Conor Boylan

My Graduate Story

My name is Conor, I studied an MBChB in Clinical Medicine and a BSc in Clinical Anatomy from the University of Birmingham. I currently work as a core surgical trainee at Aintree Hospital in Liverpool. Outside of the hospital, I run a scoliosis research team, direct a national non-profit organisation which delivers teaching and mentorship to medical students, and produce educational content for my YouTube channel.

A Day in my Life

My day-to-day varies a lot in my clinical work. It ranges between covering the wards, fracture clinics, and A&E, where I see acutely ill trauma patients.

More than Skin Deep

It gives me a chance to connect with students all over the world and has given me the opportunity to share my passion for anatomy with far more learners than if I did in-person teaching alone.

My Journey to Aintree Hospital

I chose to study at the University of Birmingham because it’s got a wide range of clinical placements, including close ties with the Queen Elizabeth Major Trauma Hospital and the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital. My degrees from the University of Birmingham gave me the foundational knowledge that I use every day in my clinical practice. In particular, my Clinical Anatomy degree gave me the understanding of human anatomy that underpins all of the surgical procedures I carry out on a daily basis. The University certainly set me up very well for my job in clinical medicine — I walked straight out of graduation into a full-time job as a doctor. The networking and mentorship that I received while I was a medical student gave me collaborators that I still work with on my research to this day.

My Birmingham Experience

I loved life on campus. I was at the Student Union most Saturdays. I played in University sports teams, and I was part of various academic groups and committees. As a medical student, it’s so easy to connect with other medical students. There is a thriving MedSoc, with events going on all the time. They’ve got their own sports teams, academic clubs, and social societies, so there’s endless opportunities to meet people. As you go on, you’ll find the students all tend to live in the same areas in the city as well, so you’ll find the community never leaves you.

Birmingham's Impact

The Uni and Medical School offer a wide range of funding for students. In particular, I received funding from the Arthur Thompson Trust, which allowed me to travel to New Zealand where I shadowed skin surgeons and conducted research for six weeks. I also received funding from the Alumni Impact Fund, which covered the cost of setting up my YouTube channel, and I also received funding to cover the costs of publication of my research in open access journals. I received this funding support and it helped me gain valuable international experience, launch an educational platform, and publish my research — all of which have been instrumental in my development as a doctor and researcher.

Career updates

In early 2026 I was excited to be a nominated finalist for the ASiT Silver Scissors surgical education awards which was a real career highlight for me. This is one of the highest accolades in the country for surgical trainers. It recognises trainee surgeons who have gone out of their way to deliver high-quality teaching to their junior colleagues.

It was a really nice way to formally recognise the work I do and was a lovely opportunity to represent my region and my various teams at a big national event. From it I’ve made some great connections which I will be continuing to develop in the near future as I apply to national committee positions related to surgical education.

More recently, I’ve been offered a place to enter Specialty Training in Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery. This has been a long-term goal of mine and has required an immense amount of effort over many years to prepare my portfolio, clinical skills, and knowledge for the high-stakes exam-style interviews. I’ll be staying in Liverpool for the next 6 years throughout this training, after which I’ll be looking to take a Consultant post in Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery in the region. 

My Achievements

• Running a scoliosis research team.
• Directing a national non-profit organisation delivering teaching and mentorship to medical students.
• Producing educational content for my YouTube channel.
• Publishing research supported by University funding.
• Being nominated for Silver Scissors award.
• Deliver bedside and other in-person training to medical students at his hospital.

Advice for Students

Birmingham is an exciting city and University. I’d wholeheartedly recommend the University of Birmingham to study medicine. It has great early exposure to practical and clinical skills, lots of great research and mentorship opportunities, and it will set you up great for your clinical career.

There are new opportunities coming up all the time, so you need to stay engaged and keep an eye out for them. From a medical perspective, you have access to many world-class hospitals full of leading clinicians from all specialties.

For me the Queen Elizabeth and Royal Orthopaedic Hospitals were inspiring and were what influenced me to get into Trauma Surgery from the offset. The connections I made at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital have continued to influence my career to this day.