Career Conversations

In this episode, Dr Heather Kennedy talks with Dr Amy Perkins about a career in Dermatology. Dr Perkins highlights what attracted her to the specialty, discusses her route to becoming a consultant, and gives advice for any medical students or resident doctors looking to develop their interest in the career. Dr Amy Perkins is a Consultant Dermatologist at NHS Forth Valley and Honorary Clinical Lect...

In this episode, Dr Marilena Giannoudi talks with Dr Toby Merriman about what it means to be the medical registrar. Based on research during his Masters in Medical Education, Dr Merriman discusses the different ways that people cope with being the medical registrar and some of the benefits of this difficult but rewarding position. Dr Toby Merriman is an Acute Medicine Registrar working in NHS Loth...

In this episode Dr Marilena Giannoudi talks to Dr Clare Bostock about the important topic of work-life balance. Dr Bostock also discusses the concept of hyper-doing and shares advice gathered from their own experiences on when to recognise hyper-doing and reclaim the balance between the personal and the professional. Dr Clare Bostock is a Consultant Geriatrician in Aberdeen. Outside work, she enjo...

Dr Katherine Ralston (Consultant Physician and Geriatrician) joins Aoife Duignan (RCPE Trainees and Members' Committee) to discuss preparing to finish training and achieving your certificate of completion of training. Dr Kat Ralston is a Geriatrician working in West Lothian. Dr Aoife Duignan is Co-Chair of the Trainees & Members' Committee (T&MC) of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and...

This is a co-release with our sister podcast, Clinical Conversations. In this episode, Dr Marilena Giannoudi talks with Dr Manav Sharma about the specialty, Aerospace Medicine. They discuss the pathways which lead to the specialty and some interesting cases. Dr Manav Dutt Sharma is an aerospace medicine physician, former Indian Air Force flight surgeon and human factors specialist with over 23 yea...

In this updated episode of Career Conversations, Dr Gabrielle Woodward-Smith discusses their experience of applying for Internal Medicine Training (IMT) using the Oriel system with Dr Marilena Giannoudi, and Dr Emma Spencer highlights important changes in the application process. -- Useful Links -- https://www.oriel.nhs.uk/Web https://www.imtrecruitment.org.uk/ https://www.thefederation.uk/trainin...

During SAS Week 2025, join us for a conversation about SAS doctors: an alternative to traditional training. Dr Marilena Giannoudi (RCPE T&MC Podcast Lead) is joined by Dr Libby Crawford, a SAS Doctor in Newcastle and RCPE's SAS Doctor Lead, and Dr Sue Pound (RCPE Vice President) who discuss the career option of being a SAS doctor and how RCPE can support you. You can contact Dr Crawford by emailin...

In this episode, Dr Marilena Giannoudi speaks with Dr Hannah Preston about their article on less than full time working as a trainee doctor. They discuss the results of the study as well as some of the barriers that still exist for trainees wishing to work less than full time. Dr Hannah Preston a Renal Registrar in South East Scotland, currently undertaking a clinical PhD in manganese enhanced MRI...

In this episode, Dr Marilena Giannoudi talks with Dr Rebecca Sagar about a career in Diabetes and Endocrinology. Dr Sagar highlights the benefits of following this career path, discusses how she got into the specialty and provides advice for those who are interested in it. Dr Rebecca Sagar currently works as an NIHR Clinical Lecturer and SpR in Endocrinology at the University of Leeds and Leeds Te...

In this episode, Dr Kirsty Crowe and Dr Aoife Duignan delve into the challenges and rewards of becoming a parent while working in the medical field. They explore crucial topics such as navigating maternity and annual leave, breaking the news to your employer, and the logistics of returning to work. The discussion also covers the importance of keeping in touch days (KIT), understanding your rights...

This week, Dr Marilena Giannoudi focuses on the geriatric career path with Dr Kat Ralston. This episode covers the day-to-day as well as the advantages, challenges, and the pathway to this profession. Dr Ralston provides many resources to inform your journey into geriatric medicine and discusses a few interesting cases she has encountered. Dr Kat Ralston is a geriatric medicine registrar in Edinbu...

This is a co-release with our sister podcast, Clinical Conversations. In this episode, Dr Marilena Giannoudi speaks with Dr Neil Shepherd about remote and rural medicine. Dr Shepherd highlights the benefits as well as the challenges of working in remote and rural areas and some of the professional support in place for this career path. Dr Neil Shepherd considers himself to be a rural generalist. H...

