Vice-President: James Milburn
Undergraduate training was close to my roots in Aberdeen qualifying in 2001. After roaming Scotland at JHO & SHO level, I went through the NE Scotland BST programme before experiencing the wilderness of SHO III jobs and applied for an academic HST post again in North Scotland. I’m married with a young son and currently based in beautiful Inverness, capital of the Highlands of Scotland. A general surgeon my clinical interests are in HPB, emergency surgery and medical education.
Having been an ASiT member since 2005 I felt mounting frustration during this period as I learned more about the struggles which trainees experience to advance their surgical careers. The EWTD saga, MTAS, MMC and uncertainty over workforce planning and indeed the future of the profession have demoralised many trainees. I became North of Scotland ASiT regional rep in 2009 as I wanted to see how the trainee body could confront these issues at a national level. During this last year I’ve witnessed the challenges ASiT faces as the UK trainee representation during negotiations with the Department of Health, Colleges, JCST, ISCP, BMA and many others. ASiT has fought hard to have quality surgical training recognised as crucial to the future of the NHS but many hurdles remain to ensure high standards are maintained.
As newly elected joint vice-president, I am committed to the ASiT philosophy of promoting quality, fair and affordable surgical training in the UK. I will endeavour to work effectively with the President and the executive to help ensure the objectives of ASiT are at the forefront of future debates during this period of unprecedented change in the structure of the NHS. As a Scottish trainee I wish to ensure that there remains representation on the executive from the length of the country as the NHS model diverges in each devolved nation potentially impacting upon surgical training. I will help ASiT remain the unifying voice of trainees across the UK, and promote its goal of excellence in surgical training.
