Hands‑On Winter Surgery Camp Inspires Young Students

Victoria Lamond, MD, give students a taste of surgery

This winter, over 90 high school and undergraduate students from Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia took the opportunity to work with medical students and surgeons across Canada through the University of Alberta’s 2025 Winter Surgery Camp.  

Held over the course of three days in December of 2025, students participated in hands-on workshops, presentations and collaborative activities under the mentorship of medical students, doctors and surgeons. The camp was hosted by the University of Alberta Surgical Simulation Research Laboratory and coordinated by Dr. Bin Zheng and Ghazal Hashemi. 

Four MD students, Angela Chen, Sharanya Menon, Victoria Lamond, and Esther Bang led presentations and mentored cohorts of students. They worked alongside undergraduate students at the U of A, Omar Andeh, Daniel Lai, Kiana Wang, and Carmen Li, to deliver high-quality instruction across four rounds of hands-on workshops. In addition, Dr. David Williams, Dr. Michael Kim, Dr. Eric Fung, Dr. Wei Wang, Dr. Adam Kinnaird, and Dr. Daniel Schiller spent time with students, sharing their professional experiences and personal journeys to inspire young participants. Dr. Eric Fung also served as the chief coach, guiding students through training in basic surgical techniques. 

Why Youth? 

The Department of Surgery in the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry holds the visions: “to educate, recruit and retain the best surgeons and scientists; to provide an environment of continuous learning and inquiry; to create an environment where surgical and scientific excellence, and teamwork are valued.” The Winter Surgery Camp extends this mission to Canada’s future generations of medical professionals through building early exposure and experience with surgery to young students. The environment within Surgery Camp is one guided by patient and knowledgeable surgeons, doctors, and MD students, allowing participants to inquire and explore the many perspectives within surgery.  

Programs like these build early exposure and experience with the field, which is critical to giving students an informed perspective before pursuing medical careers. Combining team activities, excellent mentors and presenters, and unique workshops, the Winter Surgery Camp fulfills the missions of the Department of Surgery and inspires young students to pursue medicine and surgery. 

Workshops 

Three days of workshops at the Edmonton Clinical Health Academy (ECHA) gave students hands-on experience with foundational surgical and medical skills. Guided by surgeons and MD students, participants practiced suturing, intubation and scrub techniques, alongside other clinical procedures. These sessions allowed students to handle real medical equipment and learn about surgical procedures under the guidance of experienced medical students. One participant said, “We were able to experience new activities such as suturing and prepping for surgeries. [These activities] were very insightful and meaningful.” 

Presentations 

Having a strong theoretical foundation in medicine is equally as important as clinical practice for surgeons. Alongside the hands-on workshops and activities, students listened to detailed presentations from medical students, physicians, and undergraduate assistants on common surgical techniques and cases. Some students' favourite presentations included Abdomen Blunt Injury (General Surgery), Burn Victim Care and Skin Grafting (Plastic Surgery) and Bandage Binding and Splint techniques among many others.  

Students were split into groups, with each group being supported by dedicated MD and physician mentors assisted by undergraduate students pursuing medicine. This year’s mentors and leaders included Dr. Angela Chen, Dr. Esther Bang, Victoria Lamond, MD and Sharanya Menon, MD. They guided discussions on serious medical topics, answered students’ questions and curiosities, and made sure every participant could experience a meaningful introduction to the surgical environment. 

Surgeon and MD Meet-and-Greets 

From art exhibitions to veterinary studies to urology, every surgeon and MD has a unique and personal story to share about their journey to medicine. Through the surgeon and MD Meet-and-Greets, participants gained insights into the many routes to medical school and gained insights into different specialties of medicine.  Another participant said, “I liked hearing about all the medical student’s stories and how their life journey led them to medical school.” 

Case Competition 

To conclude Winter Surgery Camp, students competed in a Case Competition at Bernard Snell Hall. Students were divided into eight groups to present their analysis on case studies assigned by their MD mentors. Each group merged humorous skits and spectacular acting skills with the knowledge they acquired from presentations and workshops. Each presentation was graded by the panel of mentors. 

The winning group, who presented a case on pancreatic cancer and the Whipple surgery, took home first place in the case competition. However, with only three days of preparation and three days of effort and communication, every group is a winner! 

Opportunities to attend Surgery Camps will continue to be hosted, with future cohorts planned for the summer of 2026. We are looking forward to welcoming more passionate participants and future medical professionals as they begin their journey into surgery.