Cara Swain

I am a surgical registrar employed by the Royal Navy. My specialist interests are in trauma and emergency general surgery, with a dual interest in medical education, particularly the use of simulation. I completed my doctoral research and defended my thesis in September 2025. I am the lead for Surgical Education within the Defence Medical Services' Academic Department of Military Surgery & Trauma (ADMST) and affiliated to the MINT team, Health Informatics Centre, LIME. 

My Doctoral research project aimed to contribute to the understanding of the utility of live tissue training for developing competence in the
surgical management of complex, combat-related traumatic injuries.
Live tissue training is an example of simulation-based learning used in the practice of trauma management. Complex surgical skills are taught using
anaesthetised animals, deliberately wounded to reflect various types and severity of injuries, in order to simulate tissue handling, dissection of
structures and attendant bleeding. On completion of the period of training, animals are euthanised without regaining consciousness. The continuing use of this training modality within medical education is controversial due to increasing public scrutiny, focus on animal welfare/ethical concerns and the availability of alternative simulator technology.

My research used qualitative methods to explore how live animals are being used as human patient substitutes and enhance understanding of how competence is developed via this educational practice.
The PhD is comprised of four studies reported in five manuscripts: 

1) Systematic review of educational use of live tissue training - published in Journal of Surgical Education

2) Literature review of the ethical arguments associated with live tissue training - published in Journal of Medical Ethics 

3) A focus group study exploring the perceptions of UK military medical professionals in relation to live tissue training - manuscript submitted, undergoing peer review

4) An international, multi-site ethnographic study of learning, observing courses (military and civilian) which use live animal models to train 
competence and management of surgical trauma - published in Perspectives on Medical Education

5) An interview study exploring perceptions of learners, educations and commissioners of live tissue training events and courses - published in BMC Medical Education

I remain interested in researching surgical simulation, including live animal training, but am also interested in collaborating on wider medical education topics.  

I have undertaken pedagogical courses including Teach the Teacher and have previously completed an Advanced Certificate in Clinical Education. The majority of my teaching experience is clinical in nature, with involvement in simulation courses for both military and civilian learners. 

I am a faculty member for the international Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course and was appointed to the UK national ATLS Steering Group committee in March 2025 (4 year term).

I have delivered individual seminars on Undergraduate, Masters and Doctoral-level courses - relating my clinical and research experiences to wider fields - and I am actively looking for opportunities to contribute more fulsomely to programmes.