Doctors at Work

Send us a text

International medical graduates form a large proportion of our workforce, with many working in SAS (specialty and specialist) or locally-employed roles. In this episode, Nitin and I discuss the challenges faced by international medical graduates, we talk about racism, and he tells me about the importance of nationally agreed contracts. All of us need to be open to diversity, and be aware of the prejudices and assumptions that we all inevitably hold. Talent doesn't come with a British accent! A number of national initiative are taking place to better support international medical graduates and SAS and locally-employed doctors, and each one of us can also look at what we can do in our immediate environment. The charter for locally-employed doctors in the UK NHS can be accesses here.

Nitin Shrotri is a Consultant Urologist, who was awarded the BAUS Gold Medal for 2022, and has recently been appointed as Visiting Professor at the Institute of Medicine at the University of Bolton and also as Vice Chair at the Centre for Race Equality in Medicine. Before this he was BMA UK Council member between 2020-22 and a member of the GMC BME Forum last year. You can connect with Nitin on LinkedIn, and read his writings at nitinshrotri.com.

You can also watch at www.youtube.com/@dr-coach/videos
Production: Shot by Polachek

Send us a text

It seems odd to say that vulnerability at work could be a good thing, but in this episode Natalia outlines several reasons why showing your vulnerability at work could be a good thing. When one person is willing to admit that they are not at their best, this allows other members to share too, and this ultimately creates a team that cares more for each other. We talk a lot about learning cultures, but if we pretend to be perfect all the time, then the opportunities for learning aren't allowed to exist. And when you are not at your best, sharing this with others will help them decide how to get the best out of you on a given day, and would avoid misunderstandings that a short fuse might create.

Natalia writes: I'm a Spaniard who has called London home for over two decades. My eclectic professional journey has whisked me through the realms of entertainment, hospitality, and cybersecurity. With a Certified Customer Experience Professional and Project Management Agile certifications under my belt, I've had the honour of leading global, multicultural, and diverse teams—up to 40 members strong.

Throughout my 15-year tenure in customer-facing roles, I've been committed to nurturing both individual growth and team development, always aligning personal goals with business objectives.

My career trajectory has been a steep climb, leading me to the senior leadership team of a cybersecurity company. With experience in both B2B and B2C sectors, I have navigated companies through complex changes including acquisitions, mergers, rebranding, and restructuring—basically, if it involves change management, I've done it.

Committed to professional excellence, I hold a Level 7 Certificate for Executive and Senior Level Coaches and Mentors from the Institute of Leadership and Management. I'm also a member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.

I've battled anxiety, taken purposeful career breaks, and never shied away from redefining my professional path. These experiences have not only made me a lifelong learner but also a leader focused on resilience and adaptability. I believe in a non-hierarchical, action-oriented approach to leadership. Throughout my career, I have been particularly effective in male-dominated environments and have always been a proactive challenger of imposter syndrome.

You can find Natalia at https://nataliacerezo.com, on LinkedIn, and at  https://linktr.ee/coaching_with_natalia.

You can also watch at https://www.youtube.com/@dr-coach/videos
Production: Shot by Polachek.

Send us a text

How do you deal with your inner critic? In this episode, Natalia tells me that the inner critic is a sign that there is a need for growth. It's important that we don't get bullied by it, and I love her suggestion of taking thoughts to court and examining factual evidence. Her tips for dealing with the inner critic are to identify it, accept it, and then convert it into a force for growth.

Natalia writes: I'm a Spaniard who has called London home for over two decades. My eclectic professional journey has whisked me through the realms of entertainment, hospitality, and cybersecurity. With a Certified Customer Experience Professional and Project Management Agile certifications under my belt, I've had the honour of leading global, multicultural, and diverse teams—up to 40 members strong.

Throughout my 15-year tenure in customer-facing roles, I've been committed to nurturing both individual growth and team development, always aligning personal goals with business objectives.

My career trajectory has been a steep climb, leading me to the senior leadership team of a cybersecurity company. With experience in both B2B and B2C sectors, I have navigated companies through complex changes including acquisitions, mergers, rebranding, and restructuring—basically, if it involves change management, I've done it.

Committed to professional excellence, I hold a Level 7 Certificate for Executive and Senior Level Coaches and Mentors from the Institute of Leadership and Management. I'm also a member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.

I've battled anxiety, taken purposeful career breaks, and never shied away from redefining my professional path. These experiences have not only made me a lifelong learner but also a leader focused on resilience and adaptability. I believe in a non-hierarchical, action-oriented approach to leadership. Throughout my career, I have been particularly effective in male-dominated environments and have always been a proactive challenger of imposter syndrome.

You can find Natalia at https://nataliacerezo.com, on LinkedIn, and at  https://linktr.ee/coaching_with_natalia.

