COMMITTEE
Get to know your representatives
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Coming together from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, our skilled team of professionals is the backbone of UK Iceland Trainee Collaborative. Their ideas help shape the direction and mission of our organization as it continues to develop. Read on to learn more about some of our incredible team members.
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Þorbjörg Ólafsdóttir
Trainee Lead for Iceland
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Thorbjorg graduated from the University of Debrecen in Hungary in 2019. After graduating, she moved to Iceland and finished her intern year in Landspitali University Hospital and the countryside in 2020.
Thorbjorg is currently a CT1 of Core Surgical Training in Landspitali. Her main interests are research and teaching. In her free time she enjoys hiking and spending time with her family.
Benjamin Patel
Trainee Lead for UK
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Ben graduated from the University of Oxford in 2018, after which he undertook his foundation training in London. He is currently working as a plastic surgery-themed CST2 at Southmead Hospital.
Having benefited from several inspirational mentors, Ben is now taking on more of a trainer role himself and is keen on nurturing passionate trainees. Outside medicine, he enjoys skiing, cross country and road cycling.
Katrín Thoroddsen
Trainee Lead for Iceland
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Katrín graduated from the University of Debrecen in Hungary in 2019. She finished her intern year in Iceland at Landspítali University Hospital in 2021.
Katrín is currently in her first year of Core Surgical Training at Landspítali in Reykjavík.
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Her main interests are photography, travelling and enjoying great food and wine.
Katrín Hrund Pálsdóttir
Trainee Lead for Iceland
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I graduated from the University of Debrecen in Hungary in 2020. After graduation, I moved back to Iceland and finished my intern year in Landspítali University Hospital of Iceland in 2021.​
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I am currently in my first year of core surgical training in Landspítali.
Thordis Magnadottir
Trainee Lead for Iceland
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Thordis graduated from Comenius University in Slovakia in 2018. After graduation she moved to Iceland and finished her intern year in Landspitali University Hospital in Iceland in 2019.
Thordis is currently in her second year of Core Surgical Training in Landspitali in Reykjavik and is due to finish come spring. Her main interests related to work are research and teaching. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and doing outdoor activities such as cross country skiing and hiking.
Heather Pringle
Trainee Lead for UK
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Heather graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2017. She completed her foundation years in the South West of England and is a newly appointed core surgical trainee in the Severn deanery.
Heather has experience in quality improvement and has a passion for well-being, balance and equitable surgical training. She is an enthusiastic educator and has taught in a variety of contexts from post graduate medical education to access to healthcare in primary schools.
Photo coming soon
Andrea Sól
Founding Member - Iceland
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Profile coming soon
Ciaran Barlow
Trainee Lead for UK
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Ciaran qualified in 2019 from Bristol University before heading to Wessex deanery to complete his Foundation training. He returned to Severn deanery this year to start Core Surgical training as an orthopaedic themed trainee at the Royal United Hospital in Bath.
Ciaran possesses a particular interest in medical education and leadership. Outside of work, he enjoys participating and watching a variety of sports, particularly football where he officiates in the lower reaches of the English professional game.
Erna Markúsdóttir
Founder Member - Iceland
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Erna graduated from Comenius University in Slovakia in 2018. After graduation she moved to Iceland and finished her intern year in Landspitali University Hospital in Iceland in 2019.
Erna is currently in the second year of Core Surgical Training in Landspitali in Reykjavík, and is due to finish come fall. Her main interests are teaching, mentoring and quality improvement but in her free time she enjoys skiing and has recently started to practice golf.
Soraya Conroy
Founding Memeber - UK
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Soraya graduated from Kings College London University in 2015. She undertook her first years as a junior doctor on the south coast before embarking on core surgical training in the Severn Deanery.
She is currently a clinical teaching fellow registrar in general surgery at the Royal United Hospital in Bath. Soraya has a keen interest education and mentoring, and enjoys spending her free time painting and playing in her local tag ruby team.
