24 February 2009
With years of difficult training and intense studying to complete, qualifying as a surgeon is never going to be an easy task. But for three of the latest trainee surgeons at Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, the pressure really is on.
Last year, a film crew from ITV began work to create a fly-on-the-wall documentary about the experiences of 12 trainee surgeons, including the Trust’s very own Nicola Robertson, Andrew Al Rais and Rosemary Johns.
Now halfway through filming, one of the trainee surgeons due to be featured in the programme, Nicola, told us how it’s going. She said: “Having a film crew watching you does add a bit more pressure to the situation. It can be quite intense, but after a little while, you forget that they’re there.
“I am pretty excited to be involved in the documentary, but at the same time, the prospect of being on television is incredibly daunting.
“I think it’s all going quite well though, and the TV crew are really lovely and that makes the whole process a lot easier. The fact that there are 12 trainee surgeons being shadowed for the programme is reassuring too- I know that I’m not alone in all of this.”
Nicola has just started working in general surgery under the guidance of consultant surgeon, Paul Thomas. “I’m really enjoying my time at the Trust, and working with Mr Thomas has been really good so far – he’s a great teacher. I’m still not sure which area I’ll specialise in when I finish training, but I really enjoyed my time in urology, and so far general surgery is really enjoyable,” said Nicola.
The series, provisionally called Surgeons in Training, is due to be aired during a primetime slot on ITV1 this autumn.
The three part documentary will give viewers a unique behind the scenes look at the pressurised environment in which surgeons work, as well as the in-depth training they have to go through to become the surgeons of the future.
