Step inside the operating theatre: a healthcare careers evening

Event details

• Date: Tuesday 17 November 2026
• Time: 6 – 7.30pm
• Location: Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Sir Henry Floyd auditorium, Aylesbury

What you'll learn

• Find out what ODPs actually do and the important role they play in caring for patients before, during and after surgery.
• Meet Buckinghamshire New University ODP lecturers, who will explain how to apply for the course, what studying at university is really like and what to expect from clinical placements in hospital.
• Meet ODPs currently working for your local NHS and former students about their first-hand experience of training and working in the profession.

Who should attend?

• Students in Year 10 and above as well as anyone exploring healthcare careers.
• Whether you already know that healthcare is for you, are considering your options or are simply curious discover a career you may never have heard about before, come along and see where operating department practice could take you.

Explore behind theatre doors

And now for best part… This is your chance to explore a real operating theatre and see the environment where ODPs work every day.

Take part in a simulated theatre experience and get a taste of what it’s like to be part of the operating theatre team.

No need to worry – no actual surgery will be taking place!

You might arrive not knowing what an ODP is. You could leave having found your future career.