Tim Schrire
Founding Member - UK
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Tim studied Medicine at University College London, graduating in 2014. He has worked in the U.K and New Zealand, before doing his surgical training in Bristol.
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He currently works as a Plastic Surgery registrar at Southmead Hospital in Bristol. A keen educator, Tim continues to engage in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. Outside of work, he can be found on the tennis court, or travelling, when he can.
Harriet Lewis
Founding Member - UK
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After completing an honours degree in neuroscience at Edinburgh University Harriet went on to complete her medical training at The Brighton and Sussex medical School. Qualifying in 2014.
As an orthopaedic registrar at Gloucester Royal Hospital in the UK, Harriet has a keen interest in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education with a focus on virtual teaching and simulation. In her free time Harriet enjoys spending time with her two young children and is a qualified skydiver.
George Cairns
New Member - UK
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George graduated from the University of Bristol in 2019 before completing his foundation training in North Central and East London. He has returned to the Severn Deanery for Core Surgical Training, currently working at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton in General Surgery.
George is a professional mentor for University of Bristol medical students and enjoys teaching and pastoral care. Outside of medicine, he is a passionate sportsperson, playing hockey, golf or tennis whenever he can.
Florence Sheckleton
New Member - UK
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After completing a Masters in Research, Florence graduated from the University of Newcastle in 2019. She completed her Foundation Training in Severn, then worked as a Clinical Teaching Fellow completing a PGCert in Medical Education.
Florence is now a CT1 at the Royal United Hospital in Bath. Her passions are divided between surgery and the outdoors. In her spare time she competes in Triathlon, most recently achieving first team place in The Brutal Triathlon in Snowdonia!
Florence Sheckleton
New Member - UK
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After completing a Masters in Research, Florence graduated from the University of Newcastle in 2019. She completed her Foundation Training in Severn, then worked as a Clinical Teaching Fellow completing a PGCert in Medical Education.
Florence is now a CT1 at the Royal United Hospital in Bath. Her passions are divided between surgery and the outdoors. In her spare time she competes in Triathlon, most recently achieving first team place in The Brutal Triathlon in Snowdonia!
Toni Mihailidis
New Member - UK
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Toni graduated from the University of Bristol in 2019. He completed Foundation Training in the Welsh Deanery, during which he undertook a Post Graduate Certificate of Medical Education. Further pursuing his interest in education Toni then undertook a 1-year full-time teaching fellow role at University of Bristol, based at the Bath Academy.
He is now undertaking Urology-themed Core Surgical Training at the Severn Deanery, based in Cheltenham General Hospital. Outside of medicine, Toni enjoys surfing, cycling and long country walks.
Jon Mutimer
Consultant Lead - UK
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Jon Mutimer is an Orthopaedic Surgeon appointed in 2009. He completed his undergraduate and postgraduate training at the University of Bristol Medical School, graduating in 1997. Since then, he has worked in hospitals in the South West and beyond, specialising in knee and hip surgery.
In 2008, he undertook a fellowship in lower limb arthroplasty in Wellington, New Zealand, where he visited leading surgeons and learned a number of new techniques and strategies. During this time he was an Honorary Lecturer at the University of Otago and developed a teaching programme for the undergraduates.
Since 2009, Mr Mutimer has been a consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon in Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, specialising in knee and hip conditions.
He is the Severn Deanery Training Programme Director for the Core Surgical Training Programme looking after the orthopaedic themed rotations. He is a member of the CST Specialty Advisory Committee and has been the Royal College of Surgeons linksperson helping to introduce ISCP and competency based training to Iceland.
He teaches on many courses including being a Course Director for the ATLS programme and the AO Principles of Fracture Fixation courses. He sits on the National Joint Registry committee for implant selection and regional clinical coordinators as well as being the Clinical Director for the Orthopaedic Department in Gloucestershire.
Elsa Björk Valsdóttir
Consultant Lead - Iceland
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Profile Coming Soon
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