Women make up the majority of the NHS’ workforce, and our Trust is no different. While they excel in all parts of healthcare, there remain occupations in which women are under-represented.

One such area where the gender divide is all too apparent, is in surgery. The highly skilled surgeon conducting your operation is most likely to be a male; only one fifth of surgeons in England are female. Across our General Surgery division, there are just two female surgeons, while few others can be found across our specialties.

We spoke to some of the women working in our operating theatres, to find out more about the challenges and rewards of their career. They all had one thing in common; they’re keen to encourage female trainees to consider following similar career paths.

Suzette Samlaslsingh, consultant breast and emergency surgeon

Suzette, who has been at our Trust for 20 years, said: “I’m mainly based at King George Hospital, I’ve been here since I was a junior doctor. I actually came to the UK from the Caribbean, and I’m of Asian descent.

“Being a woman, foreign national and from a mix of cultures presented various challenges to me; I was joining a training system that wasn’t designed for me.”

Suzette credits her attitude for helping her persevere: “I’m passionate, driven and stubborn. I always knew I wanted to be doctor - despite no one in my family having any medical background - but it wasn’t until I was training that I found my niche and knew I wanted to become a surgeon.

“Now, not only am I a surgeon, I’m also responsible for the workforce management in my department and am heavily involved in the development of our training pathway, of which I’m particularly proud.”

Despite being in a male dominated occupation, Suzette doesn’t see being a woman as a hinderance.

She said: “I’m perhaps now more aware of micro-aggressions than I was when I was younger. There have been times when a patient has automatically assumed I’m a nurse, or colleagues have called me by my first name but addressed the male consultants more formally.

“However, I asked for that same respect and I’ve received it without any issues. When I speak, I make sure it has value and that I’m listened to. In my career, I’ve made my own opportunities and worked hard for them.”

When asked about what she would say to young girls interested in medicine, but apprehensive about the roles available to them, Suzette says it’s a conversation she’s had many times.

“It’s a very difficult career, there are challenges and frustrations, and you have to put in a lot of work. At the same time, it’s so fascinating and rewarding. There are so many parts to surgery; there is artistry, compassionate communication and lots of puzzle solving.

“I wake up every morning to do something I love and where I make a difference. To any young girl interested in medicine or being a surgeon, I’d say do it. Find your passion and there are no limits to what you can achieve.”

Srilekha Attavar, consultant vascular surgeon

For Srilekha there was no doubt about what she wanted to do, she wrote a school essay at just ten setting out her ambition to be a plastic surgeon, having been inspired by a family friend. The only thing which changed was the specialty!

She said: “What I didn’t realise then was how few female surgeons there were, and in India, where I grew up, there are even less. There was only one female consultant in the surgical department of my medical school.

“Despite the challenges, including competing for few training posts, I had a positive outlook and knew it was what I wanted. I truly believe if you’re good and work hard, there’s nothing to hold you back.”

Srilekha, who joined our Trust as a consultant vascular surgeon ten years ago, moved to the UK in 1998, having been encouraged by a surgical training scheme aimed at getting more women into surgery. She completed her surgical training in north east London before doing her Masters in Innovations in Surgical Technology at Imperial College.

Despite feeling the pressure to work harder to prove herself as a woman, Srilekha has lots of praise for many of her male trainers.

She added: “I’ve had amazing trainers who didn’t make me feel any less than my male colleagues. Of course, you have to be hardworking, and you’ll be working alongside lots of male surgeons who aren’t used to female counterparts.

“There have certainly been occasions where I have felt I was being held back, and I stood up for myself as I didn’t want to feel victimised. Other women may have had different experiences to me, and I know colleagues who have struggled, so I do feel lucky.”

What Srilekha has found a challenge is having the same opportunities when it comes to some management posts. She has also, on occasion, been faced with patients uncomfortable with having a female surgeon, however, they are a minority.

She added: “I’ve been asked if I’m a junior doctor, or even if I’m a doctor at all, though I sometimes put that down to my height making me appear younger, so I try to power dress to make up for it!

“As a junior doctor, I was told not to go for surgery as it would be difficult to progress as a female, especially one from an ethnic background. But I never wavered and everything fell into place at the right time for me.

“Surgery is an excellent and exciting field for female surgeons to flourish and I encourage more women to pursue their dreams and ambitions. I love to mentor and inspire trainees and I encourage them to consider surgery. There’s lots to explore and the work/life balance is much better than when I started – the hours are better, we have a creche and there is more support during training.”

Elena Pappa, consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon

Elena joined our Trust in 2014, and while her career hasn’t always been easy, it was her dream to move to the UK thanks to the quality of our surgical training.

She said: “I did my training in Liverpool and felt very supported. I never felt let-down as a woman or that I was treated any differently.

“I have found that now I am a consultant, more comparisons to my male counterparts are made. Attitudes are different, for example in reacting to problems. Woman can be seen as emotional or rude, whereas a man is seen as being proactive.

“At home in Greece patients expect to see an older, male surgeon, I don’t find that here, although some patients do prefer a male surgeon. I think society is changing, though there is still lots of work to do.”

Elena wanted to get into medicine to give something back, and loves the artistry of being a surgeon, particularly when working with the face.

She added: “With the face it can be more challenging, however, I like using my hands and there is an aspect of art to it.

“Being a surgeon is very rewarding and I love theatres and the environment. I also get lots of satisfaction when working with children – surgery on congenital deformities can change their lives and give them confidence.”

Elena is passionate about education and mentoring trainees, especially given her own positive experience of training.

She said: “I want to give back what I had as I am so grateful to my teachers.

“I want to support the new generation of surgeons and if women want to do it, they can. They shouldn’t see obstacles in their way. There is more flexibility now and the mentality is changing. It’s challenging to change the status quo, but I keep trying to make positive change.”

Find out more about the Royal College of Surgeon’s Women in Surgery (WinS) network.