Mhairi Collie has been a Consultant Colorectal Surgeon in Edinburgh since 2004, after training in Edinburgh, Birmingham and London. She spent a year working for Medecins sans Frontieries in Sri Lanka and Ethiopia. She has taught surgical skills in Ghana, and visited the Addis Ababa Fistula hospital. Since 2000, she has regularly visited Uganda to repair obstetric fistulae and other childbirth associated injuries. She is a passionate advocate of collaborative working and reciprocal learning with colleagues in Africa, sharing the joy of good surgical practice.