Ross-on-Wye Sixth Form students welcomed leading surgeon Mr Keith Roberts on Wednesday, May 8th.

Mr Roberts is a leading liver transplant and pancreas surgeon from Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. He explained to students what he did and how he and his team perform complex surgery. Mr Roberts gave a fascinating insight into NHS processes, the advances in medical care and how his own extensive research feeds into that.

He also set out how he came from a working-class background, with no family history of people working as doctors, and attended his local comprehensive school in North Wales. His message was that you can achieve anything in life if you work hard and believe in yourself. He described how he had qualified as a doctor, then a surgeon, and had spent several years working as part of the air ambulance service and how important teamwork was in that role and in his current surgical specialism. His advice was to look after people as you rose towards your goal in life, and be humble when you got there, and he gave examples from his own field of eminent surgeons who had done exactly that.

Mr Roberts then had lunch with a smaller group of students, all of whom were interested in careers in medicine, nursing, midwifery or similar. Topics covered ranged from the practicalities of Mr Roberts’ work to medical ethics and he gave advice to students on work experience in medicine ahead of their applications to university

This was a great opportunity for students to hear from, and ask questions of, someone who is at the forefront of a highly skilled profession, and students expressed their thanks to Mr Roberts for taking the time to come and speak to them.

Mr Roberts gave JKHS his time as part of the Speakers for Schools scheme.  Set up by journalist Robert Peston, this scheme aims to “end educational inequality by giving all young people access to the same prestigious networks available to the top fee-paying schools in the UK”. Over 1,000 leading public figures from many walks of life give their time freely to come and speak to school students. Operational Headteacher, David Boyd, said that he was delighted that JKHS students had benefitted from the scheme, and he hoped that the school would be able to welcome other speakers as part of the programme in the future.See this week’s paper for more stories like this, available in shops and as a Digital Edition now.