'Childhood surgery inspired my career choice'

A woman training to be a surgeon said the specialist care she received as a child inspired her to pursue a medical career.

Dr Olivia Howe was born with a malformed and non-functional right ear and had a new outer ear constructed out of cartilage and skin in three lengthy operations.

The 27-year-old is now in her second year of core surgical training and wanted to highlight that hard work and determination can make ambitions become a reality.

She said that just days after her procedure she started operating on teddy bears and "I haven't really thought about any other career since".

Howe, who was brought up in London but is now training at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, was born with microtia and atresia which, as well as the underdeveloped right ear, meant she had no ear canal.

She said: "At 10 years old I decided to undergo reconstructive surgery where they took cartilage from my rib and a skin graft from my leg to reconstruct my right ear.

"Since that first surgery I was so inspired by the surgeon. The day after my surgery I started operating on my teddy bears and I haven't really thought about any other career since.

"I had a total of three surgeries for my ear and in every one of them I was so touched by the expert care from all the clinicians involved, including the doctors, nurses and the healthcare staff.

"I knew that I really wanted to make people feel how I felt in that moment of being helped".

She added that achieving her ambition of becoming a surgeon felt "surreal".

"I would say that I do live with a sort of disability," she said.

"And I think that you can do whatever you put your mind to, regardless of whatever you've been through or what thing you might be nervous that might impact your work, because you don't know unless you try.

"And I think it actually makes you a better person. It makes you a more caring and empathetic person and more understanding.

"If you really want to achieve something then you just need to work hard at it and I hope that I am an example of that," she said.

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