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ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE
Elizaveta Skarga
In one of our recent MedSoc sessions, we
were extremely lucky to host five different
female medical specialists who work across
different fields of healthcare. Their talks made
it clear that, contrary to the commonly held
belief, modern healthcare is not based on
the work of doctors alone, but is built on
a complex network of specialists across a
variety of different fields.
Our speakers shared personal experiences
of undergoing long and demanding periods
of training, and also talked about sacrifices
they had made along the way. They spoke
about the difficulty of combining motherhood
with a career in medicine, about the physical
demands of being a doctor and about the
challenges of regular exams – in order
to provide the highest quality healthcare
possible, it is essential to stay up to date with
the latest developments.
However, having covered the challenging
aspects of the profession, our guests then
moved on to the bright side of being a
healthcare specialist. Among many things, they
stressed that all clinical jobs are very sociable
in their nature, as the quality of the care
delivered relies on effective collaboration.
Furthermore, in comparison to many other
professions, work in healthcare can have a
clear and immediate impact, which makes it
extremely rewarding.
This motivational yet realistic talk has only
strengthened my determination to pursue a
Women in Medicine
A Careers Department Event
career in Medicine. As I approach the end of a
two-year IB course in Higher Level Chemistry,
Biology and German, and Standard Level
English, Mathematics and History, I am hoping
to pursue my studies at the University of
British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
Having a particular interest in immunology,
infectious diseases and public health, I want to
dedicate my undergraduate studies to a Major
in Immunology and Microbiology and a Minor
in German. Subsequently, I am hoping to
enroll into a Canadian Medical School.
In February, five leading female medics from the John Radcliffe
Hospital visited Teddies to share their stories and experiences of
working in science. Pupils met Gemma Marsden, Biobank Ethics
Lead; Dr Lisa Browning, Consultant Pathologist; Pankaj Gupta
Roy, Consultant Breast Surgeon; Dr Clare Verrill, Senior Clinical
Lecturer in Pathology; and Jane Niederer, Lead Research Nurse.
Below, three pupils tell us what they found out.
From left to right: Deedee Koonnawarote, James George and Elizaveta Skarga
Deedee
Koonnawarote
I have always dreamt of studying Medicine
and going on to become a dermatologist.
At the talk, a number of interesting questions
were asked regarding the particular challenges
faced by women in Medicine, but despite the
challenges they described, all panel members
were very happy in their careers and felt that
they had achieved a good work/life balance.
The other important lesson I learned
was that it is never too late to start. Some
of these impressive women only discovered
their true love for Medicine late in their
academic years but they had the courage
and determination to change direction.
I have always imagined that studying and
working in Medicine would be harder for
women but listening to these motivational
women has inspired me to keep working
hard towards my goals. The main message
from the panel members was: it will be
complicated, and it will be challenging –
but it will be worth it in the end.
10
Elizaveta, who is in the Upper Sixth, was
previously at School No 1239 in Moscow.
Fifth Former Deedee was previously at
Maidwell Hall.