Rana Mahmoud

I am a General Surgery Registrar in the Oxford Deanery with a special interest in colorectal surgery. I completed my medical degree, Master’s degree in General Surgery, and early surgical training in Cairo, Egypt, before moving to the UK. During my six years working across the deanery, including my time as a LED, I have held several leadership and representative roles, including serving as a BMA Rep and LNC member at MKUH, as well as being appointed the RCSEng Global Surgery Country Advisor. I have a strong interest in surgical education, mentorship, and trainee representation. I completed a PGCert in Surgical Education at the University of Dundee in 2023 and worked as the Higher Surgical Training Teaching Coordinator, contributing to regional teaching, junior doctor induction, and the development of a Junior Doctors’ Handbook.

I recognise that surgical training requires a unique combination of technical ability, medical knowledge, interpersonal skills, judgement, resilience, problem-solving, and dexterity, making it one of the most complex and rewarding career pathways. Along the way, trainees may encounter unwelcoming environments, hidden barriers, unconscious bias, and differential attainment, and some may view them as a burden or liability to the system. Instead, I see trainees as a valuable professional network of individuals who can work collaboratively, support one another, improve training, and enhance patient care. The rotational nature of surgical training also gives us a unique opportunity to act as ambassadors for positive change, share successful initiatives across organisations, and support each other in developing our individual clinical practice as we prepare to become confident and effective future consultants and healthcare leaders.

Through my ASiT role, I look forward to promoting equal opportunities, strengthening trainee engagement, and supporting improvements in surgical education, wellbeing, and professional development