MAKING HISTORY can often come with a lot of pressure. But for Samantha Tross - the first black female orthopaedic surgeon in the UK - she takes it all in her stride.

“While I’m proud of being the first black female orthopedic surgeon in the UK, I know it comes with a lot of responsibility because how I conduct myself will have an impact on those coming after me,” she says. “It’s my job to do my best so that those coming after to me have it easier.”

Samantha Tross was was born in Georgetown, Guyana on June 30, 1968 to Sammy and Gwendolin Tross. The second of four children, she went to St. Gabriel’s Primary School before her father was assigned to England and the family relocated. It during this time that she first developed her interest in medicine and pursuing a career in this field.

“As a child I developed an interest in medicine. It’s difficult to say where that interest arose from but I remember my grandparents lived with us and died whilst at home and as a result, I experienced death at young age,” recalls Tross. “I think that must’ve had an impact. At age 7, I expressed to my parents that I wanted to be a doctor and thats my first memories of my interest in this field.”

This interest in medicine developed more and more as Tross got older, as she eventually graduated from University College London in 1992, before pursuing a career in Surgery. At that time, her interest in medicine ranged from cardiology to psychology, but it was orthopaedics - a medical specialty that focuses on injuries and diseases of your body's musculoskeletal system - that really took her fancy.

“When I was at medical school, I was exposed to many medical specialties, but when I did orthopedics, the surgeons were very encouraging and I liked that,” says Tross. “When you’re a student and around people with a busy work schedule, sometimes you can feel as though you’re getting in the way. But these surgeons really made me feel part of the team and useful.

“Also the first female surgeon I ever saw was an orthopedic surgeon and the specialty itself was fun. You see the benefits of your work very quickly.”
Tross’ surgical training was obtained at a number of London hospitals including The Royal London and Guy's & St Thomas's hospitals. These experiences would eventually lead her to becoming the first black female orthopedic surgeon in the UK in 2005.

“History was made in 2005 when I became the first black female orthopedic surgeon in the UK. It's always still a shock to me to hear ‘you’re the first person to do this’ or ‘the first person to do that’ because it's something that’s been a part of my work and should be the norm,” states Tross.

While this milestone is a notable one, Tross notes the need for a diverse workforce and the benefits of industries representing those from different backgrounds. “It helps if there’s someone you can relate to who understands some of the things you’re going through.

“Now that’s not to say one can't do it without that, as when I did there were no black females, but as a result there were times where I felt particularly lonely and assumed perhaps that people may not understand the struggles I was going through,” she reveals. “When you have someone you can turn to for support, it makes it a lot easier.”

“However, I do feel the orthopedic industry is becoming more inclusive,” says an optimistic Tross. “There are now - to my knowledge - four black female orthopedic consultants in this country, so things have improved. I’m seeing more trainees and I expect there to be many more in the future – especially many more women. Diversity isn’t expanding as quickly as I’d like but it’s definitely improving.”

And Tross isn’t wrong about the slow pace of diversity in the industry. Only 11% of consultant surgeons in Britain are female, but the Guyanese professional notes the importance of visibility in aiding in this expansion of diversity, saying that we “need to make people aware of this career choice so that it’s something they would then think of as an option.”

For the 50-year-old, who was named one of the 100 Greatest Black Britons, no day is the same. If she’s not attending to trauma patients with broken bones or conducting clinics to monitor the progress of her patients, she’s teaching students, attending meetings and bringing more awareness to her profession.

This variety is in part why Tross gets so much enjoyment from her job - and she encourages other women of colour to do the same. “Don’t be afraid to follow your dreams, be realistic in your choice and take time to know yourself,” she says.

“Also choose a profession that’s suitable to your personality, get yourself a mentor and don’t be afraid of setbacks because that is part of the journey.”

