LEADING SURGICAL

EDUCATION

About BJS Academy


It is essential for surgeons to engage in life-long learning to provide patients with the best available treatments.

Divided into five sections, BJS Academy is an online education resource that supports the professional development of current and future surgeons worldwide by championing research and collaboration.

Continuing surgical education


Committing to a career in surgery means keeping abreast of medical and surgical progress throughout 20–30 years.

Continuing surgical education summarises advances in various subspecialties, as well as providing lectures and vodcasts on topics of interest. If you wish to pursue formal credentialling or educational training courses, you can find out more about the BJS Institute’s collaboration with the University of Edinburgh.

Inflammation in tissue regeneration and vascular disease

Inflammation in tissue regeneration and vascular disease

Listen into to Katherine Gallagher's lecture "Inflammation in tissue regeneration and vascular disease".
This lecture is presented as a part of our 2025 vascular series in conjunction with lectures recorded at the 2024 Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland Annual Scientific Meeting.

28 April 2025
Imaging biomarkers in aortic and peripheral artery disease

Imaging biomarkers in aortic and peripheral artery disease

Listen into to Rachael Forsythe's lecture "Imaging biomarkers in aortic and peripheral artery disease: the Hubble Space Telescope of cardiovascular research".
This lecture is presented as a part of our 2025 vascular series.

23 April 2025

Young BJS


Dedicated to and managed by surgeons in training, Young BJS offers everything a trainee could need to supplement and expand upon their core learning.

Focusing on the importance of surgical research, it gives trainees the opportunity to read and critique research, design surgical projects and optimise their chances of being published in peer-reviewed journals.

A surgical challenge on the evacuation train

A surgical challenge on the evacuation train

Georgios Karagiannidis MBBS, MRCS, AFHEA

I was on holiday in Greece when news broke that a wildfire had erupted northeast of Athens, rapidly approaching the small town of Varnavas. On the morning of 12 August 2024, the skies were already heavy with smoke, and the wind carried an ominous, ash-laden warmth. I had planned a brief train trip north to admire the countryside, but instead, I found myself in the midst of an emergency evacuation, with local authorities urging everyone to board trains heading away from the fire zone.
I was ushered onto a crowded carriage filled with anxious families, many clutching their belongings in small bags. The train began rolling slowly southward, but before long, the atmosphere grew tense and unsettling. Amid the chaos, a frail-looking older man, who had been coughing incessantly, suddenly collapsed in the aisle. I identified myself as a doctor (the only medical personnel on board) and rushed to his side.
When I knelt down, I noticed a small wound on his arm. He must have brushed against jagged metal or broken glass during the hurried boarding. He was also breathless, appearing to verge on shock. Quick assessment revealed that in addition to the laceration on his forearm, he might be suffering from inhalation of smoke or an exacerbation of a chronic lung condition.

2 May 2025
Cast your vote: ‘A surgical problem I helped manage on a plane, boat or train’ essay competition

Cast your vote: ‘A surgical problem I helped manage on a plane, boat or train’ essay competition

We invited medical students and trainees to share their most memorable experiences managing surgical problems while in transit — on planes, boats or trains. Now, it’s your turn to decide the winner.
Read the entries and cast your vote by clicking the thumbs-up icon next to your favourite:

2 May 2025

Cutting edge blog


Globally recognised journals, BJS and BJS Open, deliver a wealth of quality materials surrounding surgical science and learning.

The Cutting edge blog offers commentary and opinion pieces about published papers, journal clubs and debates for regular readers of the Foundation’s journals, as well as summary digests of other recent surgical publications.

Volatile <italic>versus</italic> intravenous anaesthesia for oesophagectomy: addressing confounding factors and temporal trends in clinical practice

Volatile versus intravenous anaesthesia for oesophagectomy: addressing confounding factors and temporal trends in clinical practice

Shuting Yin

Correspondence to: Shuting Yin (e-mail: yin13938214200@163.com)
Department of Education and Sports
Zhengdong New District

1 May 2025
Comment on: Parathyroid vascular anatomy using intraoperative mapping angiography: the PARATLAS study

Comment on: Parathyroid vascular anatomy using intraoperative mapping angiography: the PARATLAS study

Rajni K Sah, Sabaretnam Mayilvaganan

Correspondence to: Sabaretnam Mayilvaganan (drretnam@gmail.com)
Additional Professor
Department of Endocrine Surgery

29 April 2025

Scientific surgery


Designed to help the busy surgeon keep up to date, Scientific surgery provides succinct summaries of new and interesting information collated from leading surgical journals and digital media.

Surgical news


Exploring topics relevant to both surgeons and people without medical training, Surgical news is accessible to everyone.

Many patients seek reliable information on the best treatments for surgical diseases, whilst others have a general interest in reading quality articles about surgeons and surgical practice.

A view from the coffee room...How to retire gracefully: 10 commandments for surgeons

A view from the coffee room...How to retire gracefully: 10 commandments for surgeons

Dhananjaya Sharma, MBBS, MS, PhD, DSc, FRCS, FCLS (Hon), FRCST (Hon)

Retirement is a major transition for any professional, but for surgeons, it is particularly complex. The identity, purpose and intense commitment associated with surgical practice make stepping away from the operating room both a psychological and logistical challenge. To ensure a smooth transition, surgeons must plan their exit strategy. Here are 10 commandments for retiring gracefully from surgical practice:
The key to a seamless retirement is early and thoughtful planning. Ideally, this process should begin 5–10 years before retirement. This period allows time for assessment of financial security, professional succession planning, and gradual disengagement from clinical duties. Developing a timeline ensures that retirement is a proactive decision rather than a reactive necessity due to declining health or external pressures. Such planning is the key to a graceful landing in the post-retirement life.
Financial security is crucial to a stress-free retirement. Surgeons should work with financial planners to evaluate their savings, investments and retirement benefits. Diversifying income sources—such as pensions, savings, and passive investments—ensures stability.1It is also wise to consider medical insurance coverage post-retirement, and planning to safeguard wealth for future generations.

30 April 2025
A view from the coffee room…on the friendship between residents

A view from the coffee room…on the friendship between residents

Virve Koljonen MD, PhD

Residency, and especially surgical residency is hard1. Burnout, depression, harassment, emotional exhaustion, and stress are way too familiar with current surgery residents2-7. Unfortunately, the situation has not changed much since I was resident8, 9. But what has changed is that we acknowledge this now. I have to say though, it is good that I did not read these articles before I started my surgical career about 27 years ago.
Surgery residency and residency in general changes previous personal relationships and this is tied to evolving professional identity10. Strange working hours, and patient-doctor relationship confidentiality may lead to fewer talking points with non-medical friends and family11. Further, these relationships with non-medical friends and family may not thus provide the support they used to,11, 12 especially when dealing with work-life and residency.

28 March 2025

BJS Academy team


The talented team behind the Academy bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to their roles.

The Academy website is managed by IT partners, River Valley Technologies, a Content Management team coordinated by ACS Global and a BJS Academy Board managed by Jonothan Earnshaw.

Director

Director


Jonothan Earnshaw manages and coordinates the activities of BJS Academy.

Director

BJS Academy Board


Supporting the Director, this team creates the Academy’s educational resources.

Director

Management team


This team supports the Director to deliver the strategy and manage the delivery of the Academy.