Life in Her Hands: The Inspiring Story of a Pioneering Female Surgeon

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The other problem was that this was the era of the mini skirt, and you can imagine what that meant. Could she be exceptional? Have other women encountered difficulties? "No, but perhaps I only meet the ones who are successful. I think the most important thing for women is to achieve the standard and not to expect any favours. If you do that, you can expect to be treated as an equal." A cynic might think that Mansfield is just saying all this because she is very keen indeed for more women to become surgeons. She is at present leading a project to build the Eleanor Davies-Colley memorial lecture theatre at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS), to celebrate and encourage women in surgery "to impress upon women that this college will welcome them".

Averil Mansfield books and biography | Waterstones

The second thing is to remain focused on that which is most important to you at every stage in your career, particularly if you take on something academic. There will be many demands on your time and it’s very easy to become distracted from what you’re supposed to be doing. But if you really want to do it, go for it. You can do it!Averil’s book will be published today, Thursday 23 February, by Ebury Publishing. You can find out more here University of Liverpool graduate Averil Mansfield CBE has published the inspiring story of her journey to become the UK’s first-ever female vascular surgeon and first female Professor of surgery. She received little encouragement from her teachers, either, and is amused by the memory of one school report that said she was ‘no good at sewing’, given what an expert in suturing she became. Writing my book has been a novel and enjoyable experience. It has been wonderful to relive old memories and to recall the amazing patients, colleagues, friends and family who have been so influential and supportive throughout my life. When I was young the idea of a female surgeon was quite an unusual one, and I am delighted that so much has changed in that respect since the early days of my career. I hope that those who read my book will discover what it takes to become a surgeon, and that they will see that, along with the hard work and long hours, yes, there is also a sense of achievement and quite a lot of fun to be had too.” First British woman to be appointed a professor of surgery. President of the British Medical Association (2009-2010).

Averil Mansfield publishes inspiring Trailblazing surgeon Averil Mansfield publishes inspiring

Pioneering surgeon blazed a trail for women in medicine, becoming the UK’s first female professor of surgery. After I retired in 2003, I took on the chairmanship of the Stroke Association for five years which was a wonderful experience. I went all over the country and really enjoyed watching the average person’s knowledge of stroke develop from almost complete ignorance to quite a sophisticated understanding. I then spent one year as the BMA’s president and another five years as the chairman of the BMA’s board of science in addition to a number of other charitable roles.

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If you're coming to Coles by car, why not take advantage of the 2 hours free parking at Sainsbury's Pioneer Square - just follow the signs for Pioneer Square as you drive into Bicester and park in the multi-storey car park above the supermarket. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. You don't need to shop in Sainsbury's to get the free parking! Where to Find Us But being able to offer such a choice does not appear to be on the horizon. At present only 6.3% of female medical students take up surgery, although women make up nearly 70% of the intake at some medical schools. (The usual figure is 50/50.) While sad to retire – it was a requirement of the NHS in 2002 when Averil reached 65 – she has certainly made the most of retirement. A lifelong pianist, she has since learnt to play the cello and is part of three amateur orchestras, through which she has built a busy social life.