Perspectives from Hijabi Muslim Women in Surgery

This episode centres around the perspectives of Muslim women in surgery, and in particular the challenges faced by hijab-wearing Muslim women in both theatre environments and in their trusts. Featuring a panel led by core surgical trainee Azra Khatun, along with colorectal consultant and RCS Council Member Nuha Yassin, vascular registrar Nina Al-Saadi and paediatric registrar Farah Roslan, this podcast aims to show a range of experiences that hijab-wearing women face in the surgical world, while offering guidance and encouragement to those coming through medical school and aspiring to a career in surgery. As Azra says in a recent RCS Bulletin article on her work on the Surgical Scarf initiative: 'Research demonstrates that the lack of consideration for religious dress codes in the operating theatre has compromised access to training and surgical career pathways for a growing number of Muslim women surgeons and medical students. Many women were left feeling anxious and bullied, subsequently opting for alternative specialties. During a recent meeting of the British Islamic Medical Association’s dress code group, it became clear that each of us from different UK hospitals shared similar experiences of not being able to wear our headscarf in theatre. Many of us were being told to leave the theatre and to wear a theatre cap while some reported that surgery could not be a career option because of this.' For the recent Bulletin articles by the featured panellists, please see the links below. The Surgical Scarf Project by Azra Khatun Cut from the Same Cloth? by Nina Al-Saadi et al