Core Trainee Forum
The Core Trainee Forum was established by core surgical trainees, with the mission to enhance surgical training for those at the beginning of their careers. Recognising a significant gap in support and resources for trainees at this stage, we understand the challenges many face in obtaining quality training while meeting the essential requirements for advancing to higher surgical training. We are passionate about supporting the surgical aspirations of core trainees across the UK and aim to bridge this gap by offering high-quality teaching resources and career-building opportunities. Our goal is to empower surgical trainees to excel during these crucial years and successfully secure a position in higher surgical training.
Members
Kiran Saini (Chair)
Kiran is the founder and president of the core trainee forum. He is a Urology themed core surgical trainee in the Thames Valley deanery. He co-founded the international charity OxPal 2.0, which improves medical education in austere environments. He is passionate about increasing access to medical care and the quality of surgical training.
Oliver Skan (Secretary)
Oliver is an ENT-themed core surgical trainee in north London. He has an interest in medical education - he has presented and published on the topic of clinical teacher-medical student interactions and has authored ‘The Complete Guide to Core Surgical Training Interviews’ (Cambridge University Press).
Nicole James (Marketing co-lead)
Nicole is a General/Plastics-themed core trainee the Thames Valley deanery. She was previously chair of the Oxford FTSS. She is passionate about surgical education and mentorship, and enjoys running and hiking in her free time.
Dave Fellows (Marketing co-lead)
Dave is a Trauma and Orthopaedics themed CT2 in Thames Valley. Outside of work he enjoys exercise and exploring the world whenever possible. He is enthusiastic about surgical training and teaching others. During foundation training, he headed up projects including a national teaching course and led the planning of a national surgical conference, as part of his role on the Oxford FTSS committee.
Jinpo Xiang (Alternative Programmes lead)
Jinpo is a General Surgery themed core trainee in North West deanery. He was previously involved in the foundation trainee surgical society in the west midlands. He hopes to use his position within the CTF to improve opportunities for SHO grade doctors not in training. Outside of work he was previously a training officer for Manchester and Salford university royal naval unit and plays violin for amateur musical theatre show
Eddie Richardson (Education lead)
Eddie is a CT1 in Gloucester/Cheltenham, T&O themed. He has recently returned to the UK after 2 years away working in Australia rotating between Orthopaedics and Plastics, where he developed an interest for fixation and reconstruction of upper and lower limb trauma. He was on the Oxford FTSS committee during foundation training, and has taken up the role of Education Lead for the Core Trainee Forum
Corey Chan (Recruitment lead)
Corey is an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery in the North East Deanery. He was part of the founding committee of the North East FTSS and continues to engage in teaching and leadership. His research investigates the use of fluorescent dyes for the resection of bone and soft tissue tumours, and he is currently a co-investigator on the SarcoSIGHT clinical trial.
Sirat Lodhi (Research co-lead)
Sirat is an ENT-themed core surgical trainee based in the North West. She has recently completed the academic foundation programme at the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, during which she chaired the RCSEd's Manchester Foundation Trainee Surgical Society. As the Core Trainee Forum Research Lead, she aims to identify and raise awareness of solutions to core trainee-related issues.
Ed Armstrong (Research co-lead)
Ed completed his Foundation programme in the Thames Valley deanery and is now a Urology-themed Core Trainee in the area. He is passionate about medical education and led the team of education fellows at the University of Buckingham during his F3. He now hopes to further the interests of Core Trainees via the Forum in a research and data collection capacity.
Jacob Feathers (Marketing sub-committee)
Jacob is a core surgical trainee based in South Wales. During foundation training in Leeds, he undertook various positions including post finals assistantship lead in collaboration with Leeds University. He has a keen interest in research winning various prizes including a prestigious British Orthopaedic Association prize during their annual conference. In his spare time, he enjoys rugby, skiing and can speak fluent German. He hopes to use his position to help CSTs across the country.
Sanskrithi Sravanam (Marketing sub-committee)
Sanskrithi is a junior Neurosurgical trainee in the West Midlands deanery. She was the founding member of the Cambridge Foundation Trainee Surgical Society. She is enthusiastic about medical education and widening access. Sanskrithi is part of the marketing team for the RCSEd Core Trainee Forum.
Sophie O’Dolan (Marketing sub-committee)
Sophie is currently a Trauma and Orthopaedic themed CT1 in North London. She graduated from Queens University Belfast and was previously the president of the London FTSS. Sophie is enthusiastic about mentorship and teaching. With the Core Trainee Forum, Sophie aims to support colleagues throughout their training as part of the marketing team
Vishnu Sajeenth (Marketing sub-committee)
Vishnu is a General Surgery Themed CT1 trainee based in the West Midlands. His foundation training in the Thames Valley was marked by his leadership of the Oxford FTSS where he demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing education in surgery. As part of IBSI, Vishnu has played a pivotal role in driving innovation and research. Beyond his professional and academic pursuits, Vishnu is an avid runner, balancing his passion for surgery with a dedication to personal fitness and well-being.
For further information about the Core Trainee Forum, please contact: rcs.coretraineeforum@gmail.com