You can also watch at https://www.youtube.com/@dr-coach/videos
Production: Shot by Polachek.

Send us a text

When you start working as a doctor, a myriad of different options are on offer. Ellen is a foundation doctor, and in this episode she tells me that it can be useful to plan both short term and long term career steps. Even if you think you know what you want to do, it still pays to keep your mind open and build generic capabilities and achievements. It's also important to consider how work fits into the rest of your life. And I love her view that leadership roles roles enable her to make a difference.

Dr Ellen Nelson-Rowe is a junior doctor on a specialised foundation programme for Medical Education based in East Midlands. Her career passions are surgery, medical education and leadership which her dream is to combine all in a portfolio career. She also has a keen interest in communications and continues to balance leadership roles alongside her foundation training. Some of the organisations she is currently involved with include The Healthcare Leadership Academy, Melanin Medics and SFO ENT UK. She is passionate about her faith and ensures to prioritise church and life around the demands of F1.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellennelsonrowe/
Twitter: https://x.com/ellennelsonrowe/

You can also watch on www.youtube.com/@dr-coach/videos.
Production: shot by polachek

Send us a text

Catherine started her career in hospital medicine, but then moved into General Practice, and now combines GP work with family life and running her company Iyasu Medical Bags. In this episode we discuss her early career decision-making, and she tells me the importance of being true to yourself and doing the career that is right for you. Many of us want to do lots of different things, and that can be done but perhaps not all at the same time! I love the story of Iyasu bags, from spotting a problem to a product that is now on the market and also supports women's empowerment initiatives.

My name is Catherine Fernando and I am GP, mother of 4, and Founder of IYASU, a company that makes eco-friendly medical bags. I work part time in General Practice (2 days per week) in Haddington, near Edinburgh, and the rest of my time is dedicated to caring form my family and running my business. 

My career path has been quite varied but everything I’ve done has given me valuable skills and experience to bring to my role. After completing my PRHO rotation in Medicine, Surgery and Critical Care I did 2 years of core medical training and passed the MRCP exam. I was given a national training number in Rheumatology but resigned from my post after 15 months as I was unhappy in the department. This was a difficult time for me as I felt I had lost my direction in life. I decided to pursue a career in General Practice and managed to secure a training post. I did Paediatrics and Gynaecology, then became a GP Registrar. Along the way I worked in Medicine for the Elderly, Hospital at Home, Sexual Health Clinics and completed all kinds of Diplomas. I am married to another GP and we have 4 children. I love teaching and am now involved in the GPST training programme, teaching Dermatology. I also teach medical students, FY2s and GP trainees at our practice.

How IYASU was born. Upon looking for a doctor’s bag for work I couldn’t really find any that I liked. I noticed that all the designs were very masculine. I looked everywhere (online) and I asked other female GPs what they used as their doctor’s bag. They were using camera bags, nappy bags, designer handbags, gym bags etc. It seemed like there was a bit of a gap in this niche market. The gladstone bag (traditional, iconic GP bag) was designed 150 years ago when only men were allowed to go to medical school and practice as doctors). Now over 50% of medical students are female and women outnumber men in General Practice. I wondered why the accessories for medics hadn’t changed to reflect the changing demographic. I started making sketches and took my designs to Business Gateway (there is a local Business Gateway Office for almost everyone in the UK) who received my ideas with enthusiasm and supported me to develop them further. IYASU (which means “to heal” in Japanese) took around 3-4 years of development prior to launch in March 2023.

IYASU produces 6 styles of Medical Bags in various colours. They contain multiple bespoke pockets for medical equipment and are made from recycled materials – predominantly recycled plastic bottles. They are named after pioneering female doctors and designed for modern female healthcare workers (doctors, nurses, pharmacists – anyone who does home visits – an hospital doctors if they perhaps have their own equipment to take between NHS and private centres). IYASU gives back to charities that support girls’ education worldwide. We’re currently supporting the AKAYA foundation – founded by Dr Khadija Owusu –We’ve also donated to Diabetes charities and Kidney research.

I’m super passionate and enthusiastic about my medical career and my business. I believe that portfolio careers build our strength and personal growth. I would never want to give up being a doctor as it is my vocation and I have trained so hard. I find enormous

Send us a text

In this episode, Lorraine tells me about her career journey into oculoplastic surgery. She describes the types of patients she sees and the procedures she performs, and shares both challenges and her most satisfying moments. Her career tips are to work hard and be nice to people, which is a good tip for whatever specialty one works in.

