Book Nook: When I'm a Surgeon

When I'm a Surgeon, a new book by Dr Samantha Pillay, highlights the many opportunities a surgical career offers beyond the traditional perceptions of this role. During the pandemic, children worldwide have been tremendously inspired by the immense work of surgeons and the medical profession, leaving many wanting to join the medical field. With a serious message about the lack of female surgeons, this fun book could be the first step.

A companion Activity Book features puzzles, activities, and colouring pages.

I had a chance to interview the author to learn more.

Why did you write this book?
When I started practice as a surgeon, 4% of Australian surgeons were surgeons, and twenty years later, it is 13%. This slow increase is despite 30 years of equal genders in medical schools. A recent US study estimated that it would take 326 years to reach gender parity in orthopaedic surgery at current compounding growth rates. I’m not waiting around for that! If I can inspire one five-year-old to pursue a career in surgery, writing the book will have been worthwhile, and I will be in my eighties by the time she qualifies.

A surgical career creates many opportunities and skill development in areas beyond societies traditional perceptions of this career.

One of the most significant barriers for women entering surgery is the perception that a surgical career is a compromise when having children and raising a family. Surgery has taught me communication, leadership, wisdom, judgment, financial literacy, stress management, decision making under pressure, teaching and training others, and handling a crisis often in the middle of the night. What better training is there for a parent?

Why is it so important for young girls to see women represented in a variety of careers in picture books?
Children form career gender stereotypes in early childhood. “You can’t be what you can’t see.” Marian Wright Edelman

Self-efficacy is a person’s belief in their ability to succeed in a particular situation and begins to form in early childhood.

“The higher the level of people’s perceived self-efficacy, the wider the range of career options they seriously consider, the greater their interest in them, and the better they prepare themselves educationally for the occupational pursuits they choose.”
Albert Bandura

How can parents and caregivers encourage STEM interests in their children?
There is science behind the way everything in our world works. Stay curious. Take every opportunity to embed STEM in everyday life, whether it be the people you meet, conversations, talking about new stories, running the household finances, cooking, home renovating, or gardening. Show a passion and interest, and your enthusiasm will be infectious.

Learn more:
https://samanthapillay.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthapillay/
https://www.facebook.com/drsamanthapillay
https://twitter.com/drsamantha_p
https://www.instagram.com/drsamanthapillay/

Dr Samantha Pillay, who resides in Australia, is no stranger to achieving in the face of adversity. She started school in a wheelchair due to congenital hip dysplasia. Taking years to learn to walk, limited by daily pain, and unable to participate in sport, Samantha focused on her studies instead, completing school age 16 years.

Samantha became the first female to complete urological surgical training in South Australia. An entrepreneur, she established Continence Matters, a specialised centre for urinary incontinence treatment, in 2002.

Samantha published ‘The No Recipe Cookbook’ in2020 - a cookbook for people who don’t cook. Samantha aims to inspire more young girls to Dream Big and Aim High with her first picture book in the Inspirational Careers for Kids series, illustrated by Harry Aveira.