ABOUT

Tell us who you are!

Hiiiii my name is Yasmeen and I'm a NHS London based GP trainee currently in my final year of what seems like a lifetime of medical training where I am still very much learning and adapting.

So what do you actually do?

My job is defined as a general practitioner, the role very much encompasses the 'jack of all trades' whilst being a speciality in its own right. As a generalist doctor, we are treating patients for both acute and chronic health conditions whilst also promoting preventative medicine and health education for patients of all ages.

GPs are focused in holistic care and our work is constantly focused on factors in biological, psychological, and social factors which form the crux of each patient's illness.

What has your career path been?

My career path has been riddled with rejection so I am no stranger to setbacks and delays. I always knew I wanted to be a doctor but the path was not an easy one. Having went to a state school which provided very little support and being from a background where there is no easy privilege it was no surprise I did not receive offers to study medicine.

I ended up taking a different path where I studied a bachelors in Biomedical sciences and with a lot of perseverance I eventually went on to secure a medical degree as a graduate entry. Setbacks and rejections are a part of life and for me it has helped me become stronger and more determined in my own personal journey.

I'm a big believer that everything happens for a reason and this extends to all disappointments and failures. For anyone who needs to hear this, if you are passionate about a career, self belief and a little hard work will always get you to where you want to be. And if anything it is always a much more interesting story.

What is the best part of your job?

For me the best part of my job as a GP trainee is the opportunity in focusing on empowering patient's through health education and preventative medicine.

Often, a lot of chronic health conditions are rooted early in our lifestyle and diet before they manifest.

I believe preventative medicine is the way forward especially when its comes to metabolic health to prevent conditions such as type two diabetes.

The recent Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the clear disparities in health inequality and for me as a doctor the importance of encouraging a healthy lifestyle through patient education to reduce overall disease risk is paramount in my consultations.

Why do you do your job?

For all healthcare professionals, it is pretty simple, it's to provide the best possible care for each and every patient.

One piece of advice for someone starting in your role?

Becoming a doctor is a long arduous road with years of training and continuous exams and assessments. I have definitely, had moments in my training where it can feel overwhelming and also at times many of us have suffered with imposter syndrome.

But having said this, it is a deeply rewarding role and highly transferable with the skills you develop along the way. The beauty of human physiology is the fact you are continuously learning and practices are continuously improving through research. My one advice is to enjoy the marathon, it's not a race!

Any parting words?

The pandemic has helped me view life differently and to appreciate the importance and value of each and every industry in society.

We all are dependent on each other and every single role is vitally important in shaping our community.

Check out Yasmeen’s Twitter below!

DAY IN THE LIFE

My typical day in a GP surgery will consist of clinic consultations which will vary from telephone calls, face to face consultations to home visits. Each patient interaction will be different from managing mental health issues, geriatric medicine, women's health to paediatrics as well identifying and managing medical emergencies as well as figuring out medically unexplained symptoms.

I always approach a consultation by starting it with what we would define as open questions, allowing the patient to tell me what their concerns are, how it's impacting their day to day and importantly what made them call in today of all days? Often my consultations mainly involve me just actively listening, the crux of most consultations is taking a thorough history which in my opinion is just as important as doing an examination.

This aids me in understanding the patient's concerns and often helps both patient and clinician to be on the same page and is a great way in forming a mutually agreed decision, long are the days of doctor centered consultations! What I enjoy the most is not knowing what my next consultation will be, it is fast paced and often keeps me on my toes and I am always learning from my patients.

At the end of every consultation, I discuss my differential diagnosis which essentially means what I think may be going on, I request and discuss potential investigations which may be required or any medications which may be appropriate.

The last important factor in every consultation is signposting which is essentially reinforcing safety-net advice if symptoms were to change or worsen and what to be aware of, when to re-seek medical advice and if suitable I like to use this opportunity to reinforce lifestyle advice.

In between this, there are duties which are less visible but forms the crux of our day to day responsibilities and to be honest on busy days I can be doing this throughout lunch or long before my clinic has finished.

These tasks include medication reviews which can either be as simple as reissuing a repeat prescription or ensuring if certain medications need to be stopped if there's a drug interaction or side-effect or ensuring monitoring bloods on certain medications are up to date.

Other tasks include processing referrals which includes referral to hospital specialities or acting on hospital discharge letters which require tasks to be performed under the GP, the paperwork is often never ending. In addition, GPs have a key role in performing population health targets such as ensuring certain chronic disease targets are met such as controlling blood pressure targets, asthma reviews and diabetes reviews this often relies on our systems database for each practise and is performed annually.

Such cohorts of patient's need to be reviewed and assessed with potential titration of medication management to ensure we are managing chronic disease effectively. As well as this, I have an inbox full of test results which often requires follow up calls to discuss and further action depending on the clinical scenario. Vaccinations are performed at the surgery and has become busier with the recent covid-19 vaccination which has primarily been facilitated by your local GP practises.

Alongside of this, we are also conducting multidisciplinary meetings in providing closer community care for patients who are more vulnerable, housebound or require end of life care. The tasks are highly varied and being able to multitask all this and conducting 10 minute consultations can be challenging.

And on top of all this, as I am still a trainee I am ensuring I am meeting all my educational targets, debriefing and troubleshooting under my supervisor, revising for exams as well as teaching junior medical students.

I am very much learning on the job and in all honesty this continues after training with our annual mandatory appraisals and revalidations - it is just the nature of the job!