What is it like to be a consultant urologist working in the NHS? That was the subject of a fascinating talk given to Seaford’s Biomedical Society by Dr Dan Magrill, a surgeon at St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester. 
 
Dan specialises in the management of stone disease and endourology. “Kidneys are very important; they are the washing machines of the body,” he said. 
 
He explained what he does at the hospital and how he treats patients with kidney stones. He also brought in some of the equipment he uses in hospital for students to examine. 
 
Students then asked questions such as why he specialised in urology, how long it took to train, what kidney stones are made of and how long surgery takes. 
 
Head of Science Andy Richardson said: “It's great being able to get professionals like Dan in front of the students to hear real world experiences and give them a taste of what it is like working as, in this case, a urologist. 

 

 
“The students really warmed to Dan, which was shown by how many excellent questions they asked. It was really valuable to have a range of like-minded students from Years 9 to 13 in the room, and for the younger students to be inspired by the older ones.” 
 
Alex Slater, aspiring medic from Year 12, said: “The talk was very interactive and taught me a lot about what it’s like to work in the NHS, and the kinds of people I would be working with when I become a doctor. Dr Magrill’s answers to all the questions were wonderful and helped me gain a clear picture of urology as a whole. It was fascinating to handle the items that he bought in from theatre, including a catheter and a stent.” 
 
Lily Eitel, who is waiting to hear back from medical schools after her application said: “I really enjoyed Dr Magrill’s talk yesterday as I find urology is quite an interesting specialty, and one that I was unable to see during my work experience. I found it interesting hearing specifically about kidney stones and the different treatment methods.” 

 

 
Many thanks to Dr Dan Magrill.