Faculty

Mr Mohamed Alasmar is an Acting Lecturer and Consultant Surgeon at New Giza University, Egypt, and a Locum Consultant General Surgeon with North Care Alliance in the UK. He holds the FRCS in General Surgery, the Fellowship of the European Board of Surgery and the International FRCS, with specialist interests in upper gastrointestinal, emergency general and trauma surgery.

He is an experienced surgical educator and faculty member on ATLS, CCrISP and surgical skills courses in both the UK and Egypt. He is the author of FRCS General Surgery – Essential Revision Notes and the founder of SmartFRCS, an educational platform supporting candidates preparing for the FRCS General Surgery examinations.

As a regular faculty member of the North of England FRCS Viva Course, Mohamed contributes to viva teaching, mock examinations and structured feedback, helping candidates develop the clinical judgement, communication and examination technique required for Section 2.

Mr Ahmed Elshaer is a Consultant General and Upper Gastrointestinal Minimally Invasive and Advanced Robotic Surgeon at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK. He is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Leeds and an Associate Professor of Surgery at Cairo University, Egypt. He specialises in oesophageal and gastric cancers and bariatric surgery.

He serves as the Northern and Yorkshire representative on the Association of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (ALRSGBI) Council. During his surgical training, he obtained both an MSc and a PhD, with his doctoral research focusing on the role of laparoscopy in the management of advanced abdominal trauma.

Mr Elshaer has a strong passion for surgical education and training. He has led and directed numerous national and international training programmes, including the Advanced Robotic Upper GI Surgery Course at the Griffin Institute, London, and the North of England FRCS Viva Course. He is also Course Director for several Royal College of Surgeons courses, such as the Intermediate Laparoscopic Skills Course.

He is the lead of the Professional and Patient Education Committee of the UK and Ireland Oesophago-Gastric (UKIOG) Society, a leading multidisciplinary organisation dedicated to improving oesophago-gastric cancer care. He is an active member of several national and international professional societies, including the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES), the Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons (AUGIS), the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus (ISDE), and the British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society (BOMSS).

Committed to clinical governance and quality improvement, Mr Elshaer leads the General Surgery Governance Team at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and serves as a reviewer for several high-impact international surgical journals.

Mr Khalid Bhatti is a Consultant General Surgeon / Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon. He has a specialist interest in minimally invasive, robotic, and oesophagogastric surgery. He completed a Post-CCT Fellowship in Robotic Oesophagogastric Surgery at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and is a Proctor for the Toumai Surgical Robot.

He is Professor of Surgery at Ziauddin University, a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Educators, and Simulation Lead for TUGSS (The Upper GI Surgical Society). He is the founder and Chief Editor of Grab the FRCS (www.grabthefrcs.com) and Chief Editor of the Journal of Grab Medical Innovations. He also serves as Director of Grab Medical Innovations (www.grabmedin.co.uk), Lords Tech, and Lords Health.

Mr Bhatti has extensive experience in FRCS teaching, viva preparation, simulation, mentorship, and surgical education. He is delighted to support the North of England FRCS Viva Course and help candidates strengthen their clinical reasoning, communication, and examination skills.

Mr Hussam Adwan is an Upper GI & Laparoscopic Surgeon at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, with a special interest in advanced benign upper GI and complex hernia repairs. He completed his run-through training in the Yorkshire and the Humber Deanery in October 2022, passing his FRCS Section 2 examination in February 2022, followed by an RCS-approved post-CCT fellowship in Advanced Laparoscopic Upper GI and Bariatric Surgery. He is also faculty for several RCS courses.

Mr Adwan's dedication to FRCS preparation predates the North of England FRCS Viva Course. As the AUGIS Roux Group representative, he organised, directed, and taught two FRCS Section 2 courses while providing tailored mentorship to colleagues, yielding highly successful exam results. Building on this foundation, he has been involved with the North of England course since its inception, passionately guiding candidates through their final examinations.

Mr Muhammad Abdalkoddus is a Consultant Colorectal and Robotic Surgeon at University Hospitals Plymouth. He holds an MB BCh with Merit, an MSc in Genomic Medicine with Merit, and the FRCS (England) in General Surgery. He completed his CCT in Colorectal Surgery in January 2024, followed by a Post-CCT Fellowship in Robotic Colorectal and Advanced Pelvic Surgery. His clinical practice focuses on robotic surgery, trans-anal rectal cancer management, and acting as colorectal liaison for complex gynaecology-oncology and deep endometriosis cases.

