Wednesday 24 Sep 2014
F2 doctor, 24, Omagh, Northern Ireland
Designated department – A&E
Suzi, 24, is the first to admit she's not your stereotypical doctor. In fact, she is a self-confessed girly girl who loves the colour pink – she's even invested in a pink stethoscope and loves getting dressed up to go out on the town with girlfriends.
She plays the clarinet and, in fact, Suzi's earliest ambition, back home in Omagh, was to be a professional classical singer – which isn't surprising as her mum is an accompanist and her dad trained as a professional singer.
At 14, she was told her voice wasn't up to scratch and opted for medicine instead. Suzi's really got her work cut out joining a new hospital (she transferred from Leeds) and she is straight in at the deep-end on rotation in A&E, where F2s make up the most junior members of the team in what is the most hectic part of the hospital.
She will be expected to make quick but crucial decisions and, if she qualifies, Suzi plans to travel to Africa, where she has set her sights on working as a doctor.
Why did you want to get into medicine?
I've always loved science – I've always loved talking. I've always been kind and generous, so it was an obvious thing.
What are the best and worst things about being a junior doctor?
The times that people ask you what you do, and you say: 'I'm a doctor' and they look so surprised! And it's that feeling of I have a job that everyone thinks is a massive deal. It's a massive deal to me being a doctor as I'm the first doctor in my family ever.
The worst thing is that it can be quite anti-social – it's hard not always having weekends free.
What would you either like to see a cure for or be credited for a cure with in your career?
Alzheimers. My dad's dad had that and just seeing what relatives go through made me feel passionate about it.
What do you think of medical dramas?
I'll sit at home watching Casualty with my mum and dad and say: 'That isn't how you do CPR, that's never going to work, that could never have brought them back...'
My parents are like: 'Will you just be quiet so we can just watch it?!'
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