South Asian heritage month: Nida’s Story

July 2021 – I can’t remember when I first knew I wanted to be a doctor when I grew up, but I do know that when other children were play-acting being knights or wizards, I was playing at being a doctor. I had an appointment book for my surgery, in which the names of my dolls were duly written next to allotted appointment times. I used to give them injections, and put bandages on them, the way I imagined doctors did.

Emergency Medicine Day 2021

Emergency Medicine Day is a global celebration of Emergency Medicine organised by EUSEM. This year is the fourth since its inception in 2018. It is an opportunity to bring together all those who work in Emergency Medicine and bring in policy and decision makers as well as the public to recognise Emergency Medicine and raise awareness.

Health inequalities: what can we do in Emergency Medicine?

May 2021 – Many of you will have heard me say we are the safety net of the patient but cannot be the safety net of the system. There has been general agreement with this sentiment but what does it mean in the current environment peri-pandemic? How much of a safety net are we and where and how was the system failing such that we do clinical (and non-clinical) care that should be managed elsewhere?

Why I am proud to lead the fight for gender equity in Emergency Medicine

March 2021 – Nine years ago, I was told by a senior male consultant colleague that I could not be a good clinician, an academic and a mum. At the time, I was halfway through a PhD and I was a parent to three girls. I wondered if the same comment would ever have been made to a friend of mine, who was similarly training, researching, and having children at the hospital down the road.

What do RCEM committees do? Introducing the RCEM PHEM Professional Advisory Group

Jan 2021 – RCEM as an organisation has a challenging job making sure that we keep up with the breadth of activity within our speciality, so that our function as a College can be fulfilled. We have some 52 committees, all of which undertake valuable work. This service is undertaken by professional and lay members, unpaid and often unrecognised, supported by our College staff.

Resilience and EM: Does resilience arise from adversity?

Guest blog, December 2020 – Recently I climbed Snowdon, the highest mountain in England and Wales. This was my first ever climb to the summit which is 1085 metres high. I had no clue of the tough terrain when I geared up in excitement. It was an absolute adventure for a novice like me scaling on the steep rugged Pyg track, in adverse conditions with blustery weather, pouring rain and poor visibility.