BOA Session
09:30 – 09:40 Paul Banaszkiewicz
Introduction & Welcome
09:40 – 09:50 Samantha Sharkey
What is Orthopaedics Today?
Current Faces of Orthopaedics: Journeys & Pathways into Medical School
09:50 – 10:05 – Traditional Routes – Lebur Rohman
Med School Application (My Experience)
Paul Banaszkiewicz is a Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead, specialising in hip and knee arthroplasty. He graduated from University of Glasgow, completed basic surgical training in the Merseyside Deanery, and undertook specialist registrar training on the North East of Scotland training programme.
He is currently a Trustee of the British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) and Chair of the BOA Education and Careers (EdCar) Committee, leading initiatives focused on professional development, mentoring, workforce support, and equity of opportunity across orthopaedics. He has helped develop national educational programmes including the BOA–BODS Clinical Directors course, UKITE, Ortho Update and Extended Clinical Team initiatives at BOA Congress.
Paul is Editor of the Journal of Trauma and Orthopaedics (JTO) and co-leads the TENDON study evaluating musculoskeletal education within UK medical schools. He has a particular interest in differential attainment, widening participation, and improving access to mentorship and career development within surgical training.
He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Fellow of the Academy of Medical Educators, and holds a Master’s degree in Medical Education from Newcastle University. He also serves as an Advisory Appointments Committee (AAC) member and Quality Assurance Assessor for the RCSEng.
As Visiting Professor at Northumbria University, Paul helps bridge academic research with practical clinical orthopaedic practice. He has supported the BOA Futures Leadership Programme, BOA Travelling Fellowships, and the educational activities of the British Orthopaedic Trainees Association (BOTA). He is also lead editor and author of three internationally recognised FRCS (Tr & Orth) textbooks, which have received several BMA Book Awards.
Paul has undertaken humanitarian orthopaedic work in Northern Iraq and remains committed to international collaboration, diversity, and inclusion within orthopaedics. Outside work, he enjoys running, skiing, gardening, and supporting Burnley F.C..
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
Mr Rohman is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, specialising in knee surgery and lower limb arthroplasty, with a particular focus on complex knee pathology and joint preservation. He is a nationally recognised cartilage surgeon and co-leads the development of the Gateshead Cartilage Centre, a designated national centre and the only tertiary referral facility of its kind in the North East of England.
He has extensive experience in managing sports knee injuries, early arthritis, and complex reconstructive procedures, and treats professional footballers nationally. His clinical practice is centred on advanced techniques in ACL surgery, sports knee surgery in general, cartilage restoration, joint preservation, and rapid recovery pathways.
He is the Elective Day Case Lead at Gateshead, where he leads the delivery and transformation of high-volume, high-quality surgical services, driving innovation in day-case knee surgery and arthroplasty with a strong emphasis on patient outcomes and operational efficiency.
In 2025, he was appointed British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) National Fellowship Lead, contributing to the development of the next generation of orthopaedic surgeons at a national level.
