NHS Grampian consultant breast surgeon Ms Beatrix Elsberger is to be recognised as one of Scotland’s leading female surgeons.
Beatrix will receive the prestigious Hunter Doig Medal 2024 from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) during a ceremony in April 2025.
The medal is awarded to a female surgeon who has shown career potential and ambition as well as high standards. It recognises good surgical practice, clinical excellence, ongoing contribution to education and training, clinically based research, audit and/or laboratory research of direct clinical relevance. The award was introduced by the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh in 2007.
Beatrix, who is based at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, commented: “This is a once in a lifetime award and I am completely over the moon! I am honoured to accept the Hunter Doig Medal and grateful to all of those around me, supporting me.”
Ms Beatrix Elsberger
The medal is named after Alice Hunter and Caroline Doig, two female surgeons who paved the way for women in surgery. Hunter became the first Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh in 1920 and Doig was the first woman to be elected into the RCSEd council in 1974. Previous recipients of this award include female surgeons specialising in vascular, transplant, colorectal, plastic, urology, orthopaedic and ENT (ear, nose and throat) surgery. Beatrix is the ninth recipient of this exceptional award.
The clinical breast cancer research team Beatrix leads for NHS Grampian received the National Institute for Health Research’s CREST Award last year. This accolade recognises the surgical teams who make the greatest contribution to clinical trials research across the UK.
The team at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary stood out because of the number of patients they recruited to trials as well as the diversity of studies they are involved in and their support for next generation researchers. They also work closely with colleagues from the University of Aberdeen Medical School.
Nick Fluck, NHS Grampian’s medical director, added: “Beatrix is an inspiration to young female surgeons across the board. Her team at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary continues to make a huge contribution to breast cancer research, not only improving outcomes for current patients but for generations to come.”