Public Health Conference 2026

PHS Conference 

Title

Public health- the multifaceted foundation of clinical practice
Sub-title: Public health’s role in tackling inequalities in surgical outcomes & providing  foundations for efficient healthcare systems and leadership 

1. Introduction

Public health is often viewed as synonymous with the PASS module taught in our curriculum or narrowly perceived within medical education as a discrete academic requirement; however, it’s a multifaceted discipline that underpins safe, equitable, and effective clinical practice. This conference aims to demonstrate how public health functions as the unifying framework within clinical medicine, shaping patient safety, leadership, and healthcare system performance. 

Using surgical practice as an applied example, the conference will explore how patient outcomes are influenced by system-level factors such as access, capacity, safety standards, and equity, rather than technical expertise alone. Globally, more than 5 billion people lack access to safe, affordable surgery, and surgical conditions account for nearly a third of the global burden of disease. COVID-19 further highlighted these vulnerabilities, as elective surgery backlogs created one of the largest public health crises in the NHS, exacerbating inequalities and demonstrating the direct link between healthcare system capacity and population health outcomes. 

The conference will also examine the role of leadership and management in translating public health evidence into practice through service design, workforce planning, and quality improvement initiatives. By integrating leadership and management principles with the three pillars of public health—health improvement, health protection, and healthcare public health—participants will see how clinical decision-making, system organization, and strategic planning directly impact both individual patient care and broader population health. 

Our medical school already offers excellent training in all these domains. However there remains an opportunity to further strengthen interdisciplinary dialogue and explicitly explore the overlaps.  

By situating efficient surgical practice and leadership within a public health framework, the conference seeks to highlight the significance of public health across the various specialties. It provides medical students and resident doctors with a career defining opportunity, through which they can gain a clearer understanding of how public health works, polish on safe surgical practice and develop skills in leadership, management and healthcare systems- all of which are valuable assets for building foundations for thriving careers as high quality practitioners. 

2. Aims

1. To showcase public health as a multifaceted discipline and highlight the role of surgery within it, supported by evidence from WHO and the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery.

2. To inspire and equip students and resident doctors with knowledge, skills, and opportunities that enhance competitiveness for careers in public health, surgery, and leadership.

3. To provide hands-on training in healthcare leadership, public health decision-making, and surgical skills through interactive workshops.

4. To create an academic platform for students and junior doctors to present research, audits, and quality improvement projects.

5. To highlight the significance of interdisciplinary knowledge and collaboration in improving healthcare delivery and outcomes.

6. To generate and disseminate research outputs (conference reports, abstracts, and publications) that contribute to national and international academic conversations.

3. Benefits

For Students

• Exposure to public health and global health as career pathways.

• Hands-on surgical workshops (suturing, laparoscopy, simulation).

• Career development through networking with public health leaders and surgeons.

• Presenting abstracts in oral and poster sessions to strengthen CVs.

• Insight into leadership, policy, and health systems research alongside clinical careers.

For Resident Doctors

• Platform to present audits, QI projects, and research.

• Skills in public health systems, leadership, and surgery relevant for specialty applications.

• Networking with national surgical and public health leaders.

For the Medical School

• Enhances institutional reputation in interdisciplinary, innovative education.

• Demonstrates support for student-led academic initiatives that build upon existing strengths.

• Generates research outputs for wider dissemination (TASME, ASiT, EUPHA).

• Positions the school as forward-thinking, preparing graduates for careers that span public health, surgery, and leadership.