Samantha Tross–Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at The Princess Grace Hospital, part of HCA Healthcare UK (hcahealthcare.co.uk)

Source : The Voice, 22/11/2018

More than 100 pupils at Brampton Manor Academy are celebrating straight A* and A grades this morning - and the entire year group have secured university places.

The school, in Roman Road, East Ham, tweeted that the grades were “record breaking”, adding: “Our 2018 students have worked extremely hard and achieved the school’s best ever A-level results. Well done to our amazing students!”

Among those to get a clean sweep of the top grades was Ali Anis, who will celebrate his 18th birthday next week. He bagged three A*s in biology, chemistry and maths, and will now be off to Oxford to study medicine.

“I was shocked,” he said, “I told my parents and they didn’t believe me at first. A lot of hard work paid off.”

Natanim Fekadu, 18, secured a place at Cambridge to study history and politics after achieving A*A*A in English, religious studies and history.

“It’s not even real,” she said, “I can’t believe it, I didn’t think I’d be able to do this. My parents are on holiday in Ethiopia, so I can’t even tell them yet.”

For Fahim Ahmed, 18, three A*s weren’t enough - he managed to achieve four!
The teenager, from East Ham, will now be heading to Cambridge to study chemical engineering.

For friends Kevin Jaku and Ziggy Zubkus, both 18, today was a joint success. They both achieved three A*s in maths, further maths and economics, and will be studying maths at Imperial College London and Durham respectively. The teens from Dagenham have been friends for years, having met at All Saints RC Secondary School.

“It’s great – we both went to the same secondary school, both got the same grades at AS-level, and now we’ve got the same A-levels,” Ziggy said.

Principal Dr Dayo Olukoshi said: “The teachers weren’t shocked because we’ve got really hardworking students here, we have got incredibly committed teachers as well.

They don’t see themselves as teachers, they see themselves as missionaries. They want to help students become successes and overcome disadvantage.

Almost 90 per cent of the students here are going to Russell group unis and to have students going to Oxford and Cambridge is unbelievable.”

The school saw 93pc of grades at A*-B and 99pc at A*-C.

​Source : Newham Recorder, 16 August 2018

92% of all people never achieve their goals in life: They often find themselves distracted, misguided, unmotivated, counter-strategic and overwhelmed - Dr Boyce Watkins

Those who are successful in life have three things in common: focus, persistence and patience. They simply do not quit chasing their big goals.

Putting this into context: Last week I read a news story written by Christian Simpson that was positive, uplifting and inspiring. Yeah, I know - a modern day miracle. It was about an exceptional champion from Birmingham, Alabama, called Walter Carr.

''Last week, Walter was due to start a new job with a house removal company. The night before his first day in the job, his car broke down. Now, for the vast majority of people, that would have been the end of it. They would have resigned themselves to their "fate", and allowed the conditions and circumstances to dictate their present and future. They would have phoned their new employee the next morning to explain why they would not arrive.

Not Walter. Oh no. This young man walked ALL NIGHT through the suburbs of Birmingham to where he needed to be - TWENTY miles away.

During his long journey, a police officer from the local Pelham police force pulled over to enquire what he was doing walking the streets, alone, in the early hours.

Impressed after checking out the young man's story, the officer took him for breakfast before, on Walter's insistence, he drove him to the house of Jenny Lamey, a customer of the removal company who was expecting to move home with their service that day.

When she opened the front door, the police officer explained he had picked up this "nice kid" in Pelham, and the "nice kid" (aka Walter) explained to Ms. Lamey he was supposed to help her move that day.

She offered him time to rest before the rest of the crew arrived, but Walter declined and got straight to work. Later, according to Ms. Lamey, when helping in her kitchen, he revealed how as a young boy his family had to move to Houston, Texas after their home in New Orleans was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

"I just can't tell you how touched I was by Walter and his journey", she wrote on her Facebook page.

"I can't imagine how many times on that lonely walk...in the middle of the night…did he want to turn back. How many times did he wonder if this was the best idea. But he walked until he got here! I am in totally in awe of this young man!" she proclaimed.

