Dr. Samantha Tross is UK first Black Female Orthopaedic Consultant Surgeon

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At age seven Samantha knew she wanted to be a surgeon and told her family as much. Born in Guyana on 30 June 1968, at age 11 she migrated to Egland with her parents, Sammy and Gwendolin Tross, and three siblings. Her father, who worked with the Commonwealth Secretariat, was assigned a posting overseas. Her mother was a nurse.

Dr. Samantha Tross holds the distinction of being the first Black woman orthopaedic consultant surgeon in the United Kingdom (UK). She was appointed to the position in 2005 and is amongst the five percent of women surgeons in that country. She is the only female at Cromwell Hospital and Clementine Churchill Hospitals specialising in Lower Limb Arthroplasty and is a member of both the Royal College of Surgeons of England and Edinburgh.

Her alarm wakes her at 6.30 a.m every day. She checks the weather first to inform her wardrobe choice, then does some stretches because she suffers with neck and back pain, which she said is one of the hazards of the job. For breakfast, Samantha eats cereal and leaves home with a flask of decaffeinated earl grey tea.

In this Technological Age, Samantha is helping others navigate their way in seeking the best medical care possible. In a Patient Journey App- https://patientjourneyapp.com/- speaking to the issue of Joint Replacement Surgery she noted that as a patient herself she experienced firsthand how overwhelming patient information can be.

In recounting her story she said: “I had to have spinal surgery. I received all of the information in the form of a booklet, and there was loads of paper to read through. Whilst I was happy with the depth of information I received; I didn’t like the way it was presented. And so I thought it’d be good if I could get rid of paper and replace it with an app. The app means that anywhere you are and at any time you can quickly get it up on your phone and refresh your memory, whereas you can’t walk around with a huge booklet!”

For her, “The app cuts down on what you have to say in the clinic and ensures nothing important is missed by the patient.”

Writing about herself on Finder- https://finder.bupa.co.uk/- Samantha notes her areas of interest are:- Knee arthroscopy, hip replacement, knee replacement surgery, revision hip replacement surgery, robotic hip surgery, robotic knee replacement surgery, paediatric trauma in children over 13 years, carpal tunnel decompression, trigger finger release, ankle fractures, distal radius fractures, tibial fractures, femoral neck fractures, forearm fractures.

According to her, her mission statement is: ‘Individualised treatment and provision of an excellent and efficient service at all times.’

Apart from her clinical work, Samanatha has keen interest in teaching. She is an Examiner for Imperial College Medical School final examinations; external examiner for the University of the West Indies (Trinidad) medical school; Associate Professor of Orthopaedics for the American University of the Caribbean, Educational and Clinical Supervisor; and Faculty Group lead for Orthopaedics training at Ealing Hospital.

Samantha is also Associate Editor for the Journal of Medical Case Reports; Committee member of the British Hip Society; and a mentor for women and those from BAME (Black, Asian, and minority ethnic) background aspiring to a career in Medicine.

In 2016 she received the Black British Business Award for her community work, among other things. Samantha has been recognised as one of the 100 most influential Black Britons; and has regularly been included in the annual PowerList of the 100 most influential Black British people, with her most recent appearance on the 2021 Powerlist. A Brief biography of her is included in the 2015 International Slavery Museum run Liverpool Museums, and in 2008 biography by Verna Wilkins. (Source: internet)