Dean's Update | February 2022
What a month! And I don’t just mean the weather, which in some ways has had its uses. Having finally accepted that some dresses were not going to fit post pandemic just because I wanted them to and that two years spent sitting in dawn to dusk Zoom calls was not good for body or soul, I thought I’d try a couch to 5K.
So the dog and I have gone for a ‘light jog’ instead of a walk (to be honest the dog was still walking). However, my Achilles tendon has been grateful for the storm induced respite. How humbling then to read of the fantastic sporting achievements this month: Alice Fortune’s half-marathons for charity (do support her) and Matthew Deehan’s selection for the best rugby side in the world (I expect full School support now we have a player!)
Then there was ‘Strictly’. You can imagine (fitness and Achilles issues as above) how pale I turned when a ‘Strictly’ message popped into my inbox. What a relief that I was only being asked to be a judge! And what a wonderful treat of a night it was. The skill, courage and sheer energy of the dancing was breathtaking, the band and singers were superb and the organisation flawless.
And to round it all off - graduations. It has been really emotional to meet again those of your colleagues who journeyed into the pandemic as professionals and who are only now having the chance to celebrate the achievement of their degrees.
Many of them are now thinking about their future careers in specialty training, and are able to draw on activity they had as a student to enhance their applications for this, whether through research, like Alastair, Aditya and Dan, or their demonstration of interest in a specialty, or leadership, through one of our many a societies noted by Thomas, or their research into their choices.
There are so many wonderful careers to consider and it is never too early to start gathering thoughts on which ones might suit, or to start building a portfolio to enhance one. I would strongly recommend booking into the Specialty Taster Evening events coming up in March, when so many of our specialty colleagues from the region will give you a taste of what life is like for them, building on the videos you can watch in advance, and address the questions you have.
And this is just February! I hope you are enjoying the year as much as I am. Thomas notes our emphasis in the course on reflection and I think it is only right, in the midst of our enjoyment, to spare a thought for our medical colleagues in Myanmar or what may face medical colleagues in Ukraine; to look at how we can support those fleeing conflict, and to give thanks for all the opportunities that we have to learn and find fun together.