Mastership of Surgery, University of London 1991

An Investigation of the role of white blood cells in the aetiology of venous ulceration

The while blood cell has been implicated as the primary cause of the venous ulcer. Capillary video microscopy, laser Doppler flowmetry, transcutaneous oxygen monitoring, histological studies and radiolabelled isotope studies were used to elucidate whether leukocytes were responsible for venous ulceration. Duplex scanning was used to categorise the patients studied.

The thesis established that white cells are implicated in venous ulceration, and are in increased numbers in lipodematosclerotic skin. It was not possible to demonstrate whether the increased white cell content of the skin is a cause or result of the skin changes.

Master of Arts, University of Brighton 2009

Module Number MDM 49 Dissertation

Calling the usual suspects: A narrative inquiry into the motivational factors of surgeons involved in postgraduate surgical education.

The aim of this study was to use grounded theory and action research to investigate the motivational factors that had resulted in a group of surgeons becoming involved in postgraduate surgical education.

After written consent and ethical approval was obtained for using narrative inquiry in a conversational setting, the motivational factors that resulted in these individuals travelling down an educational route were explored. The conversation transcripts were analysed using recognised qualitative research techniques.

In the first study of its kind in surgery, a number of common themes have been identified and have elucidated the reasons why the participants became involved in education. These have included the importance of role models; the need for life long learning for professional satisfaction; altruistic feelings towards the trainees; the need to improve on the experiences they had in their training; the importance of communication skills; the importance of personal and professional support; the lack of need for financial payment or peer recognition and the enjoyment of teaching. Auto-ethnographic observations have been made during the analysis of the datum and are commented on.

Throughout the conversations there were life stories that interweaved through the text and this has resulted in the description of a new research model of narrative analysis that has relevance to surgical education.