TWO Oxford students Oxford were a cut above the rest at an interactive, one-of-a-kind national contest this month.

Oxford University's Eirion Slade and Helen Please triumphed after drawing scalpels for the tenth regional round of the annual Surgical Skills Competition.

The contest, run by Britain's oldest Royal Surgical College in Edinburgh, pits young would-be medics against one another to find the most promising in the country.

On Friday, November 4 senior students from all over the city demonstrated their skills in areas from suturing, knot-tying and tendon repair.

The competition is in its third year and aims to recognise young talent across the UK. Just eight per cent of medical undergraduates currently qualify as surgeons.

Mr Slade won the regional heat and a place in the national Grand Final in Edinburgh on February 18 along with 18 other finalists.

The 25-year-old abandoned a career in physics to spend another four years studying to become a doctor.

He said: "It is an enormous relief to have my surgical skills validated, and be given the opportunity to develop them further especially in a competitive context. "

Ms Please, 27, added: "The regional heat was a great opportunity to practice surgical skills with a competitive aspect which added a challenge in coping with pressure."