Reflections from surgical resident, Serkan Sucu, about the Writing in Surgery CourseÂ
I want to thank the European Hernia Society for making it possible for me to attend the Writing in Surgery Course at the British Journal of Surgery and the University of Edinburgh. My name is Serkan Sucu; I am a 4th year surgical resident with an interest in hepatobiliary and transplantation surgery from Koç University, Istanbul.
The Writing in Surgery Course was a 10–week course that taught me how to write a scientific article section by section. I had the chance to publish before the course, but learning about the structure and philosophy behind writing in surgical sciences enabled me to critically evaluate surgical papers, understand concepts behind surgical writing and editing, and learn about the submission process.  Finally, it was a great experience to gain mentorship from the University of Edinburgh.
The Writing in Surgery course was composed of 5 blocks, which include the process of the manuscript to Published Article, Writing Methods and Results, Introduction and Discussion, Abstract and Title, and Editing and Submission. There were learning materials in every block, including online videos by the British Journal of Surgery Editors, scientific articles, and books. Learning content was supported by online evaluated discussions in which people from all over the world participated. Furthermore, the course had a final assessment: writing a scientific paper from data provided by the course instructors. With every block, I learned how to write a section of paper. Being evaluated by the experts in the field helped me understand areas I need to improve.
One of the most enlightening courses was from Dr. Ville Sallinen, in which he converted the concept of writing a scientific paper to the concept of screenwriting. Looking at writing with that perspective broadened my view and helped me fight blank page syndrome. Â In addition, the course had a very informative webinar about scientific article writing in which I had the chance to ask questions and learn the perspectives of experts like Dr. Martyn Evans and Dr. James Garden.
Finally, I would like to thank the European Hernia Society, the British Journal of Surgery, and the University of Edinburgh for making it possible for me to attend such an informative course.
Serkan Sucu
