EDI BOFAS Mentorship Programme

The BOFAS EDI working group are proud to have launched the BOFAS mentorship programme. The first group of mentors and mentees were recruited in 2023, and we plan to recruit more members to both roles on a yearly basis.

The term ‘mentor’ is derived from Homer’s Odyssey, when Odysseus entrusted his son Telemachus with his friend Mentor. Mentor nurtured the boy for decades, while his father fought the Trojan war. The definition in the Oxford English Dictionary is ‘an experienced person who advises and helps somebody with less experience over a period of time’.

There has been negative associations with the term ‘mentor’ being used as someone who is assisting another in difficulty. However, mentorship in surgery has been shown to be beneficial throughout a surgeon’s career, including specialty training, early consultant years and mid-career. Formal mentorship in surgical specialties has been increasing over recent years, and both the British Society for Surgery of the Hand and the British Hip Society have implemented successful schemes.

The early years of consultancy have been recognised as a challenging time in a surgeon’s career, having spent years acquiring clinical knowledge and operative skills, only to find that there can be potential pitfalls that haven’t been spoken about during training. Our first round of recruitment for mentees has focused on this group of surgeons, and primarily focuses on these non-clinical skills.

At present we have 12 consultant members, all with mentorship training, providing mentorship to 12 ‘new consultants’ who have all been recruited through the very successful BOFAS New Consultant Course. These pairs will meet quarterly to discuss topics decided by the mentee.

In the near future we plan to open the programme to more members of varying experience.

If anyone would like any further information, or to join the mentorship scheme, either as a mentor or mentee please email edi@bofas.org.uk

BOFAS Mentors

Ashtin Doorgakant

Warrington

Foot and ankle surgery is a very diverse and inclusive specialty which I am proud to be part of. The journey there hasn’t necessarily been smooth, but I have learnt many lessons along the way which I wish I’d known earlier- hence my willingness to be a mentor for those who are navigating a pretty unique period of their lives in terms of workload and life pressures.

Areas of expertise: bullying, education, ethnicity, differential attainment, International Medical Graduate, leadership

Jane Madely

Glasgow

Whilst I was fortunate enough to work with a range of very supportive trainers, there are aspects, particularly of non- clinical work, and starting out in consultant practice that I would have loved to have had mentorship or guidance to navigate. I have experience of being part of an under-represented group. For significant periods of training, and as a consultant I have been the sole female, and accessing the support and wisdom of other women hasn’t always been easy. Whilst the numbers of women in orthopaedics is increasing greatly there are some areas where this may still be the case.

Areas of expertise: Clinical directorship, education, gender, leadership, management

Melwyn Pereira

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust

I trained in Mumbai, India and came to the UK on the Overseas Doctors Scheme of the RCS 30 years ago and continued my training in the UK. I have been a consultant for 21 years. I was Clinical Lead for my department for 4 years and Trust Appraisal Lead for 6 years. I am now a Regional Specialty Advisor for the West Midlands. I have been an Educational Supervisor and a Consultant Mentor in my trust.

Areas of expertise: Bullying, education, International Medical Graduate, leadership, neurodiversity

Heath Taylor

Poole and Bournemouth, Dorset

Mr Taylor is a Past President of the British Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society, having been a member of council for the previous seven years. He was also lead for Clinical Governance & Audit at University Hospitals, Dorset for around six years. He also takes an active role in training the next generation of Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Surgeons and has previously been voted as the Wessex Region Trainer of the Year.

Areas of expertise: Conflict, education, family, leadership, private practive

Carolyn Chadwick

Sheffield

I have been a consultant in trauma and orthopaedics specialising in Foot and ankle surgery for 11 years now. I have thoroughly enjoyed being a clinical and educational supervisor for several trainees at a time covering from F1 level to senior fellows. I was junior doctor lead for the trauma and orthopaedic department for 7 years, responsible for operational issues as well offering pastoral support. I set up the ‘Junior Doctor Forum’ in 2017 which continues to meet on a monthly basis to discuss and share ideas and concerns and collaboratively help to find ways of improving services and working conditions. I have been Clinical lead for Foot and Ankle services at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals since 2021 which has been a rewarding challenge and opened my eyes to the ever-growing responsibility within leadership and management roles. I have been part of the steering group within my trust for a NHSE sponsored Covid recovery project to improve elective services at STH. All these roles, working alongside many inspirational colleagues as well as being a mum to two teenage girls has helped me develop skills I feel relevant to mentorship and I hope will be of some value to others in the future.

