BOA Session
The session is aimed at providing 16–17-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds with valuable insight, information, and guidance about careers in medicine.
This initiative is about signposting clear pathways — both traditional and alternative — to help students understand how they can pursue a future in medicine, namely orthopaedics, no matter their background.
By offering practical advice, real-life experiences, and opportunities to engage with professionals, we aim to inform and empower students to see these careers as both achievable and rewarding.
This half-day experience offers:
Guidance on traditional and alternative routes into medical school
Real-world insights into becoming a Medical Student
Hands-on workshops to try out clinical skills
Opportunities to hear from industry partners
Session Chair: Paul Banaszkiewicz
Agenda:
09:00 Registration
09:30 Introduction & welcome
09:40 Routes into Medicine
Traditional Routes
09:40 - 09:55 Med School Application (My Experience) Samantha Sharkey
09:55 - 10:10 Life as a Med Student Jules Deruelle
Alternative Routes
10:10 - 10:20 Military LCpl Kitty Brooks
10:20 - 10:30 Allied Health Professionals Helen Boulton
10:30 - 11:00 Coffee Break
Workshops (15 mins each running simultaneously)
11:00 - 11:15 Workshop 1 – Knee and shoulder Arthroscopy Workstation Arthrex
11:15 - 11:30 Workshop 2 – Cement
11:30 - 11:45 Workshop 3 – Suture
11:55 - 12:00 Questions, closing remarks Paul Banaszkiewicz
12:00 - 13:00 Lunch and departure
By creating early access to these experiences, we hope to spark ambition and make healthcare careers more inclusive, one student at a time.
Paul graduated from Glasgow University, completing his basic SHO surgical training in the Merseyside Deanery and then undertook specialist registrar training on the North East of Scotland training programme. He was appointed as Hip and Knee arthroplasty surgeon at Queen Elizabeth hospital Gateshead in 2004.
He is passionate about training and medical education being a fellow of Higher Education Academy, fellow Academy of Medical Educators and has a Master’s degree in Medical Education.
He is an RCSEng member for the appointments accreditation committee (AAC) and RCSEng quality assurance and accreditation assessor for courses seeking RCSEng course accreditation.
Paul is visiting professor at Northumbria University this role acts as an interface between the academic roles Northumbria University provides and his own clinical oriented background that provides a practical focus for research.
He has been a strong supporter of the BOA Futures Leadership Programme and the BOA annual Travelling Fellowships. He is a keen supporter of BOTA being regularly involved with their annual instructional course and sponsor of BOTA travelling fellowships.
Paul is the main editor and author for three FRCS (Tr&Orth) related exam books that are international best sellers and have won several BMA book awards. He co-ordinates an annual six-day intensive FRCS (Tr&Orth) revision course at Newcastle. In recent years Paul has run its international equivalent for overseas trainees with courses taking place in Dubai, India, Singapore and Jordan.
For many years Paul was involved in humanitarian work in Northern Iraq regularly visiting the region to undertake neglected hip and knee arthroplasty surgery. This gave him a greater appreciation and understanding of our own health care system. Many patients would have continued to struggle due to a lack of local expertise and resources to pay for expensive surgery.
Through the contacts he has made overseas Paul is keen to develop the international profile of the BOA.
In his spare time, Paul is a keen runner, skier, gardener and Burnley FC fan.
Samantha is a registrar currently working in Leeds, with an interest in pursuing a career in Trauma & Limb Reconstruction. Completing Medical School and Foundation Training in the West of Scotland, she moved south to pursue surgical training; completing Core Surgical Training and commencing Higher Surgical Training within North Yorkshire.
Samantha has a particular interest in Widening Participation and Medical Education, which aligns with her current role as the Education Representative for BOTA. She has recently returned to training having taken time out to complete a Leadership Fellowship with the Yorkshire & Humber Future Leaders Programme whilst undertaking a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education. Alongside this, she is the current Orthopaedic Trauma Society (OTS) Trainee Representative.
Samantha will be involved in the BOA Schools Engagement Session and BOMFA x BOA Careers day, and may also be spotted around the BOTA stand
