Dr Sam Ramsay Smith has always shunned convention and followed his heart in a career spent in the pursuit of service to others, with a generous helping of fun! His new book documents his journey from time spent in Africa as a flying surgeon to work with Médecins Sans Frontières in Sri Lanka as a war surgeon and trainer.
Dr Ramsay Smith describes his new book ‘Life on the Edge, Adventures of a Travelling Surgeon’ as the tale of the life of an adventurer ‘who was also a surgeon’.
His exciting career began even before joining the University of Liverpool in 1965, with a year spent doing Voluntary Service Overseas in West Africa. His connection to Africa continued throughout this career, with Sam spending time in Nigeria during the Biafran War, working as a surgeon with the East African Flying Doctor Service in Kenya, and developing and running a hospital in Lesotho as medical superintendent.
The flying surgeon takes a break, Flying Doctor Service of East Africa (1975)
Following a Masters in Community Health in Developing Countries, he then spent four years as a general practitioner in East Sussex before returning to surgery at Lewes Victoria Hospital, which is what he believes he was ‘always destined to practise’.
He spent three years as a war surgeon and trainer with Médecins Sans Frontières in the Ivory Coast and Sri Lanka before retiring to Andalusia in 2008 where he still teaches today.
“I knew I was going to be a surgeon from the age of 14. I have so many good memories of the School. From day one, the comfort, comradeship and security of Rathbone Hall, the excellent teaching I received, and not to mention the excitement of living in Liverpool during the 1960s.
Looking back, the biggest highlights were the long-standing friends I made, and the values imparted by the moral integrity of my teachers.
A constant challenge was fitting in fun with academia! I remember building a beach-buggy in the A&E department at Clatterbridge Hospital during my houseman year, and playing guitar and harmonica in the Wookey Hollow Club and nearly becoming famous!
Tuesday night party, Femae Medica ward, Clatterbridge Hospital (1972)
My path was already decided. The good teaching I received allowed it to become manifest – as a bush surgeon.
I hope I have demonstrated that a career in medicine can be fun as well as very rewarding. Few careers can provide more fulfilment.
What would my advice be to today’s students? Who am I to advise these bright young things? In short, life is a dance, and we are the dancers. Never stop having fun. Ensure, by all means, that your patients love you. Learn to communicate clearly and humanely with them. Learn the five stages of bereavement. Banish all Pride. Let Humility be your song, and Altruism be your anthem.
Talking of which, some serious advice for every single student… Learn to play a musical instrument – and play it at all times. Solace in sadness, and joy in success. Music can say it all, and it certainly has been a mainstay of my professional life.
I have always believed in the power of medicine and surgery to heal. My mantra, as the Dali Lama says, is always, “We are only here to help others”, but it has never stopped me having fun.”
In Mannar, Sri Lanka with Ana and Carolina, surgical nurse and anaesthetist, for MSF (2008)
Life on the Edge, Adventures of a Travelling Surgeon is out now to buy in paperback from all major bookstores, including Amazon (link).
“This is the compelling and highly entertaining story of the life of a surgeon. He is a man with a passion for life and for his profession, and a man with great compassion for his patients.”
- Professor Averil Mansfield, CBE, MS.FRCS and Dr Ramsay Smith’s surgical mentor