When Professor Burke became a hand consultant he was only one of two in the UK. He tells me the impact his father had on him choosing medicine and how and why he chose to specialise in hands. Hand specialism was more advanced in the USA back then and Frank explains how beneficial it was doing fellowships under world-renowned surgeons in Iowa and Louisville. Frank is a Professor of Hand Surgery AND Rehabilitation and he talks about how much emphasis he put on therapy which was one of the reasons he was the inaugural President of the British Association of Hand Therapists (BAHT) when it was formed in 1989. Professor Burke brought some of the top names to speak at Derby and this lead to a regular education program for both surgeons and therapists. It was great to see how forward and big thinking Frank was in bringing specialist technologies to the UK and working with local industry to help fund them.
It is very clear to see how much Frank has loved his career and the pride he takes in what has been created in Derby(and around the world!). He also shared what he likes to do in his spare time; writing novels… I will be asking for a copy 😀
