Foundation Trainees Surgical Societies (FTSS - UK)

Mr Michael Silva is a Consultant Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic (HPB) and General Surgeon at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He is a Fellow of the Faculty of Surgical Trainers, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and in recognition of exceptional service to training received the Faculty of Surgical Trainers Medal in 2021. Mr Silva was member of the College council 2022-2023.

The Foundation Trainees Surgical Societies UK is a national network of 16 societies founded by Mr Silva, following the establishment of the Oxford Foundation Trainees Surgical Society in 2014. Mr Silva is currently director of this network.

Mr Silva was the Training Programme Director for Higher Surgical Trainees (General Surgery) in the Oxford Deanery between 2018 to 2023 and between 2018 to 2022 was Director of the Surgical Ambassador Network in the UK for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Mr Silva is Clinical Lead for HPB surgery in Oxford and established the Oxford Pancreas and Liver Fund (OPAL Fund) which forms part of the Oxford University Hospitals Charities. The OPAL Fund helps fund research and development for liver and pancreatic diseases. Mr Silva is the Oxford lead for the nationally commissioned programme, offering total pancreatectomy and islet auto transplantation for a select subset of patients with chronic pancreatitis. He is a clinical lecturer for Worcester College, Oxford University and has over 90 peer-reviewed publications.

Mr Yusuf Michla is a consultant Trauma & Orthopaedic surgeon at the South Tyneside & Sunderland Foundation Trust. His specialist interest is in shoulder & elbow surgery with complex shoulder & elbow trauma being a particular interest. Mr Michla was appointed by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh as the Deputy National Director of the Foundation Trainees’ Surgical Societies in 2024. He also acts as a Regional Surgical Advisor for the College.

Alongside his clinical work, Mr Michla has a strong interest in undergraduate & postgraduate training and medical education. He has been nominated as the Northern Deanery’s “Trainer of the Year” three times, winning the title once.

For local postgraduate trainees he is a current academic mentor for Northern Deanery core and specialist trainees as well as for the Northern Foundation School, as well as sitting as a committee member of ONTEA, the Northern Deanery specialist training education steering group. At undergraduate level, he holds an honorary senior lecturer post with the University of Newcastle school of medicine, as well as an honorary lecturer role with the University of Sunderland school of medicine.

He was appointed the honorary chair of the University of Newcastle’s Surgical Society in 2016 & he also serves as the current co-chair of AO UK & Ireland’s undergraduate courses.