Hannah Douglas and Theresa Peltz are two out of 221 of our final year medics who recently graduated early to support the NHS tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.
Along with many of their fellow new graduates, the pair volunteered to start their foundation years early and go straight onto the wards. After two weeks in their new roles as FiY1 (Foundation interim Year 1) doctors, Hannah and Theresa checked in with us to tell us about their experiences so far.
Life on the ward
Both now based at the Royal Infirmary, Hannah has been working on the renal wards, with Theresa on respiratory COVID.
For Hannah, the experience of coming to the ward earlier than planned and straight from university has been a steep learning curve but made much easier because “everyone has been very welcoming and happy to answer my hundreds of silly questions”.
“Thankfully, there has been plenty of time to get to grips with how the ward is run and also plenty of opportunity to get to know my colleagues too. There is a real sense of camaraderie in the NHS right now and it’s great to feel like part of the team” she says.
It all seemed a little daunting at first for Theresa too but her team have been similarly supportive.
“They have been great at offering me supervised opportunities to practice my clinical skills, and I feel much more confident already,” she says.
Theresa’s day to day jobs have included taking notes and documenting the ward round, calling other specialities for advice and ordering tests and investigations for the patients. Outside of clinical work, she has also been able to get involved with audit work and along with some fellow FiY1s, she’s currently collecting data about oxygen consumption on the various wards.
Hannah has been enjoying prescribing. She says: “A lot of the other tasks I am now undertaking I had already done bits of as a medical student. But doing my first independent prescription made it seem real that I actually am a doctor now.”
Outside of work
Hannah’s been feeling grateful to get out of the flat and go to work, allowing her to see and spend time with other people.
“To unwind after work, my flat mates and I are enjoying using my sister’s wee balcony to soak up the sunshine, doing yoga and Zoom workouts with my best friends from school and also baking and ordering in food from local restaurants,” she says.
For Theresa, when not at work, she’s been trying to get involved with ‘normal lock-down activities’ like Zoom calling friends, baking and going for runs around Edinburgh.
What’s next?
Currently, the plan for both is to remain in the FiY1 posts until early July, followed by a short break before officially starting foundation year training.
Theresa is staying in Edinburgh for her foundation years and is already feeling much more prepared for her start in August.
“It really helps being familiar with the normal routines on the ward, knowing where to find equipment and how to call different specialities, for example,” she says.
For the next few months, Hannah will be rotating between the three different wards that the renal team are responsible for. After this, like Theresa, she will be commencing her foundation year training.
“I’m excited for this and equally nervous too as this post so far has definitely been a nice stepping stone with lots of support around which there will be less of come August,” she says.
We look forward to hearing more from Theresa and Hannah as they continue their FiY1 experience and wish them all the very best of luck.
It’s so lovely to see these girls shine like we knew they could ❤️