Hi, I’m Vicki McCorkell. I think that there has always been a teacher in me somewhere. As the daughter of two teachers (one primary and one secondary maths) it was perhaps inevitable. Many a weekend as a 12 year old I could be found helping my mum make worksheets for her P1 class. Both super-patient ( my dad) and super-enthusiastic (my mum), my parents have inspired me in my roles as an educator both as a doctor and now, as a clinical skills facilitator.
Teaching had been a career that I had always considered but medicine was what interested me the most, and so I set my sights on applying to Edinburgh Medical School in the autumn of 1995. I grew up in Troon, Ayrshire, and attended the local secondary school where I would probably have been described as a ‘nice, quiet, hardworking pupil’. I was definitely not super-confident nor super-clever, but always had a determination and hard-working attitude – and this obviously stood me in good stead and I achieved the grades to gain entry into the 1996 Edinburgh Medical School first year cohort.
University life and medical school learning pace and workload was a tad overwhelming as a young, naïve 18 year old, but I grew to love it (well, most of it) and enjoyed the subjects. However, 55% in my first ever uni exam was not a good moment, was a total shock to the system and felt like a major failure. It soon became clear, however, that this was actually not too bad and my marks, although never amazing, got slightly better as I adjusted to a new way of learning. As someone who is very much a ‘joiner’ in life, I got involved in some societies and played hockey with the medics team – it seemed quite chilled, not too serious and a good laugh.
Some high points of medical school I’d like to share with you:
Passing first year exams, actually passing any exams.. peering at the notice board hoping to see your matriculation number or name; Medics Review (not a starring role but ‘joining in’ as ever and always at the back!); Nights out on a Thursday; half-way dinner; first day on the wards; delivering a baby; electives in Australia and New Zealand; passing finals; graduation.
Some lows too:
Biochemisty negatively marked MCQs(!!); feeling homesick as a first year; the sudden death of a fellow student in first year; feeling ‘not good enough’ at many points and worrying about failing an exam…
But, the years passed, my confidence grew and I definitely felt more able and at ease during my clinical years , especially in certain specialities (Obs & Gynae, Psychiatry, GP). And so after graduation and JHO jobs in Edinburgh and Fife, I started GP training on the Fife GPVTS scheme. Three years later after CCTing, I got a position as a full time partner at my training practice – a great decision, although it felt very scary at the time and not what I had intended as early in my career.
So, I got married, was working as a GP in a job I loved with a great team of colleagues, moved out of the city to a cul-de-sac in a small town, had two wee boys and worked part-time. So far things were, in a lot of ways, following a very predictable but happy path for me, and one which I had probably predicted from about the age of 16. And then, in 2014, a major life event threw me off the hamster wheel of life as a busy working mum. After having much time to reflect on what I wanted out of my life during my physical recovery from a major illness, I decided to leave GP land and have a career break.
A big decision.. but one which eventually lead me back to Edinburgh Medical School when a job opportunity in a medical education role arose a few years later. During my career break I volunteered at a local primary school (channelling my inner frustrated primary school teacher self) and also ran a chess club at the school. I realised how much I loved being in an education environment and after visiting the Clinical Skills Centre back in September 2017, I felt very excited about the prospect of a job there.
And so, as they say – the rest is history! I work with a wonderful team in clinical skills and love the job – teaching a variety of practical clinical and resuscitation skills to amazing students. I do miss clinical medicine and am planning a return to General Practice very soon. Being able to work in both GP and Medical Education feels like I can have the best of both worlds and I feel very lucky.
So, it’s easy to say with hindsight, but if you ever feel like things are not going to plan or feel difficult, remember that there is usually always more than one way to achieve many things in your life and career.