Areas of expertise: Education, health, leadership, pregnancy, management

Julie Kohls

Guildford

I have been a Consultant for 14 years and have lived and worked in the UK since 1999. I was on the University of Toronto Orthopaedic Training Program when I left it to follow my former husband to the UK. I then trained on the North West Thames Training Program. I have two sons aged 20 and 17. I trained part time at times throughout my training. In addition to working as a Consultant I also am the Foundation Program Director and have extensive experience supporting young doctors as well as international medical graduates who join our Foundation Program as trust grades. I have a successful private practise. I have learned to find a work life balance and use daily exercise to help me find balance in a busy life.

Areas of expertise: Education, family, health, leadership, less than full time, private practice

Krishna Vemulapalli

Essex

I graduated from India and completed my Higher Surgical Training from The Royal London Hospital and Percivall Potts Rotation before appointment as a Consultant Orthopaedics Surgeon at BHRU NHS Trust in 2007. I am passionate about teaching and was instrumental in getting the Queens Hospital 'Training Hospital of the Year 2014' and 2^nd runner-up in 2020 for Orthopaedics. I organise several courses and member of Faculty on numerous courses. I was nominated 9 times as ‘Trainer of the year’ and has won several awards for Teaching including ‘Trainer of Year 2015’ and ‘Highly Commended Clinical Supervisor of the year-PGMDE-UCL partners 2016’ and runner-up for Stanmore and Pott rotation in 2020 & 2021. I got elected as the BOFAS educational committee in 2021.

Areas of expertise: Clinical directorship, education, ethnicity, family, International Medical Graduate, leadership, private practice, management

Nilesh Makwana

The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt NHS Foundation Trust, Oswestry

I qualified from St George's Medical School and became a Consultant in 2001. My personal experience of mentors left a lot to be desired early on in my career. I had to navigate my career virtually on my own. I decided early on in my career that education and training was central in developing tomorrow’s doctors. I have been a clinical lead, Regional Professional Specialty Advisor, Surgical Tutor and an active member of BOFAS on various committees promoting education and training. Having a detailed insight into Consultants job plans and experience with career advice I feel I am able to provide useful advice to newly appointed doctors.

Areas of expertise: Conflict, education, leadership, neurodiversity, private practice

Simon Hill

The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt NHS Foundation Trust, Oswestry

I have been a consultant for 20 years and have been active in training during my career. I have established the Oswestry post CCT fellow ship and have helped the fellows progress from trainee to consultant. I am able to listen and can help find a way through the clinical and political problems that working in the NHS brings.

Areas of expertise: Conflict, education, family, management, private practice

Togay Koç

Southampton

Togay qualified from Guy's, King's and St Thomas' Schools of Medicine in London and an Academic Foundation Programme in South East Thames. Although he left the academic pathway to concentrate more on clinical work, he has continued to be engaged in research through Core Surgical Training in London and orthopaedic training in the Wessex Deanery. He benefited greatly from the support he received from BOFAS during his training, fellowship and beyond including the BOA Future Leaders Programme. Through his childhood and career he has gained experience in how to deal with bullying and conflict. In his free time he enjoys powerlifting and considers looking after his two young children as sacrosanct.

Areas of expertise: bullying, conflict, family, leadership, research

Daniel Marsland

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

I strive to give trainees responsibility, and have been voted TOTY for the last 2 years running. I am co-director of a F&A fellowship programme. I have experience of complications (my own and by trainees). I believe work should mostly be fun, and I understand the importance of building strong relationships and investing time in people. 5 years in, I am still trying to get the right balance between family life, clinical work and all the other components of being professional.

Areas of expertise: Education, research, family/health/private practice (getting balance right)

Nikki Kelsall

Dorset

Apart from my clinical practice I am passionate about professional medical education and really enjoy individual teaching as well as the theatre of public speaking and I’m the STC chair for Wessex. As the Medical Education Fellow Lead for Wessex I supported a mentorship programme for trainees who wanted to develop their education portfolios. None of us have got this far in our careers without encountering problems both clinical and personal. I am not an expert in all of them, but very happy to support anyone through tricky and exciting times whether they are similar to mine or not.

Areas of expertise: Education, family, gender, health, pregnancy, private practice, return to work