous oxide to patients through cylinders and manifolds. Expressions of interest are currently being collected for NOBLE.

We are proud to present the BJS Prize session from Swiss Society of Surgery's Annual Meeting held 29-31 May 2024.

The BJS Prize winner was Joana Ferreirinha: “Compatibility of family planning and surgical training in Switzerland”

2nd place was Sarah Gerber: "Overall survival in patients with esophageal cancer and clinical complete response after radiochemotherapy: should a watchful waiting strategy be the new standard of care?"

The Swiss Society of Surgery's Annual Meeting was held 29-31 May 2024.

The BJS Lecture "Image-enhanced and guided surgery" was given by Michele Diana.

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within surgery is important.1 The recent Kennedy Review on Diversity and Inclusion, commissioned by the Royal College of Surgeons of England, made 16 recommendations to improve EDI in the surgical workforce.2 Cardiothoracic surgery in the UK lacks diversity, exemplified with only 13% of the consultant workforce being female, despite females accounting for 49% of UK doctors.3 One method of improving EDI in the specialty, is to focus on widening participation (WP) activities.

In the UK, WP activities and government policies aim to increase representation of lower socio-economic groups in higher education. Published schemes focus on peer-to-peer mentorship from medical to school students. The King’s College London scheme is a monthly seminar series offered to WP school students, publishing a 50% success rate of translation to successful application to medical school.4

We are proud to present the BJS Prize session from the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain & Ireland's 2024 Annual Meeting, which was held 1 July to 3 July in Wales. The BJS prize winner was Charlie West for "The empty pelvis syndrome: a core dataset from the PelvEx Collaborative."

This is part of a series on the medicolegal aspects of surgery, in collaboration with the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (ASGBI), which you can also find on www.bjsacademy.com. This article aims to discuss simple and straightforward ways to avoid you having to make any contact with your hospital legal department. My qualifications for giving this podcast include a 30 year career as a general and subsequently a vascular surgeon. In the last 15 years of my career I started writing expert reports from the perspective of a vascular surgeon on medicolegal cases, which I can tell you was an eye-opener. I have seen many patterns, some of which seem preventable. I hope to be able to communicate some of the things I've learned from the other side of the table.

Kevin Beatson, with first author Nada M Ahmed, presents his BJS Prize winning lecture “Circulating extracellular vesicles as diagnostic biomarkers of indeterminate thyroid nodules” from the 2024 European Society of Endocrine Surgeons 10th Biennial Congress.