Representing psychiatry are Callum Cruickshank, Shashank Sivaji, Nicole Needham, Steven Birrell, Pujit Gandhi and Amy Mathews.
Callum Cruickshank
Callum is a Core Psychiatry trainee, currently in rehab psychiatry, and also works as a Clinical Fellow in Medicine of the Elderly Liaison to Neurosurgery.
He wants to be an old age psychiatrist with a bit of medical knowledge too! Outside of medicine, he is the founder and a trustee of the widening participation charity, You Can Be A Doctor.
Shashank Sivaji
CT3 Psychiatry, currently working in liaison psychiatry.
Qualified from St George’s, University of London medical school before moving to Edinburgh for FY1/FY2 in NHS Lothian, before a year out of training working in psychiatry in both New Zealand and back in NHS Lothian. Commenced core psychiatry training in August 2020, initially in NHS Fife before moving to NHS Lothian for subsequent posts.
Nicole Needham
Dr Nicole Needham is an ST4 in general adult psychiatry in Southeast Scotland. She has a strong focus on teaching, and improving the quality of patient care and staff wellbeing.
She is actively involved in research, currently coordinating ‘A pilot study of the ketogenic diet in bipolar disorder’ and has a strong interest in researching the underlying aetiology and therapeutic mechanisms in bipolar disorder. She is first author on the study ‘The acceptability and feasibility of sexual health assessment in psychiatry patients’, another area of interest.
Dr Needham graduated in medicine in 2015 from the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry and completed an intercalated BSc honour in Biosciences at the University of Exeter. She is a diplomate of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health and has completed a master’s module in health data science at the University of Edinburgh.
Steven Birrell
I have been a consultant psychiatrist within NHS Fife for over seven years. Initially, I worked in general adult psychiatry, providing care and treatment to working age adults with a broad range of mental disorders, on both an inpatient and outpatient basis. Last June, I moved to a different role, working in liaison psychiatry, which is a sub-specialty responsible for the assessment and management of psychiatric issues arising alongside physical ill health within the acute /general hospital.
I have an interest in medical education, and have been involved as both an author and faculty advisor of the past two editions of Crash Course: Psychiatry. I am also co-faculty advisor for the 6th edition, which will likely be published in early 2024. I am also an examiner for RCPsych.
Part of my day-to-day role involves oversight of the training of junior doctors, as well as teaching medical students whilst they are in placement with our team. This interfaces with one of my other interests, which is doctors’ mental health. In addition, I spend a day per week working outside the NHS as an independent medico-legal expert, providing psychiatric opinion for the court as an expert witness.
When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my children, hillwalking, reading, rugby, watching movies and box sets, playing and appreciating music, and going to gigs.
Pujit Gandhi
I am an international medical graduate, having completed medical school in India and later came to the UK, where I pursued training in psychiatry. I work as a consultant in general adult psychiatry in Fife and am the Training Programme Director for core training in Southeast Scotland region.
My other roles include being a teaching lead for Yr 5 medical students during their psychiatric placement in Fife. Additionally, I work with Bipolar Scotland, which is a national charity doing Q&A sessions at patient support groups. I also work closely with a charity which supports people with the genetic/neurogenerative condition that I have. Outside of medicine, I am interested in yoga and meditation, and in learning about the spiritual essence underlying the various religions of the world.
Amy Mathews
Dr Amy Mathews works as a specialty doctor in psychiatry in NHS Fife after having completed core psychiatry training in SE Scotland. She graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2016 and has spent time working in both Northern Ireland and Scotland.
She enjoys quality improvement and has presented several projects both at RCPsych International Congress and the Faculty of General Adult Psychiatry conference. She has also participated in research and is second author on a paper entitled ‘The acceptability and feasibility of sexual health assessment in psychiatry patients’.
Outside of work, she enjoys travelling and running and is training for her first marathon this year.
