From a very young age I knew that I wanted to be a doctor, but I was aware that
training was no small commitment. In order to succeed, I felt it was a good
idea to get a taste of the 'real medicine' before I applied to University. I
arranged work experience and voluntary work in hospitals, and it soon became
apparent that a career in medicine had been glamorised by TV programmes such as
Casualty, Scrubs, House and ER! However, this didn't put me off. The excitement
of being at the forefront of medical intervention whilst working with people
was an opportunity too great to pass up, and I was fortunate enough to be
offered a place at The University of Sheffield.
One of the first placements I did on my course was in A&E and, despite exploring
other specialities, this is still my favourite. I wish to pursue a career in
emergency medicine and to achieve this I have taken many steps. Firstly, I joined the Acute Care and
Trauma Society (ACTSoc) which holds regular training sessions on managing the
acute emergency patient through Sim Man Simulation Sessions. I'm attending the
Oxford Trauma Conference where I will learn lots of new practical skills, like
managing blast injuries, and inserting emergency airways. I have also joined
the Wilderness Medicine Society, as this opens a door into Search and Rescue
opportunities.
I am now in my fourth year of study and I have opted to take a
year out of the core medical course. This year I am doing research into
emergency medicine, specifically the management of patients with acute
abdominal pain, for which I will get an extra degree upon completion. I am working
for the first ever female Professor of Emergency Medicine and she is extremely
helpful in guiding me along the way in pursuing this line of medicine as a
career.
In the future, I plan to do an 8 week placement abroad in an ER department, and
I am going to go for a committee position for ACTSoc. I will continue to build
my CV and hopefully will one day qualify as an ER doctor. There is always
something extra you can do to achieve your goals when in medical training. The
key is to spot these opportunities and grab hold of them!
Chris (Student Ambassador for Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health)
Careers Service
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment