Break the bias – International Women’s Day 2022

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Student Doctor and President of SNOGS Priyanka Sharma

This International Women’s Day, we're celebrating the incredible women who make the School of Medicine such an inspiring place to study and work. This year’s theme is all about celebrate women's achievements, as well as raising awareness against bias and taking action for equality.

Imagine a gender equal world. 
A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. 
A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. 
A world where difference is valued and celebrated. 
Together we can forge women's equality. 
Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias

Through the stories of just a handful of the incredible women who make up our School community as educators, leaders, professional services roles or student doctors, you'll be inspired by their impressive achievements and the goals they have their sights on next.

“As Dean of Liverpool School of Medicine, I enable the transition of wonderfully talented individuals into the equally talented doctors of tomorrow.

I am incredibly proud of being a doctor and aim to always make a difference, however small.

The highest quality of medical practice and medical science is never more important to the world than now.

It is a tremendous privilege to work with those who will lead the future battle against despair and disease."

— Professor Hazel Scott, Dean of Liverpool School of Medicine and Consultant Physician in Respiratory Medicine 

(L-R) Nicola Eardley, Hazel Scott, Victoria Tippett

“I am very proud of getting into medical school because it entailed great effort of resilience and persistence.  As a mature student from a foreign country and being the first generation in my family to reach higher education, I have come across numerous challenges throughout my life that I faced in ingenious ways.

I came to England nearly five years ago on my own, against everyone’s advice, hardly speaking any English and with just £700 in my pocket.

Driven by my fanciful mind, passion and eagerness to pursue a medical degree in a foreign country which is world-renowned for having significant contribution to the world’s population, I am now a step closer to my greatest ambition of contributing to society.

I am devoted to limb reconstruction, and I am strongly passionate about clinical research and academic surgery. Therefore, my greatest ambition is to improve people’s lives through the discovery of new techniques in biochemistry and tissue engineering that can be applied in a creative manner in the operating room.”

— Lidia Núñez Jaramillo, Year One Student Doctor and Course Representative

“I work with Educational Supervisors in the Hospitals, Academic Advisors, Year Directors and basically anyone else you can think of to make sure that the E-portfolio runs smoothly for students.

The E-portfolio is an essential part of a student’s progress, helping them to record experiences on clinical placement, which in turn helps them to grow as a student doctor to equip them to the best of their ability before they graduate. I love my role really enjoy helping students to achieve their goals.

Thinking of my own goals and achievements, I am always so proud that I managed to get my Master's in History, as well as all of the teaching I have done in schools in India, Sri Lanka and South Africa.

My greatest ambition is to go back to University to get my PhD. Dr Faye Sharpe has a really nice ring to it!

— Faye Sharpe, E-portfolio Administrator 

“I treat patients who have bowel problems, including cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. As a consultant surgeon, I perform surgery, endoscopy and see patients on the wards and in clinics. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to use my knowledge and skills to treat patients and hopefully make them feel better along the way.

Outside of work my family make me happy. I am lucky enough to have 2 daughters who make me very proud and who make me laugh all the time. They have definitely been brought up to question bias, stereotypes and discrimination!

I am most proud of having ended up where I am now, as a consultant surgeon, having been the first person in my family to have gone to university.

My greatest ambition is to continue to have the opportunity to bring about benefits to patient care.”

— Nicola Eardley, Consultant General, Colorectal Surgeon and Clinical Subdean at Countess of Chester Hospital

(L-R) Meera Shankar and Jess King

“I have tried to mould the role of Women’s Representative around societal issues meaningful to myself. My primary goal within the Liverpool Medical Students Society (LMSS) is to provide a safe and supportive network, approachable for all students

I hope to reduce the stigma surrounding male-dominated specialities and encourage more equalised opportunities for women in these areas, free from predisposed gender bias.

My greatest ambition is to be completely and unconditionally happy within me. It is a great challenge to identify negativity and another to detach it. Discovering your self-worth, inner drive, purpose, and self-actualisation releases you from the confines of others’ opinions. Truly loving and trusting yourself within creates unspoken confidence and solidifies decision making.

Realising and accepting that life has no set timeline, you are EXACTLY where you are supposed to be right now. There is no such thing as being behind or ahead. Whatever you want to achieve, whether in one month or ten years, you will achieve it.  

Just enjoy where you are now; things take time.”

— Charlotte Lax, Year Three Student Doctor and LMSS Women’s Representative

“The pandemic has proven once again how important our doctors and med students are to the British public, I could not be more proud of everything our students are achieving. I’m delighted to be able to support the students in an assortment of ways, there is no day quite the same when you’re responsible for 340+ student doctors! I create their schedules, organise lectures and group teaching, take attendance, look after their wellbeing, organise placement weeks and everything else in between.

