Cara Swain

I studied medicine at the University of Bristol, joining the Royal Navy as a medical officer cadet in 2009.

After graduating in 2012, I worked as a Foundation Doctor for two years at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, before deploying as a ship’s doctor (General Duties Medical Officer) on four different ships to locations including the Arabian Gulf, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and the South Atlantic from 2014-2017. During this time, I used my experiences to complete a postgraduate diploma in Global & Remote Healthcare, and discovered my passion for education and training through the provision of medical training to military personnel.

In 2017, I commenced surgical training in Southwest England, with the aim to qualify as a Trauma & Emergency general surgeon. During the last three years, I have been undertaking a PhD in the field of medical education at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. My research explores the use of live animal simulation in relation to learning to manage complex surgical trauma, and has involved a novel international multi-sited study of surgical simulation training with military and civilian medical professionals.

I established the Royaumont Forum in 2022, an organisation designed to foster collegiality and provide networking and informal mentoring opportunities to Royal Navy Medical Officers, particularly those who are in training.
I advocate for using education as a catalyst for change in areas including harm reduction in trauma medicine, professional sociocultural improvement and gender equality.