You can also watch on www.youtube.com/@dr-coach/videos.
Production: Shot by Polachek

Send us a text

Starting work as a doctor much be one of the most stressful career transitions. In this episode, Ellen advises others to be ready for the significant jump in responsibility, and to recognise that they have a large body of knowledge to call on. Self-care is important too, both for short term stress management as well as for long term career longevity. And whilst the focus may be on the clinical job, doctors also need to remember the importance of learning, portfolio building, and longer term career planning.

Dr Ellen Nelson-Rowe is a junior doctor on a specialised foundation programme for Medical Education based in East Midlands. Her career passions are surgery, medical education and leadership which her dream is to combine all in a portfolio career. She also has a keen interest in communications and continues to balance leadership roles alongside her foundation training. Some of the organisations she is currently involved with include The Healthcare Leadership Academy, Melanin Medics and SFO ENT UK. She is passionate about her faith and ensures to prioritise church and life around the demands of F1.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellennelsonrowe/
Twitter: https://x.com/ellennelsonrowe/

You can also watch on www.youtube.com/@dr-coach/videos.
Production: Shot by Polachek

Send us a text

How can we improve the quality of professional and leadership communications at work? In this episode, Pietro tells me that hearing others and learning to hear are both skills that can be learnt and developed. It starts with a mindset focused on service, the others' needs, and common goals, and less on personal ego and agenda. Whilst being in one place a long time creates important institutional memory, there is an advantage to being an outsider too as this enables thinking and acting in a way that solves problems in a different way to what is "the usual" way of working. Having eyes open for opportunities to make a difference matters.

Dr Garbelli is a specialist in acute internal medicine, a clinical director, and a Thriving Healthcare consultant. Having witnessed and experienced inefficiencies, frustrations, and struggles as a patient, a relative, and a provider, he uses the lessons learned as a powerful catalyst to provide medical thought leadership. By fostering a successful collaboration between empowered physicians and healthcare stakeholders, he aims to contribute toward creating high-quality and sustainable healthcare. His book The Doctor’s Voice: Empowering Solutions to Physicians’ Frustrations, Burnout, and Healthcare Inefficiencies explores common sources of frustration with practical steps that can help medical professionals reclaim their lives and transform the healthcare field for the better.

You can find him at https://drgarbelli.com/, on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Threads, and Youtube. 

You can also watch on www.youtube.com/@dr-coach/videos.
Production: shot by polachek

Send us a text

We all see problems at work, but how can we change things for the better? In this episode, Gideon Johnson tells me that mindset is key. It starts with going into work with eyes open, and an attitude that looks for solutions rather than just dwelling on problems. You don't have to have it all worked out at the start, all ideas begin small, and talking to others will help you gage the interest and gather support; chances are that you'll discover that most other people will agree with you than something better is needed! Implementing change is often difficult, but a mindset focused on the bigger picture and on making a difference to others helps sustain you when faced with challenges to bringing your ideas to fruition. Supportive and enthusiastic colleagues help too, as does asking for help when you need it. And when it comes to navigating the complexity of large organisations, his tip us to align your ideas with organisational policies and missions.

Listen at https://matdaniel.net or watch on www.youtube.com/@dr-coach/videos

Gideon Johnson (He/Him) is a senior academic at Kings College London, boasting over a decade of diverse clinical experience spanning three continents. With a background as a senior nurse leader, practice educator, and senior specialist nurse clinician specialising in adult trauma Intensive Care Units and critical care, Gideon holds current, unencumbered practice licenses in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. His unwavering commitment to the nursing profession and the service of humanity is the driving force behind his remarkable career.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gideon-johnson-drccrn
Instagram: g.johnsondr

You can also watch on www.youtube.com/@dr-coach/videos.
Production: shot by polachek

Send us a text

Whereas traditional medical careers have involved staying in the same place until retirement, more and more doctors are embracing careers based on variety and mobility. In this episode, Daniel tells me about his own portfolio career that involves clinical work in different settings, as well as non-clinical work. He outlines that this gives him flexibility, variety, and learning opportunities, and each clinical career contributes to him being a better doctor in the other careers. The different careers meet different things that he desires in his work. He also outlines a mindset interested in growth and development, and the importance of taking up opportunities as they arise. Finally, we also discuss money. This may be a dirty topic for medics, but in our discussions we discover that actually financial (as well as physical and psychological) health is important if we are to give the best we can to our patients.

Listen at https://matdaniel.net or watch on www.youtube.com/@dr-coach/videos 

Daniel Lamp is an Australian doctor, who has a portfolio career spanning General Practice, Emergency, and telehealth medicine. Outside of medicine, he runs a podcast promoting the concept of financial health, as too often doctors are not taught personal finances and often don’t know where to start when it comes to investing. Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn, and check out his podcast ‘Passive Income Doctor’ at passiveincomedoctor.buzzsprout.com

You can also watch on www.youtube.com/@dr-coach/videos.
Production: shot by polachek