Hello, I’m Sonia and I am a senior tutor for Years 1-3 for student wellbeing in the medical school. I am quite new to the team as I only started my role last year but have long had an invested interest in student wellbeing.
An unusual path to medical school
An interesting fact about me is that I am Portuguese and in fact Portuguese is my first language. I started my higher education by doing a year of psychology but found that I wanted a more hands on practical job. So I did a BSC Hons in nursing, where I spent a year as an exchange student in Finland before finally embarking on a medical degree. I went to St Andrews University for my pre-clinical years, Manchester University for my clinical years and London for most of my postgraduate training that led me to become an acute medicine doctor.
After having my second kid I decided to take a break from clinical work and applied for a post as a teaching fellow in medical education at the University of Edinburgh. Here I first supported the undergraduate teaching and tutored a cohort of Canadian students. As part of my role I not only provided academic support but also professional mentorship and pastoral support. While in post, I volunteered as a professional mentor and got involved with the wellbeing team particularly with an emphasis to support underrepresented groups of students.
Getting involved in student wellbeing
My role as an academic allowed me to recognise and support students at risk of excess stress or burn out and gave me insight into educational barriers and reasonable adjustments. Being a clinician I have dealt with countless individuals with addictions or suffering from other medical problems that may require support through counselling, referral, advice or simply a listening ear. I have had counselling training to help individuals cope with personal and vicarious trauma and became invested in addressing health and wellbeing issues that students might face and play an active role in supporting them. So when a post opened to become a permanent member of the wellbeing team, this role seemed like the natural progression to achieve this. I applied and the rest is history.
Since being at the University of Edinburgh I have helped develop the active bystander workshops, pursued my interest in unconscious bias research and have been lucky to present both locally and internationally on the topic. I am a mentor in the BAME Staff Network, a year one guide, a professional mentor, part of the EDI innovation committee and the Edinburgh Medical School Race Equality and Anti-Racism Action Group.
Outside the university I am a Fellow of Advance Higher Education, a member of the Advance HE Steering group for Anti-Racism curriculum and a member of their Strategic Advisory Group for Equality Diversity and Inclusion.
On top of all that I work as an acute medicine doctor at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
Outside of work
You might think that I don’t have time to have a life outside work, but I do try to balance work with having 2 kids, a girl who just turned 7, a boy who is 3 and a husband who is not a medic (and hence can usually do the respective school and nursery pick-ups). I do spend the majority of my time outside work trying to entertain my kids. Both my kids love dinosaurs and I have memorised a whole alphabet of dinosaur names and visited most dinosaur themed places around.
I have also helped put on many in-house impromptu performances featuring our household as the cast (see photo)!
When I am not trying to entertain my kids I enjoy painting and drawing, although I am not all that good, so often resort to painting by numbers for most of my masterpieces!
We live just at the bottom of the Pentland hills so often go for walks around the area.
On a rainy day we sit and watch Disney movies. I have seen Encanto (non-voluntarily) about 10 times and the songs are constantly being chanted around my house!
I don’t have any pets but if you know of an indestructible, low maintenance, kid proof type of pet then do let me know because my daughter would love to own one.
My wellbeing and yours
I’ve been in a position where I personally struggled with both physical and mental health issues and now I am in the privileged position of being able to help others. I truly believe that in order to be a good health professional you need to look after your own wellbeing first and sometimes you need a helping hand along the way. If that is the case, then please come see us. It is not just my job but also my pleasure to help!