Beyond his clinical duties, Mr Abdalkoddus is an active clinical academic and educator with extensive involvement in surgical training and examination. Notably, he contributed to postgraduate training through his involvement in the North of England FRCS Viva Course, where he served as an examiner evaluating candidates across the academic, colorectal, and emergency / general surgery stations.

His research portfolio spans colorectal cancer outcomes and genomics. Highly committed to workforce development, he regularly mentors junior colleagues and supports International Medical Graduates transitioning into the NHS.

Mr Abdelrahman Ali Gaffer Abdelrahman is a Colorectal Surgeon at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust with over six years of continuous NHS experience in elective and emergency general surgery.

He has a specialist interest in colorectal surgery, minimally invasive techniques, and robotic colorectal surgery, with extensive experience in advanced laparoscopic and robotic procedures, complex colorectal surgery, and acute surgical care.

Abdelrahman is progressing towards Specialist Registration via the Portfolio Pathway, with aspirations to become a consultant colorectal and robotic surgeon. He is actively involved in research, audit, quality improvement, and surgical education, with peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and a strong commitment to teaching and mentoring.

He is passionate about supporting trainees in achieving their goals and is dedicated to excellence in surgical practice and education.

Role in the course: Critical Care Lead. As the Critical Care Lead, Abdelrahman oversees the critical care component of the course, ensuring candidates are well-prepared to discuss and manage key perioperative and intensive care scenarios with confidence and clarity.

Pre-course lecture: Pelvic Floor Disorders. Abdelrahman delivers the pre-course lecture on Pelvic Floor Disorders, providing a structured and exam-focused approach to this important and challenging topic. His session helps candidates build a solid foundation for tackling viva stations with confidence.

Mr Abubakr Elamin is a Robotic Colorectal Fellow at Sunderland Royal Hospital, having undertaken his higher surgical training in the Republic of Ireland. He is approaching completion of his fellowship and specialist registration in colorectal surgery.

His practice encompasses colorectal cancer, robotic and minimally invasive surgery, alongside emergency general surgery. He has a keen commitment to surgical training and is faculty on the North of England FRCS General Surgery Viva Course, contributing particularly to colorectal, emergency and general surgery viva preparation.

Miss Nicola Cook (Nicky) is an Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon currently undergoing a fellowship year in Royal Melbourne Hospital and Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia having undertaken a Locum Consultant job at the Countess of Chester for a year after completion of CCT in July 2025. She graduated from the University of Dundee medical school in 2013 with a degree in medicine and a BMSC in anatomy and forensic anthropology. She underwent all of her training subsequently in the South West of England in the Severn deanery and has always had a keen interest in teaching. She spent a year as a clinical teaching fellow in 2017-2018. During this time she worked closely with the University of Bristol teaching of medical students, developing the medical school curriculum and was awarded the ‘Teacher of the Year Somerset’ as voted for by the medical students. She is continuing her love of teaching during her fellowship by mentoring registrars in Melbourne currently undertaking their exams to become a consultant set by RACS. GMC: 7406129

Hazim is a Consultant in laparoscopic and robotic colorectal surgery at the University Hospital of North Durham, part of the County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. He completed his speciality training in the North East of England. Alongside his clinical work, he also serves as MDT Lead and Training and Education Lead in his department.
He has been part of the faculty since the first North East FRCS Course and is the Colorectal Speciality Lead. He also teaches on several courses at the Royal College of Surgeons.
Hazim has a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education from Newcastle University and a Master's degree in Health and Science from the University of Portsmouth. He recently completed a Robotic Fellowship with the European Society of Coloproctology in Ireland, further strengthening his educational background.

Ms Ashrafun Nessa is a Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, with specialist expertise in breast cancer surgery, oncoplastic techniques and breast reconstruction. She holds FRCS (General Surgery) and has undertaken advanced training in oncoplastic breast surgery, including an MS in Oncoplastic Breast Surgery.

Alongside her clinical practice, she is actively involved in research, audit, quality improvement and surgical education. She serves as Research and Audit Lead within the Nottingham Breast Institute and is a Local Principal Investigator for breast cancer research studies. She has also held national leadership roles within Mammary Fold, the trainee association of the Association of Breast Surgery, including Secretary and Vice Chair.

She has a strong commitment to surgical education and training, having previously worked as a Clinical Teaching Fellow. She contributes to postgraduate surgical education through ST3 interview preparation courses and as faculty for the North of England FRCS Viva Practice Course.

Her professional interests include advanced oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgery, surgical education and mentorship, research, quality improvement, and innovation in breast surgery, including minimally invasive techniques.