Southampton University Student Makes the Cut in National Surgical Skills Competition

22-year-old Radford Smith made it through to the final of the nationwide Student Surgical Skills Competition after competing against 10 fellow medical students from the University of Southampton at the Wessex regional heat of the competition by demonstrating a range of his surgical skills, from suturing and knot-tying to undertaking a series of anatomical tests.

Organised by The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd), the Student Surgical Skills Competition sees medical students from across the UK competing in regional heats to be in with a chance of making it through to the grand final in Edinburgh on 9 March 2013. The overall winner will win a trip to sponsors’ Johnson and Johnson Medical Companies’ European Surgical Training Institute in Hamburg later in the year.

Commenting on making it through to the grand final of the competition, Radford Smith said:

“I feel very honoured and very grateful to The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh for this opportunity. I found some of the stations of the regional heat, challenging - for example, the non-technical skills for surgeons test – however, others I took in my stride, such as the anatomy and the suturing tests.

“I think taking part in this competition will certainly make future employers believe me when I tell them I am committed to a career in surgery and will demonstrate my drive. RCSEd has lots of good opportunities for students, for example course that may be helpful to me in the near future. The opportunity to go to the training institute in Hamburg sounds like an appropriate prize. It would be great to get to go to Hamburg!”

For further information about the Student Surgical Skills Competition, visit www.rcsed.ac.uk/skills-comp.