ABOUT

So what do you actually do?

My job at the moment has been in the medical wards of the hospital, where I have been placed since February - timed very much with the pandemic! Eventually I will qualify in just under 2 years as a GP, where I’m hoping to spend a lot of my time with medical education. 

What has your career path been?

After finishing sixth form, I went to UCL medical school where I studied for 5 years, and also completed an additional 1 year degree in Global Health (which was really great!).

After this, I worked my foundation years in the midlands, before coming down to start GP training in London. My placements have varied a lot between Gastroenterology, Obstetrics, medicine and surgery! 

What is the best part of your job?

Being able to tangibly make a difference to patients lives in ways that might seem small, but have big impacts for people’s experiences.

This year, being able to communicate with patient relatives on the phone, giving them key information about their loved ones while transmitting messages back was something I found so invaluable and important in the context of no visitors being allowed. I suppose the other favourite part is diagnosing weird and wonderful conditions and learning new things all the time! 

Why do you do your job?

Because the human body fascinates me, and GP because human communities fascinate me too. I love the interplay between a person’s disease and their whole story, and learning how to tackle a problem holistically really interests me. 

One piece of advice for someone starting in your role?

My biggest piece of advice for starting work as a doctor is to always try to remember why you wanted to do it in the first place. The days can be long, (the nights even longer!), and sometimes it can be really hard to see what the purpose of the effort is.

Always keeping intentions and refreshing them is key to getting satisfaction out of the job! (Also remembering that self-care is the best care!)

Check out Inayah’s Twitter below!

DAY IN THE LIFE

While this is not so much the case now, as a junior doctor on COVID wards a day in the life was like this!

Pre-Lunch

Arrive at work, (pick up some free breakfast, thanks to donations during the pandemic, go to the ward and receive a handover from the night doctor at 9am. 

Attend general handover, learn about sick patients to be aware of.

Board round: go through this virtually to summarise patients on the ward and be aware of plans for them

Ward round with consultant: physically see each patient - with PPE donning and doffing in between! Check observations, drug charts, document document!

We also divide up tasks between colleagues.

Post-Lunch

Work on tasks ranging from: taking blood tests, inserting cannulas, calling relatives, discharge paperwork (yawn), ordering tests, chasing test results! 

Always being ready for: crash bell, emergency alarms, being asked to review sick patients, urgent reviews like patients falling down, discussing with senior colleagues when confused, certifying death.