School Student
What's surgery like?
Manoj Ramachandran
Consultant Paediatric and Young Adult Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon
There were no surgeons in my family to inspire me (so don’t worry if there aren’t any in yours). I guess I did what most people who are strong in sciences at school do, which was to choose the option that pretty much guaranteed a career pathway i.e. medicine. I thought I wanted to be a cardiothoracic surgeon when I was at medical school in London (it sounded cool) but when I started my basic training on the Oxford and Hammersmith rotations, I realised that orthopaedics was a far more attractive career option, in terms of variety of cases, outcomes of surgery and lifestyle. I consider myself lucky to have trained in orthopaedics in some of the best centres in the world (in London, Sydney and Los Angeles) under several outstanding individuals. Often, single inspirational moments with these individuals continued to focus my interest in orthopaedics, particularly in paediatric and young adult orthopaedics and trauma, which I find a challenging subspecialty. In addition, it does take personal determination, ambition, perseverance and sheer hard work to get to your final destination as a consultant, which I managed to arrive at when I was 33 years old.
The most important piece of advice I was given when choosing a career, which still holds true, is to choose the people (and the type of people) you work with very carefully. It only takes one dysfunctional person at work to make your life a living hell and I consider myself very lucky to work with a cohesive group of individuals who work together as well as close friends would. The answer to what I enjoy most about surgery would be to say the people, both those who I work with and for i.e. my patients. The technical aspects of the job are rewarding too, especially when you are rewarded with excellent outcomes.
I am also fortunate to be in a job where I enjoy the clinical aspects but can give my time to my other passions, such as education, training and research. Those who know me well understand my passion for writing and having just completed my 12th book, I continue to be interested in making medical knowledge more accessible and entertaining. This translates equally into public speaking and the desire to deliver talks and courses that bring information across in a concise and digestible manner, often in new and innovative ways. Research, and inspiring an interest in asking and answering questions in trainees, is also important to me.
If you are organised and can plan your time well, you can enjoy your life outside surgery. I love spending my evenings and weekends with my wife and daughter (another child on the way…) and try my best to prevent my work intruding into my free time. Reading, music and the fine arts keep my mind open to the world outside of surgery.
My top tips for getting on in surgery:
- Make sure this is the career that you really want (many surgeons are too far into their careers before they realise it was the wrong choice)
- Don’t ever let anyone tell you what you can’t do but equally, the onus is on you to prove them wrong
- If someone asks you why they should give you a job in surgery, talk about your achievements (always have your top three to hand) rather than your skills or aptitudes. The latter do not necessarily lead to the former.
- Get a mentor early who will give you support and advice but will also keep you grounded and realistic about your career options
- The secret to success is hard work and perseverance but ultimately, cream always floats to the top.
