A FORMER Barry secondary school pupil who gained his A levels while on Cardiff City FC’s books, has excelled in another field.

Ysgol Bro Morgannwg past pupil and Cardiff medical student Lloyd Evans won top prize at the 4th annual National Conference for Aspiring Surgeons held last month by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in association with NHS Education South West and SCRUBS the University of Bristol Surgical Society at the University of Bristol.

Lloyd, 25, in his final year of medicine at Cardiff University, studied in Barry while signed to Cardiff City Football Club.

He also has a BSc in Medical Science from the University of South Wales, Glamorgan.

Lloyd took best presentation award for a paper on Diagnostic Dial, a handheld interactive device he has developed with two colleagues which helps direct the thought process of a medical student during diagnoses.

He has already had interest in the device from academics across the UK.

Lloyd said: “I was extremely pleased to win this award in the company of such enthusiastic students. All of the presentations were of an extremely high standard and I was very surprised to be announced a winner. It was extremely encouraging to have my efforts acknowledged. I hope the prize will act as a springboard for our idea to develop. The prize has definitely acted as an incentive for me to stay in surgery and progress my career.”

Professor Davinder Sandhu, a consultant urological surgeon who is the University of Bristol’s Professor of Medical Education, as well as Director of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh’s Regional Advisor Network, added: “The annual conference plays a key role in inspiring the surgeons of tomorrow. It provides a valuable insight into the competitive and rewarding career of surgery, as well as offering a platform for bright minds to share ideas and innovation. I am always thrilled to witness hardworking students from all over the country present on cutting-edge developments and studies, shining a spotlight on the latest themes of relevance, such as robotic surgery and even the role of social media in patient safety.”

Presentations, which numbered more than 40, and seven posters were grouped into specialties such as heart surgery, paediatric surgery, plastic surgery, trauma and orthopaedics, among others.