The Art of Showing Your Work

You put your head down, you do the work, and you wait to be noticed. It took one conversation to understand why that was the wrong strategy.

The Indian Uncle

In surgical training, skill isn’t enough. You need someone in your corner. My “Indian Uncle” spoke little—but protected me, built my confidence, and taught me the quiet power of trust and loyalty.

Forgotten

Months after CCT, I found myself unemployed, filling out forms and applying for locums while the system moved on without me. When the operating stops, a surgeon must ask a difficult question: who am I now?

Outcome 3

Outcome 3. A moment when your career feels like it might collapse. Rumours spread, confidence disappears, and the system closes in. Sometimes survival requires finding another way forward.

Being Called Stupid in Theatre

Thirty-two years old. Exams passed. Years of training behind me. Yet in theatre a consultant called me “stupid.” In surgery, hierarchy is real — and sometimes the hardest lesson is knowing when to hold your ground.

The moment I became better at surgery

One month into being a consultant, grief replaced fear. Faced with a brutally complex case, the fog lifted. In that moment I stopped worrying about judgement and started operating with purpose.

Orthom8 newsletter #6

👋🏾 Welcome to this edition of the Orthom8 newsletter. My name is Harry Benjamin-Laing and I'm the founder of Orthom8. I'm very pleased that you have taken the time to sign up to the membership. I look forward to getting to know you all, interacting and hopefully

The Long Game

At 13 miles I reached the edge of my experience. Everything beyond that point was unknown. The lesson I learnt there would carry me through surgery and life.

Shadow of my father

In a crowded clinic waiting room, a stranger spoke my father’s name. Legacy is not loud — it is a quiet reminder of who you are.

Teamwork

Teamwork isn’t slogans or shared credit. It’s stepping beyond titles when it matters. This is what real surgical collaboration looks like.

The Last Smack

I was four years old when I realised I could not control everything — but I could control myself. The last smack became the first lesson in resilience.

The first cut

Mentorship is rarely announced — it is earned quietly. One theatre list, one opportunity, and a lesson about hierarchy and preparation that never left me.

Average Black Surgeon

The motorway lesson

I couldn’t master the clutch — until the pressure increased. Sometimes performance sharpens not when things slow down, but when they speed up.

Average Black Surgeon

Sports Day

I was never the fastest. So I chose the harder race. Winning the 400m taught me something the 100m never could — sometimes persistence beats talent.

Average Black Surgeon

Eleven out of ten

The mark scheme said 10 was the limit. I was given 11. That extra point wasn’t about perfection — it was proof that ceilings are often self-imposed. Sometimes excellence isn’t scoring full marks. It’s redefining the scale.

Average Black Surgeon

Hackney marshes

Before sunrise, alone with a football and no audience. Improvement rarely happens in public. This is what unseen repetition really does to confidence.

Average Black Surgeon

When everything slows down

There are moments when everything slows down. Movement becomes instinct. Preparation becomes effortless. This is what it feels like when performance meets mastery.

Average Black Surgeon

Sports and Medicine

I thought I was organising events. In reality, I was building a network that would shape my career years later — long before I realised it.

FRCS

1:1 Coaching

1:1 Coaching for FRCS Orth

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Orthom8 newsletter # 5

👋🏾 Welcome to this edition of the Orthom8 newsletter. My name is Harry Benjamin-Laing and I'm the founder of Orthom8. I'm very pleased that you have taken the time to sign up to the membership. I look forward to getting to know you all, interacting and hopefully

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👋🏾 Welcome to this edition of the now quarterly Orthom8 newsletter. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. - African Proverb My name is Harry Benjamin-Laing and I'm the founder of Orthom8. I'm very pleased that you have

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Contents IntroductionThe idea for writing this bookOrthom8Harry Benjamin-LaingHow to use this bookHow to use this bookOrthom8Harry Benjamin-LaingExerciseAn exercise on ElaborationOrthom8Harry Benjamin-Laing10 tips for drawing - #1Tip number 1Orthom8Harry Benjamin-Laing10 tips for drawing - #2Number 2Orthom8Harry Benjamin-Laing10 tips for drawing - #3Tip number 3Orthom8Harry Benjamin-Laing10 tips for drawing - #4Tip number

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👋🏾 Welcome to this edition of the fortnightly Orthom8 newsletter. What about hip fractures in atypical patients? Or is it atypical hip fractures? My name is Harry Benjamin-Laing and I'm the founder of Orthom8. I'm very pleased that you have taken the time to sign up to