Mr Ammar Darwish
David Nott Foundation
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust Hospitals

Content

The Syrian British Medical Society hosted an educational session entitled “Surgical Training on the Frontline”, exploring the challenges and opportunities involved in providing surgical care and training in conflict and austere environments.

The session highlighted the importance of developing practical surgical skills, adapting to limited resources, and preparing healthcare professionals to manage complex trauma and emergency surgical cases in challenging settings.

Key Topics

The presentation explored:

• Surgical training in austere and frontline environments
• Damage-control surgery and its role in trauma and war injuries
• Managing complex injuries and emergencies in resource-limited settings
• Challenges faced by healthcare workers working in the field
• Surgical education and training programmes for clinicians working in conflict environments
• The importance of teamwork, adaptability, and effective decision-making in frontline surgery
• Humanitarian medical care and the evolving role of surgical teams in conflict settings

The session also included examples from frontline and humanitarian surgical practice, illustrating the realities faced by medical teams and the importance of appropriate training before working in high-risk environments.

Speaker

Mr Ammar Darwish
David Nott Foundation
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust Hospitals

His presentation provided valuable insight into frontline surgical training, trauma management, and humanitarian surgery, highlighting how structured education can help clinicians prepare for some of the most demanding clinical environments.

Selected Moments from the Session

Clinical and surgical training

Practical training session

Educational session and discussion

Professional collaboration

This session reflects the importance of education, collaboration, and preparedness in humanitarian and frontline surgical care, while supporting clinicians to develop the skills needed to work effectively in challenging environments.