In this episode, Dr Marilena Giannoudi discusses the career path in Genitourinary Medicine (GUM) with specialists Dr Sarah Schoeman and Dr Michael Ewens. This episode will give you insights on a typical week working in GUM, how to get into this field, what it takes to specialise in it and the many advantages of this rewarding profession. Dr Sarah Schoeman is a GUM Consultant in Leeds based at the...

This week, Dr Marilena Giannoudi discusses the field of gastroenterology with Dr Archie Coulter. Dr Coulter shares his personal journey into the specialty, his process for choosing gastroenterology and what his day-to-day life in the field entails. Dr Archibald Coulter is a gastroenterology registrar working in the South West of England and is also a member of the RCPE Trainees and Members’ Commit...

In this episode, Dr Marilena Giannoudi interviews cardiology registrar Dr Anda Bularga about a career path in cardiology. This discussion provides insights into a typical week in the field, the process of entering the profession, the requirements for specialisation and the numerous advantages of this rewarding career. Dr Anda Bularga is a Clinical Research Fellow at the BHF Centre for Cardiovascul...

In this episode, Dr Marilena Giannoudi interviews Dr Kirsty Crowe about her experience with the Scottish Clinical Leadership Fellowship. The discussion centres on the increasingly popular leadership fellow posts. Dr Giannoudi explores Dr Crowe's motivations for pursuing the fellowship and delves into the diverse experiences it entailed. Dr Crowe highlights the varied nature of the role, emphasisin...

Dr Emma Spencer speaks with Drs Aparna Potluru, Yasmin Nikookam and Olugbenga Alabi about their recent experiences sitting PACES23. They discuss preparing for the exam and provide some advice for exam day and the emotions of results day. Dr Olugbenga Alabi is an aspiring Neurologist, currently IMT 2 in Belfast Trust. Hailing from Nigeria, he obtained his medical degree from Olabisi Onabanjo Univer...

In this episode, Edward Foo speaks with Reagan Lee, an experienced teacher and student, about becoming a great educator while still a student. Reagan shares his insights and tips on effective teaching, drawing from his own experiences. Reagan Lee is a fifth-year medical student at the University of Edinburgh, and an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He has worked on integrating com...

In this episode, Edward Foo discusses the relevance and benefits of teaching as a medical student with Ian Lee from the University of Edinburgh. Mr Ian Lee is a Lecturer in Medical Education and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He works mainly on the University of Edinburgh's Clinical Educator Programme - a staff development, CPD programme supporting clinical educators in their devel...

This week Dr Natalie Farmer discusses their chosen specialty, Respiratory Medicine, with Dr Marilena Giannoudi. Topics in the episode include Dr Farmer's journey into the specialty and a case example highlighting the importance of multidisciplinary teamwork in treating respiratory patients. Dr Natalie Farmer is currently an ST6 Respiratory Registrar at Leeds Teaching Hospitals. Dr Farmer has a pas...

Dr Anda Bularga and Dr Aparna Potluru discuss PACES23 from an international medical graduate's perspective with Dr Joseph Zhao. Dr Zhao explains how cultural differences should be remembered and considered when taking the PACES23 exam. He also gives some helpful tips on how to prepare for the exam as well as discussing the overall candidate experience. Dr Joseph Zhao is an IMT2 doctor in the South...

In this re-release, Marilena Giannoudi discusses with Jivendra Gosai and Louise Mundy their experience of taking part in Out of Programme (OOP) opportunities, the variety of OOP opportunities available and how to get the most out of them. This episode was first released under RCPE's 'Clinical Conversations' podcast in September 2022. -- Follow us -- https://www.instagram.com/rcpedintrainees -- Upc...

In this episode, Dr Marilena Giannoudi discusses Trust Grade Jobs with Dr Vig Kandasamy, a Trust Grade Doctor. In England, Trust Grade Doctors are hired directly by an NHS Trust instead of Health Education England (HEE). Dr Vig Kandasamy is a junior doctor who completed his medical degree in Sheffield, and has trained in West Yorkshire since then. At the time of recording, he was working in Bradfo...

In this re-release, Jonathan Bardgett and Anda Bularga interview Matthew Watto and Paul Williams, founding members of the US Internal Medicine podcast ‘The Curbsiders’. The group compare the similarities and differences in medical training pathways within the United States and United Kingdom and discuss their experiences of creating a medical podcast. This episode was first released under RCPE's '...

This episode Dr Marilena Giannoudi talks with Dr Jennifer Taylor about Acute Medicine. Dr Taylor explains why they chose Acute Medicine as their specialty, explains about Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) units and the skills needed to be a good acute medic. Dr Taylor is a current ST7 in Acute and General Internal Medicine working at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust in West Yorkshire....