Help as a Trainee

Ailbhe is an ST5 trainee in the Northwest Deanery. Having studied medicine at Trinity College Dublin, she moved to the UK in 2018 to embark on surgical training. She completed her core training years in the West Midlands and began registrar training in Manchester in 2021. She has been involved with BFIRST for more than four years, with previous roles in fundraising and events. She will travel to Tanzania this year to help with an ongoing BFIRST project in Dar es Salaam. 

Zavira is a doctor working in Plastic Surgery, a Trauma-informed Empowerment Coach running her own business and a Leadership Trainer. Born in Aruba, she then trained in the Netherlands and is now working in London. As a leader in local to international organisations, she has 20 years of extensive experience in global health and social justice leadership. Having been involved with BFIRST for the past six years in Education and Membership, Zavira is currently the Immediate Past Chair and Vice Chair of the Trainees Committee.

Ye Ru is an ST6 Plastic Surgery Registrar training in the South West Deanery. She is passionate about trainee involvement in global surgery projects. She has served on the BFIRST Trainees Committee for the last 7 years, with previous roles as BFIRST Fellowship Co-ordinator and then moved on to being Secretary for the last 4 years.

Siobhan is our Events Coordinator. She is currently working as a Plastic Registrar in London and has had a keen interest in Global Health since University where she worked on a number of projects. She has spent time working abroad on a volunteer basis in different countries and she is keen to continue this work as she progresses through her career.

is a Plastic Surgery Registrar based in Plymouth. He has served on the BFIRST Trainees Committee for the last five years, running as the BFIRST Fellowship Coordinator.

Bhavika is an ST3 Plastic Surgery registrar training in the East Midlands deanery. She is passionate about global health and education. She strongly believes in BFIRST’s mission of improving reconstructive surgery globally in a permanent and sustainable way. Throughout her training, she has led and delivered international teaching programmes and continued to peruse her passion for medical education during her academic foundation training. She is excited to be working with the BFIRST team as the education coordinator to help deliver plastic surgery teaching within the UK and globally.

Tiffanie is a core surgical trainee who will be starting her specialty training (ST3) in the Thames Valley deanery this August. She has a keen interest in global health, having visited Plastic Surgery Departments in Canada, Vietnam and India. Tiffanie is heavily involved in surgical training and research. She has authored numerous surgical publications, a book and book chapter. An area of interest includes methods of training that can be applied to improve plastic surgery training globally, including resource-limited settings. She has presented her research across the UK, Europe, South America and most recently in the UAE.

Mary is a Core Trainee working in South London. She has a strong interest in Global Surgery and is keen to raise awareness and funds for BFIRST this year with the help of her motivated sub-committee. 

Driven by a passion for global surgery, Kajal, a Plastic Surgery Registrar in the Thames Valley Deanery, has participated in the BSSH LION Project. Her contributions have focused on supporting the delivery of elective and trauma hand services in Malawi through collaborative efforts with local clinicians. She is dedicated to fostering global partnerships and promoting sustainable professional bonds through education and training initiatives. She endeavours to demonstrate the power of international cooperation in advancing healthcare and empowering communities worldwide.

Terouz is a core surgical trainee (CT2) in Plastic Surgery at St Thomas’ Hospital in London and has been involved with BFIRST since a medical student. She completed her medical degree from King’s College London and went on to complete her Academic Foundation Training in Cambridge. Terouz is also a medical illustrator and passionate about accessible medical education. As the External Relations Co-ordinator At BFIRST, she is responsible of ensuring the goals and broader vision of the charity are met and BFIRST-related activity is effectively communicated to the wider public.

Rebecca completed her Plastic Surgery specialty training in London, followed by the European Diploma in Hand Surgery and a period of Hand Fellowship at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, prior to moving to the United States to be with her family. She is involved with the research and teaching programmes within the Division of Hand Surgery at New York University Hospital, whilst remaining actively involved with both the BFIRST and BSSH Global Partnerships Committees. She served as the President of the BFIRST Trainees Committee in 2020/21 and has been involved with BFIRST since its conception in 2014, when she co-founded the trainee membership body, BFIRST Trainees. She went on to launch the BSSH Overseas Trainee Committee in 2020, of which she is past Chair. Having previously spent periods of time working in India, Uganda and South Africa, she is passionate about Global Reconstructive Surgery and is keen to promote opportunities for early exposure to working within low- and middle-income countries, forming lasting partnerships, and to see global surgery formally incorporated in the UK Plastic Surgical Training Curriculum.

Deevyesh is a penultimate year medical student at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, having just completed the Laparoscopic Surgery and Surgical Skills MSc as an intercalated year. Having had volunteering opportunities in Malaysia and Nepal, he is well-versed on different healthcare systems and the challenges faced by each. He is passionate about global and reconstructive surgery and is eager to contribute and spread awareness of BFIRST’s work in developing countries. Having led teams in The Royal Society of Medicine and being the immediate past president of Barts and The London Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (BLAPRAS), Deevyesh is now committed as the Chair of the BFIRST Medical Students’ Committee.