I finished my Classical Civilisations and Egyptology degree with a first and a first-class dissertation, during the pandemic, whilst living abroad."

My greatest ambition is to do a second degree in law and become a human rights lawyer.

— Charlotte Wylie, Year 2 Professional Services Lead

“I applied to medicine because I wanted to create and be a part of lasting change in the medical field. We've come a long way since the first registered female doctor in 1858, but there is still a way to go to achieve true equality.

I'm hopeful that the current generation of doctors will be able to bring about these changes, celebrate and value diversity and eliminate harmful stereotypes.

I'm most proud of winning the School of Medicine art competition last year with a piece I painted in memory of my great grandmother's struggle with Alzheimer's. I wanted the piece to showcase the emotional turmoil of the disease to educate others on the patient experience.

My greatest ambition is to become a psychiatrist and support patients emotionally through really difficult times. Resources in the mental health field are severely lacking and I want to be a part of championing wellness and allocating equal weighting to our mental and physical health resources.”

— Jess King, Year Three Student Doctor and hopeful future psychiatrist

(L-R) Charlotte Wylie, Faye Sharpe, Ellie Cawley

“I get to work with patients from a huge range of backgrounds and ages, with a range of different conditions, from those that we can treat well and cure, to those that patients will have to live with for many years as a chronic condition, and those which will mean the end of their life.

I find it really rewarding to be able to talk people through what is happening, to explain to them in a way that is hopefully understandable and yet gives them the amount of information they want at that particular point, and getting that right for patients and their families."

I am most proud of picking myself up, dusting myself off and reapplying to medical school after I missed my offer grades first time around.

— Dr Victoria Tippett, Director of Educator Development and Consultant Respiratory Physician

“Our work as a student society is so important. It was Liverpool Student Neonatal Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society (SNOGS) that sparked my curiosity into women’s health and has fuelled my passion for it ever since. I am so proud to have been a member since 2016. I began as a volunteer, went on to represent my year group as third year rep, eventually supported as secretary, and now strengthened the society as president.

Participating in the society alongside my studies, has meant that I have been able to experience and witness the invaluable impact SNOGS has on students, and the wider community.

Whether it be personal development, such as creating a safe space for students and healthcare professionals alike to have honest conversations about prominent women’s healthcare issues, or professional development, having industry experts host workshops for students - SNOGS provides opportunities to achieve both.

My biggest ambition is to qualify as the first doctor in my family! I want to be able to help others and give back in the same way that healthcare professionals have helped me at various stages in my life”

— Priyanka Sharma, Year Four Student Doctor and President of SNOGS

“My role at the School of Medicine is everything related to risk, from protecting colleagues and students to making sure anything risk related is under control. I work with all students, School and Trust staff, which you can imagine has been very COVID-19 focused and has kept me busy! My role helps make sure the day to day running of the School is not interrupted by risk.

One of my biggest accomplishments was passing my driving test – you may laugh but it took me close to 6 years to pass!

I was also once voted citizen of the year!

It was back in 2010, when I was still in secondary school, I won for always going out of my way to help people.”

— Ellie Cawley, Risk and Operational Administrator

(L-R) Charlotte Lax, Lidia Núñez Jaramillo, Priyanka Sharma

“As an international student who moved to the United Kingdom for medical school, I had to learn very quickly how to be self-sufficient and responsible for the first time in my life.

My mother has been my greatest source of inspiration throughout my life. She has been a lifelong friend and inspires me to be extraordinary in everything I do. I am grateful to have her by my side and help me become a better version of myself every day.

Alongside my studies, I have worked on several research projects and presented these at international conferences. One project analysed the experiences and attitudes of women in surgery and was particularly close to my heart.

As an aspiring surgeon myself, I was keen to investigate the potential barriers and challenges women face while pursuing a career in surgery.

My dream is to one day initiate an outreach programme to perform free reconstructive and corrective surgeries for the underprivileged in rural communities in India.”

— Meera Shankar, Year Two Student Doctor 

“I work with students to support them in a variety of areas, anything from personal problems, exam stress, relationship management… there is no problem too small or too big! It’s really important that student doctors can access someone they can talk too. It’s a challenging course academically, intellectually and emotionally, plus everyone has their own family, friends and other things to manage.

Being awarded my PhD is up there in terms of my accomplishments.

I failed my 11+ so never thought I’d be capable of anything beyond GCSE’s when I was younger.< I would love to plaster a wall by myself or visit Japan – my greatest ambition varies day to day in all honesty!”

— Jayne Garner, Wellbeing Academic and Lecturer

Jayne Garner and family

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