“My experience as a military doctor was the most formative period of my life”
Mr Evangelos Tsialogiannis, a Consultant Orthopaedic surgeon working at The Runnymede Hospital, part of Circle Health Group has shared his experiences as a military doctor ahead of Armed Forces Day 2025. Spending 8 years as a military doctor in the Hellenic Army, with deployments to Kosovo as a peacekeeper, Mr Tsialogiannis believes that Armed Forces Day is an important moment to reflect on the military’s role as a force for good in the world.
Completing his medical degree at the Aristotle University School of Medicine in Thessaloniki. He then graduated from the Hellenic Military Academy of Combat Support Officers in 2002. An experience he describes as one of the most formative in his life.
“My experience as a military doctor was the most formative period of my life. In eight years of service as a consultant in the 401 General Army Hospital I was exposed to some of the most unique and high-pressure environments in the world”,Mr Tsialogiannis explained.
He went onto say, “It sharpened my decision-making skills and instilled in me the values that shape the way I live my life today and guide my work as an orthopaedic surgeon in civilian life. There’s a discipline to practicing medicine within the military framework. You gain perspectives that not many others do. It’s a privilege to be able to say I have done it.”
As a specialist in complex trauma injuries, Mr Tsialogiannis was eventually deployed to Kosovo, serving in a multinational peacekeeping operation which became a lasting and poignant memory of his time in the armed forces.
“I look at my time in Kosovo not just as a military deployment but as medicine beyond borders. We were delivering care under complex and often unpredictable conditions. The environment we were in demanded resourcefulness, cultural sensitivity and resilience”, Mr Tsialogiannis said.
During his deployment, Mr Tsialogiannis and his colleagues supported both military personnel and civilians. The humanitarian side of the Armed Forces’ work is something Mr Tsialogiannis sees as a force for good in the world.
“The Long-term effects of the conflict in Kosovo meant that we were treating civilian and Military casualties with limited medical infrastructure. Critical decisions had to be made quickly, relying on each other.
“What stood out most for me was the human part of the mission – providing medical care to communities in distress, building trust, and contributing to peace through healing. It was a powerful example of how strong collaboration within a multinational team can make an enormous impact in even the most difficult of situations. Serving in that environment was an experience that redefined the scope and impact of medicine for me.”
Reflecting on his career and what makes a career in military medicine so different from the civilian world, Mr Tsialogiannis said: “Military medicine differs significantly from civilian practice. Military training emphasises discipline, endurance and leadership. Everything you are taught to do as a doctor in the army is built around working under duress, often in austere and hostile environments. The emphasis placed on structure, coordination and working effectively in teams are skills that have definitely influenced my civilian practice.
Now working as a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon in the NHS and at The Runnymede Hospital in Chertsey, Mr Tisalogiannis sees patients in different circumstances. After leaving the Hellenic Army, he went onto training at specialist orthopaedic centres in Canada, Greece, Belgium and eventually settled here in the UK.
Reflecting on the importance of Armed Forces Day 2025, Mr Tisalogiannis said: “Working alongside the British armed forces was an honour and something that I hope to be able to do again in the future. It’s important that we celebrate and recognise the contribution serving military personnel make.”