The Short Cut:
A quick-fire chat about working life with Dr Samantha Tross
The Short Cut is designed to bring you a snapshot of our members’ working lives. Today, we’re speaking to Dr Samantha Tross, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, first black female Orthopaedic Surgeon in the U.K.
At the heart of the Nurture Network is the power of sharing experiences.
From breakthrough career moments to best-ever advice, how to deal with stress and the women that inspire them.
Tell us about your breakthrough career moment
I think I’d have to say that passing my surgical exams and becoming a surgeon was a defining moment, because really, that’s where it all started.
It wasn’t straightforward, though. I didn’t pass the exams the first time around; I had to resit them.
Thinking back on it, growing up in the Caribbean, there was this pressure to excel at school, so there was this whole thing about fearing failure.
When I first sat the exam, it wasn’t that the exam itself was too difficult; I had frozen because of the stress. I was overwhelmed. The fear had built up over time because people around me made the exam out to be bigger than it actually was; in my mind, it became this enormous, insurmountable thing. That stress led to a kind of paralysis.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever had?
Well, I’d say one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned, especially in this latter part of my life, is not to fear failure. I used to fear it a lot, but I’ve had to change my relationship with it. Now, I see failure as an opportunity to learn and grow. Another piece of advice someone gave me is: when a door opens, walk through it. In other words, when opportunities present themselves, try to seize them. Those two ideas have really stood me in good stead.
One more that I really, really love is The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz.
The agreements are firstly: always do your best in every situation.
Second: be careful with your words, even when you’re under stress, speak well and be careful.
The third: don’t take things personally. Most of the time, people’s actions aren’t about you, they don’t even really know who you are.
And the fourth: don’t make assumptions. It’s always better to clarify situations than to project your own biases.
Ruiz actually added a fifth agreement later on: be skeptical. Don’t just accept the status quo, things can be changed, but also be prepared to listen and adapt.
I try to live by those principles, and I often share them with my trainees.
Have you ever felt held back as a women? How did you respond?
There have definitely been situations where people have tried to hold me back, especially in orthopaedics, which is one of the least diverse specialities in terms of both gender and ethnicity.
Women often aren’t as confident as our male colleagues, and especially early on, when I was training, things were very different compared to now. Consultants weren’t always present, they often disappeared to private practices or had other commitments, so they’d want someone to just get on with the tasks in the hospital, including surgery.
They’d ask, “Who’s done this particular operation?” And the guys would always chime in, “I’ve done X number,” even when they hadn’t. I, on the other hand, would say honestly, “I haven’t done any.” And because of that, I’d get relegated to the clinic, while they’d go into the theatre and operate, even though they lacked the experience.
But then I reached a particular hospital, and I remember one defining moment very clearly. I said, once again, “No, I haven’t done any.” And instead of brushing it off, the consultant said, “Well, that’s going to change today, you’re going to do it.” That moment, just knowing someone had that kind of confidence in me, was incredibly powerful. It was definitely a turning point in my career.
Of course, there were other challenges along the way; sexism, racism, all of it, but the way I dealt with those difficult situations was by leaning on my support system. I was fortunate to have a mentor, which I think is hugely important if you can find one, someone who gives you honest, sound advice and helps you find clarity in complex situations. Having a good sounding board made all the difference.
How do you protect your mental health in moments of pressure?
The pause.
It is very important.
That pause – is about stopping and making sure the situation is really what I perceive it to be. It’s part of doing that self-work, which is ongoing, and because of that, I’m not relying on external validation.
It’s internal. So when something happens, I ask myself:
“Okay, what is actually being presented here?
How can I best deal with this?
Is it something I can handle, and if so, how do I make it work for me?”
It’s about finding the most positive outcome in any situation. That’s how I deal with stress.
And sometimes, you just have to take things as they come. You can’t fight every battle, sometimes you have to park it and come back to it later. It really depends.
Sometimes I deal with it in the moment, I’ll say, “No, this is unacceptable, I’m not having it,” and I speak up for myself. But there’s always that pause first: “What’s going on here? Should I deal with this right now?” And then I think about the person I’m dealing with. What’s the best way to handle this so the message really gets through?
The woman who empowers me the most is…
…The woman who empowers me the most is me, because of all the self-work that I do. And I make sure that I’m not relying on external validation, I’m doing it for myself.
I feel empowered when…
The woman who everyone should know about is…
There are so many women, I can hardly name them, because I network profusely and I know a lot of great women. Particularly, a lot of Black women, this is key, who are doing phenomenal things.
And I’m grateful to organisations like the Black British Business Awards, the UK and US Black Sisters Network, and the Powerlist for highlighting that. Even so, there are so many Black people doing great things who aren’t on those lists.
The world will be a better place when…
There’s a culture where everybody can thrive, where we treat people the way we’d like to be treated ourselves.
Where is your favorite place in the world?
I’m going to say at home with family.
I feel at home when I’m around my family and my loved ones.
What does it take to lead when you’re the only one in the room?
At Nurture Network Live 2023, Dr Samantha Tross alongside Dr Ama Frimpong shared her incredible journey as the UK’s first Black female orthopaedic surgeon. She spoke honestly about fear, resilience and the power of doing the inner work so that you’re not relying on external validation.
Her message landed loud and clear: walk through every open door, back yourself, and don’t wait for permission.
We were so proud to have her with us for #NNLive23, a day full of bold conversations, shared wisdom and unstoppable energy.
Catch the highlights here: Nurture Network Live 2023
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