Interviewing the 2026 UCL Surgical Society President - Fahm Deen
Written By Anya D. Roy
Whether it’s navigating the cockpit of a light aircraft or the intricacies of neurosurgical research, Dr Fahm Deen remains a visionary defined by meticulous precision and inspirational drive. Taking the helm of the UK’s largest surgical society during its landmark 25th anniversary, Fahm redesigned the blueprint for what a student society can achieve, fostering international partnerships and ambitious, avant-garde initiatives. In this interview, he opens up about life before medicine, the "bittersweet" weight of leadership, and what it takes to stay steadfast in one’s convictions when taking the path less-travelled.
Q1: What is one physical object that is representative of your year as president?
“It would have to be the 25th anniversary special release SurgSoc magazine”. The inspiration for this came from the ‘Silver Scalpel’ magazine that SurgSoc published over 20 years ago! He discovered this long-lost treasure on an abandoned 2004 UCL SurgSoc website, during a late-night dive into the society’s digital past. This year, the magazine introduced the 2025-2026 committee, outlining chairs’ plans for the society’s most ambitious chapter yet! “Looking back now”, he reflects, “I feel both humbled and proud to see nearly all of those promises fulfilled - a testament to the immense effort, thought and time commitment we’ve all contributed over the past year.”
Q2: Why did you run for president?
“As president, there is very little to gain and a lot to give.” Fahm’s experience as Neurosurgery Chair the previous year - including pioneering the first in-person International Neurology and Neurosurgery Conference (INNC) - meant he was equipped with an extensive repertoire of skills to tackle this year head-first. His plans included boosting members’ “value for money”, fostering “cross-society collaboration” for education, “forging national & international partnerships” for gold-standard conferences, and running accredited state-of-the-art workshops for “hands-on development”. Ultimately, he aimed to elevate the society from every angle, and has experienced resounding success in doing so (see his answer on ‘the highlight of Surgsoc this year’).
Q3: Your Myers-Briggs personality type and zodiac sign?
ENTJ-A, Virgo
Q4: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to your successor ?
“Be ambitious and build on what we’ve achieved. Understand the community, yourself and the way you work. Never prioritise yourself over your community, though – collaborate with the committee and use your every ability to best serve the community. Realise that you’re leaving behind a legacy and reflect on what this should look like for you.” Overall, Fahm believes that past committee members should also have a role in advising or supporting the new committee through the transition – running a society as big as Surgsoc is no mean feat.
Q5: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned over the course of your presidency?
"You have to be willing to walk alone," he says. Bringing a vision to fruition frequently means "thinking outside the box" and staying steadfast in your convictions, even when you face disagreement. He acknowledges the emotional cost; that the drive to do what is best for the society can sometimes strain personal ties. "You can’t make everyone happy," he admits. Yet he always strives to find a middle ground, noting that while leadership can have its bittersweet moments, one must always keep the bigger picture in mind.
Q6: What was the highlight of SurgSoc this year?
“Number one, we have more members than any surgical society in the country – almost double our previous record…and number two, we’re running initiatives unlike any other university in the country – so rather than being inspired BY others, we’re inspiring THEM.” The Specialty Fair was one such initiative, a tasting menu of every surgical specialty under one roof, allowing members to sample a new procedure or skill at 18 different stations. Seeing INNC (Fahm & Gladys’ brainchild, read the article on it for more) “grow and gain so much recognition in a matter of two years” really fills him with fatherly pride. The 15th International Undergraduate Surgical Conference (INUGSC 2026), featuring high-quality workshops from every speciality & talks from international leaders, and The Transplant Symposium, with its inspiring theme of “the first of everything”, are also on Fahm’s podium. Last (but nowhere near the least!), the Gala Dinner. “Initially, this was going to be a celebration for our committee members… but we decided to expand it to the whole community as the country’s largest undergraduate surgical networking event, with 200+ attendees and an exceptional lineup of 40+ consultants, including UCL Surgsoc’s founding President, the President of RCS England and a Nobel Prize Nominee.”
Q7: Did you always know what you wanted to do? If not, what got you interested in surgery?
“I think I was always somewhat drawn to neuroscience, but I never took it that seriously. During my undergraduate final year, as part of a research project, I performed intricate surgeries to induce peripheral and spinal nerve lesions in animals. My supervisor took one look at my work and declared it one of the best he’d ever seen – and that I perhaps had a natural talent for microsurgery. I guess it was a combination of finding what I was good at as well as where my interests lay.”
Q8: What’s the most underrated surgical specialty?
“At medical school, it’s probably vascular surgery – the exposure we get is quite limited”.
Q9: You’re a postgraduate with a PhD - how has that changed the way you’ve experienced medical school?
“It teaches you a lot about yourself - you spend time discovering what you like and how you learn. Med school seems easier when you’ve already completed a degree”, he says. “When I first started university, I was definitely a very textbook person. As I got more into academia and discovered new research tools, I changed my approach. And now, with the age of AI you don’t even have to seek out information…everything is available at request”, he muses. Still, you may not be prepared for everything - after all, “medicine is a vocational degree, and clin years feel almost like an apprenticeship”. But as a postgraduate, “you come from a position where you know what you want…it reduces trial and error”, which really helps you decide on a specialty to pursue.
Q10: If you had to do anything other than neurosurgery, what would it be?
Theoretical physics. “Maths and physics give meaning to life and help explain the unexplainable. As an undergraduate, I studied lots of maths and physics before venturing into neuroscience. After all, physics is a key part of neuroscience, and subjects like electrophysiology illustrate this further.” Aeronautics came up a few times, too. But when it comes to medical specialties, the man would much rather live out the rest of his days buried in neuroscience research than anything else.
Q11: Advice for someone trying to figure out what they want to do?
“Go to different events, see what’s out there, and explore everything before deciding. Ask yourself what you’re most curious about and actively seek out opportunities to understand it better.” Fahm himself embodies lifelong learning, leveraging platforms like LinkedIn and Eventbrite to open doors to events ranging from surgical conferences to venture capital meetings and tech entrepreneur thinktanks. After all, he says, “You are your biggest limitation, more than you think!”
Q12: Outside medicine and SurgSoc, what is something you are passionate about?
“Friends and family, I’ve always tried to actively prioritise them, to be there when they need me. I always discover new things around friends – new places, new activities.” Before coming to medical school, he really did try it all – from attending cooking school to music, badminton, cricket, football, and even gardening. Besides this, he also loves travelling, having been to 80+ countries (and lately, owing to SurgSoc, nowhere). He’s a fully trained and licensed pilot, with flying being another hobby close to his heart. More recently, he hired a plane to fly around the Isle of Wight! Just for fun!
Q13: What’s your idea of success after medical school?
He pauses, taking a trip down memory lane to reflect not only on his own growth, but on the lives he has already touched. Recalling his time teaching suturing, he shares how a well-timed compliment inspired a student to pursue plastic surgery. For him, true success is rooted in human connection. The fulfilment he gains from these bonds – whether it is with patients, biological family or ‘found’ family - is what fuels his ambition.
Looking ahead, his sights are set on neurosurgery and neuro-oncology research, as these will allow him to administer life-saving care while remaining a lifelong student, discovering new interests both inside and outside the lab. Yet, he remains captivated by the high-adrenaline nature of the specialty.
Thinking about your interests in neurosurgical emergencies and aviation, the Air Ambulance seems like a perfect fit. Do you ever picture yourself doing something like that?”
As always, Fahm remains flexible with his career choices – even imagining a life where he can "hop on and off" to provide cutting-edge neurosurgical intervention in the most critical, high-stakes emergencies.
Read the rest of the edition here.