When interviewed by reporters, Walter Carr said: "This was the first job in a long time to give me an opportunity to get hired. I wanted to show them I got the dedication. I said I'm going to get this job done one way or another".

He then added: "I want people to know this - no matter what the challenge is, you can break through the challenge. Nothing is impossible unless you make it possible".

What a superstar. What a phenomenal attitude for a young man to have. I wish I knew him. Heck, I wish I had the guy on my team!

Mark my words, Walter Carr is going to be something. He's Elite in his consciousness. I understand he graduates in December from college after studying health sciences, and plans to join the US marines before returning to Birmingham to study physical therapy.

He'll knock it out of the park.  When a winner's mentality is met with a winner's ambition, nothing can keep that winner from winning. It's a lawful process. Life brings to you what you bring to life.

The story's not over yet.

So moved were the public by Walter's dedication, an online campaign raised more than $8000 to get his car fixed before it was closed. It then reopened and by last week had raised more that $50,000. And it didn't end there either.

In an act of great leadership after hearing Walter's story, Luke Marklin, the Chief Executive of Bellhops (the removal company Walter had just joined) immediately drove from Tennessee to meet his new employee.

After chatting over a cup of coffee, Mr. Marklin handed Walter the keys to his own 2014 Ford Escape.

An emotional Walter looked in astonishment, and, tearing up, asked: "Seriously?" before hugging Mr. Marklin once he confirmed his offer was genuine.

The Chief Executive told reporters "I am honestly blown away by him. Everything he did that day is exactly who we are - heart and grit".

Ms. Lamey, the customer Walter had served that morning, was present as he received his gift. She told him: "You've changed all of our lives Walter. You have no idea how many lives you've changed and inspired. You're a very special young man and you're going to do great things. You already are."

Ain't that the truth. We could all learn a lesson or six from "Walter the champion"…and that's why I couldn't keep his story to myself."

Charles Stanley is delighted to announce that Tsitsi Mutiti won the Rising Star of the Year award at the 2018 Women in Finance Awards. 

The Women in Finance Awards is Europe’s largest diversity initiative, recognising the high-achievers, advocates, and role models for women in the sector. The awards are a celebration of  the individuals and organisations leading change, breaking down barriers, and creating new possibilities for equal representation in the world of finance.

Tsitsi began her career at Charles Stanley in 2007. Initially in an investment support role, Tsitsi progressed to an Investment Advisor position in 2012, before qualifying as an Investment Manager in 2016. Tsitsi holds the CISI Level 7  Masters in Wealth Management, a specialist qualification which encompasses the breadth of knowledge needed to provide the highest quality service to clients. She is also a member of the Editorial Panel for the CISI magazine, The Review. In addition to her work as an Investment Manager, Tsitsi is also a founding member of Charles Stanley’s Innovation through Inclusion group. Made up of a variety of individuals at all levels of seniority, the group design and implement initiatives to support Charles Stanley’s diversity agenda and foster a workplace which is both diverse and inclusive.

Commenting on the awards, Head of Investment Management at Charles Stanley Gary Teper said ‘On behalf of all at Charles Stanley, I would like to congratulate Tsitsi, a deserving winner of the Rising Star award. As well as being an incredibly talented Investment Manager, Tsitsi exemplifies the values we strive to demonstrate at Charles Stanley of being caring, fair and progressive.’

Gary added, ‘On a more general note, whilst the awards are an excellent forum for celebrating the achievements of some of the women working in finance today, as a sector we can and must do more to support diversity and inclusion in our industry. Charles Stanley, along with other signatories of the government-led Women in Finance Charter, is committed to taking proactive action to encourage gender balance at all levels across financial services.’ 

Source : ​https://www.charles-stanley.co.uk/group/news-and-events/women-finance-awards-tsitsi-mutiti