You never truly know how far a little kindness goes
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AS someone who has followed an alternative route into medicine, I’m keen to shed
some light on the diversity that exists across healthcare teams and how it can be
beneficial to everyone.
As a Physician Associate, or PA as we like to call ourselves, I graduated with a
degree in biomedical science before doing a Masters in PA Studies. That’s a fairly typical way in (an undergrad in any bioscience subject) but the Masters is also open to those who are already working as different registered healthcare professionals, including nurses.
Am I a doctor? Not exactly. But I can take patient histories, perform physical exams,
see patients and perform various procedures as well as advising on treatment in much the same way doctors do. There are only a couple of limitations, in that I cannot prescribe medication or refer people directly for x-rays. But I work closely with others, including advanced nurse practitioners, who can.
What I do have is a truck load of work and life experience.
Before the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, I was studying graduate medicine in Dnipro, Eastern Ukraine. I spent time working in Mechnikov Hospital, situated in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, which has served as the region’s leading tertiary care and trauma facility for wounded soldiers in the Crimea conflict. I saw shrapnel, landmine, gunshot injuries, and the long-term effects on some soldiers. The way we learnt medicine was structured very differently.
I have also been involved in various aspects of research, from autoimmune disease to Alzheimer’s avoidance, and have wide ranging experience in palliative care and alternative medicine.
I had always hoped to become a doctor, but my road to medicine wasn’t easy. Due to illness, I wasn’t able to finish secondary school, and had to be on academic probation during college. People asked me to set lower expectations so I worked from the ground up and I am grateful for all the help from colleagues who propelled me.
Whether busking on the city’s streets, or knee deep in onions at the pickle factory, to the 16-year-old me who started on a stroke rehab ward, if I had any advice it would be this:
‘No job is too small, no person insignificant, so do everything with joy in your heart because you never truly know how far a little kindness goes.’
I am proud to be a qualified PA working neonates, as part of the team at Aberdeen
Maternity Hospital. As healthcare professionals, whether we’re helping to bring new
life into the world or providing end of life care, making sure families have all the
support they need is crucial. You’ve got to show love, compassion and empathy, and
the rest works.
Working at the neonatal unit is fascinating as the children are so different when they
reach what would have been their due date or ‘birth day’ as we call it. Seeing the
bonds develop between parents and children, the confidence parents gain, seeing
the babies smile, makes it all worth it.
As well as bringing previous experience, as PAs we can help to bring continuity to
teams who welcome new junior doctors every six months. The different backgrounds
PAs have bring strengths that can be useful across many different health and social
care settings.
In Scotland, the University of Aberdeen is currently the only university to the MSc in
Physician Associate Studies. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the course.
Find out more: MSc in Physician Associate Studies
Charlotte Watkins is a Physician Associate Intern in Neo Natology.
