Reflections from surgical resident, Roxana Crăciun, about the Writing in Surgery Course
My name is Roxana, I am a fourth-year surgical resident in Bucharest, Romania.
The” Writing in Surgery” course started as an adventure for me since I found out at the very last moment that I had to get an English Language Certificate in less than 3 weeks. I managed to sit an online exam, but the results were late, and I didn’t meet the deadline. During this whole time, the University of Edinburgh representatives were very supportive and let me have a late enrolment.
During the eight and a half weeks that I’ve been a student in this course I have learned a lot about how to write a scientific paper, what should or should not be done and I got tips and tricks from BJS editors. I also gained valuable insights into reading a scientific paper. The classes are prerecorded which was very helpful for me because I managed to take them despite my frantic schedule as a surgical resident. The course materials are very well done and can be downloaded for future use. There were various exercises during the last 8 weeks of the course, culminating with a final exam for which I had to write a scientific paper and abstract, directly applicable to my role as a surgeon. This practical aspect aligned with my expectations, making the course relevant to my professional development.
For those aspiring to enhance their scientific writing skills, I wholeheartedly recommend this course, especially for young doctors who are at the beginning of their scientific career, because it offers a good foundation for this challenging journey.
The EHS support played a pivotal role in my decision to take the course because the grant made this course affordable for me. This year I am continuing my formation in another online course at the University of Edinburgh: Reviewing the Evidence Base in Surgery.
Roxana Crăciun
