{"id":5535,"date":"2020-06-01T12:55:45","date_gmt":"2020-06-01T12:55:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/?p=5535"},"modified":"2020-06-04T16:50:46","modified_gmt":"2020-06-04T16:50:46","slug":"stepping-up-for-the-nhs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2020\/06\/01\/stepping-up-for-the-nhs\/","title":{"rendered":"Stepping Up For The NHS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When COVID-19 disrupted Dr James Cutlan’s medical degree, he seized the opportunity to start working early for the NHS and join the fight against the pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n

James tells CONNECTED how he made the transition from economics<\/a> at Reading, to a junior doctor working on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic, and where his motivation stems from.<\/p>\n

Combining economics and medicine <\/strong><\/h4>\n

James has always had an interest in both economics and medicine and hopes to combine his two passions in his career. He tells CONNECTED why he chose to study economics at the University of Reading.<\/p>\n

\"\"He said: \u201cI studied A-level economics during the 2007-08 financial crisis which meant everything I was learning in the classroom I could directly relate to the world around me. As a result, I decided to pursue an economics degree to further my understanding of both macro and microeconomics. I was attracted to Reading for two main reasons.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne reason was the location \u2013 it was not too far from my home in Cardiff, but was also close enough to London for great employability. The other was the choice and variety of optional modules \u2013 the economics course at Reading enabled me to explore areas such as financial accounting, econometrics and climate change. It also incorporated both medicine and economics through modules in public economics including health economics and an excellent module in the history of economic thought.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI really enjoyed my time at Reading and the Department of Economics was fantastic. I threw myself into university life becoming President of the Economics Society, working open days, and developing long-lasting relationships with course mates and my tutors.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Despite thoroughly enjoying his studies at Reading, James never forgot his passion for medicine and incorporated this where he could.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cThe optional modules I studied continued to fuel my interest in medicine, as did my time spent volunteering at the Royal Berkshire Hospital where I had the opportunity to talk to patients about their healthcare journeys in the setting of a large hospital. My personal tutor also helped me pursue my interest in medicine \u2013 we discussed what the transition in studies would be like and what skills I had developed at Reading that could help me as a medical student. He also provided my academic reference for my medical school application. He was an incredible support to me and we\u2019ve stayed in touch since.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really happy I studied economics at Reading before studying medicine at Queen\u2019s University Belfast. I believe that being a graduate gave me a great advantage \u2013 I had three years of self-directed study at Reading, of learning to live away from home and understanding how a university works. Economics equipped me with transferable skills such as essay writing, appraising peer reviewed studies and gave me a higher understanding of the statistical component of epidemiology which is something many medical students fear.<\/p>\n

\n

“Plus, my economics degree continues to make me think about the bigger picture in healthcare whilst always placing the patient at the centre of it. I really hope to use my two degrees together in my career.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Working to beat COVID-19<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The COVID-19 outbreak overhauled James\u2019 professional life very quickly. James tells us how he\u2019s seeing this as an opportunity and is pleased to be part of the effort to fight the pandemic.<\/p>\n

\"\"He said: \u201cDue to COVID-19 my final year assistantship \u2013 the final placement of medical school \u2013 was cut short by over a month and my graduation was brought forward by three months. In the last few weeks, I\u2019ve been granted my provisional registration with a licence to practise by the General Medical Council [GMC] and had my graduation and reading of the \u2018Medical Sponsio Academica\u2019 all via video call! Life has changed very quickly for all of us medical students.<\/p>\n

\u201cI already had my first job as a doctor in the Royal Glamorgan Hospital lined up to start in August 2020. However, many of the UK\u2019s newly qualified doctors have opted to work early in posts called \u2018Foundation Interim Year 1\u2019, which I started in May. This is a brand new job that\u2019s been created because of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI see graduating early as an opportunity \u2013 I personally feel a sense of national duty to use the skills I\u2019ve built up during my five years studying medicine, and three years studying economics at Reading, to help out as much as I can on the frontline. My job primarily focuses on reducing the pressure on the NHS by being an extra pair of hands to support my hospital colleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Despite his final placement being cut short, James feels prepared to go into the workforce. He tells CONNECTED:<\/p>\n

\u201cTowards the end of my studies I was trained in specific medical practices relating to COVID-19, things like how to put on [don] PPE and take off [doff] PPE. It\u2019s actually surprisingly complicated and high risk, so a great deal goes into educating healthcare professionals on how to do it safely. We were also taught on specific aspects of the virus, such as the pathophysiology of how COVID-19 affects the body, and the principles of managing patients who are acutely unwell. I received a lot of help from my university and from healthcare professionals in hospital during placement.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI am grateful to have the opportunity to use my skills in hospital to help out as much as I can. I feel confident that I\u2019ve been trained in a way that I can keep myself and members of my team safe.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

“Many medical students I know have also jumped at the opportunity to help the NHS get through this challenging period. At times like these, we all have to help each other as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Proud to support the NHS<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The courage of junior doctors stepping up to help the NHS and the country in its hour of need is truly inspirational. James tells us where his motivation stems from.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cUltimately my motivation comes from my patients. I want to make a positive difference and get people back to their day to day lives.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

“Having the opportunity to care for people at their most vulnerable is a difficult but rewarding responsibility which I\u2019m extremely grateful to deliver. Everyone has been so supportive during the COVID-19 pandemic \u2013 it makes me feel proud to be a part of the NHS.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find out more<\/a> about how our Reading graduates are involved in the fight against COVID-19.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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James tells CONNECTED how he made the transition from economics at Reading, to a junior doctor working on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic, and where his motivation stems […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":170,"featured_media":5511,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[54,85,100,28,34,91],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nStepping Up For The NHS - Connected<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When COVID-19 disrupted Dr James Cutlan's medical degree, he seized the opportunity to join the fight against the pandemic.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2020\/06\/01\/stepping-up-for-the-nhs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Stepping Up For The NHS - 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