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

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I was expected to go down a pole into the ship to administer analgaesia before he could be rescued. 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.” I suppose what I always wanted was to reach the point where it was perfectly normal and unremarkable for surgeons to be female, and I believe at last, we are well on the way to achieving that.” She founded Women in Surgery, a Royal College of Surgeons initiative to encourage more women to enter the field. [5] In May 2018, she was given a NHS Heroes Award. [5]

Averil Mansfield | Waterstones Life in Her Hands by Averil Mansfield | Waterstones

A great read. I am honoured to have worked with such a legend' David Nott'A role model for women' Independent'A wonderful read' Julian Fellowes'Remarkable' Lauren Laverne'Charming' GuardianWe were occasionally expected to travel by ambulance to a serious case and would always have a kit of tools and drugs ready for emergency calls. Mansfield retired from surgery in 2002. [4] She was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 2005, and was elected president of the British Medical Association in 2009–2010. [1] In 2012 she was voted one of "100 Women Who Have Changed the World" by The Independent on Sunday. [1] And now she has retired. Will she miss it all dreadfully? Guess the answer. "No." But I suspect she will be missed. First British woman to be appointed a professor of surgery. President of the British Medical Association (2009-2010).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! But time and again, Averil proved herself more than capable of the role which had been her greatest dream since the age of eight. John William Paulton Bradley (husband), Russell Bradley (step son), Jason Bradley (step son), Lesley Forbes (step daughter)

Averil O. Mansfield (Hardback) - Coles Books Life in Her Hands by Averil O. Mansfield (Hardback) - Coles Books

Could women be more sensitive to certain procedures - gynaecological ones, perhaps? "Gynaecologists of both sexes understand the problems very well. I don't think there's any difference between the approach. It's what appeals to you as a patient. Some would definitely prefer to go to a man, some to a woman. The important thing is to let them have choice."The other problem was that this was the era of the mini skirt, and you can imagine what that meant. The 'audience' of shipworkers delighted in telling me that there were rats the size of dogs down in the grain. While she says she experienced little discrimination within her profession, patients would often react with surprise at discovering the gender of ‘Professor Mansfield’.

Averil Mansfield - Wikipedia Averil Mansfield - Wikipedia

If it is as easy as Mansfield suggests for a woman to become a surgeon, why do so few attempt it? "I think because they don't try it in the first place. It's certainly not the most popular speciality for girls, and this is why the college is so keen to encourage women to at least think about surgery as a career and not just dismiss it as something for men. There's nothing at all to prevent women from doing it, except they'll need some time off for their babies, maybe go part-time for a while. I've got three stepchildren, quite young. I haven't had the same experience as someone who gave birth themselves, but I understand the difficulties.One of the reasons I enjoyed writing the book is that it will be a memento for them,” says Mansfield.