Student Spotlights pass the mic to our student doctors, to hear their take on their School experience and shine a light on a particular role, team or pathway through the School of Medicine.
Dr Emily Kelly graduated from Liverpool this July and is now based at Macclesfield District General hospital as an F1. She recently won the Spirit of Liverpool School of Medicine Prize for her resilience, innovation and commitment to patient care thanks to a research project in collaboration with the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre (link) to help alleviate discomfort associated with chemotherapy through cooling mittens and boots
What inspired you to pursue a career in Medicine?
I call Chester home, but I’ve moved around a lot throughout my life – from Hull to the US, Mexico and Malaysia! I completed my first degree in Dentistry at the University of Leeds, but I actually decided medicine was for me once I had some exposure to the joint medical-dental specialty of Maxillofacial Surgery.
What was it that brought you to Liverpool?
Originally it was the brilliant regional maxillofacial centre at Aintree Hospital, where I worked for a year before applying for medicine at the University of Liverpool.
It was that department and loving living in Liverpool that made me want to stick around and do my second degree here!
What memories stand out from the start of the programme?
Being a postgrad student, and with my first degree being Dentistry, I joined the course at the start of Year Three. I was worried that I’d feel really behind in my knowledge, having missed out on a lot of the physiology, anatomy and core clinical skills training. But I quickly felt at ease once a few weeks had passed, with plenty of support from my placement partners!
Looking back, what stand out as your biggest highlights on the programme?
I loved how there’s lots of opportunity for teaching by peers in the year groups above through various societies, and I found these incredibly useful when in the lower years. The tips and tricks they taught me for placements, written and clinical exams were invaluable. I wanted to ‘pay this forward’ by the time I got to fifth year and so I volunteered to teach students in the years below, through schemes like PAL-Med, in the hope I could be just as helpful to them!
You are the 23-24 Spirit of Liverpool Prize winner, nominated by fellow student Ellie Marshall, what does that mean to you?
Ellie was so kind to have nominated me. She was a really supportive friend to me during my time at university and I’m sad we’re now in foundation training so far away from each other!
How have things progressed with your innovation project since we last heard from you?
The feasibility study has been completed, so now the hospital knows it’s possible to carry out the study on a larger scale. The next steps are rolling out a bigger study with more participants – which is very exciting!
What advice would you have to a student interested in research/health innovation?
The idea for a great research project can come from anyone. You don’t have to be a consultant or a senior nurse to recognise a problem that patients face, or to think of a solution to an issue. I think it’s important that everyone feels empowered to approach those with the means to get a research project off the ground and tell them about your idea – because who knows, it might end up changing how things are done nationwide!
How is the foundation programme going?
I’m currently doing my F1 at Macclesfield District General hospital which is brilliant – I’d recommend it to anyone wanting to work in the North West based on my experience so far! It’s a ‘not too big, not too small’ kind of hospital, with plenty of support and a lovely foundation programme team that are really passionate about building us into really competent and confident fully qualified doctors!
What aspects of the programme, particularly Year 5, do you feel prepared you best for life as an F1?
I spent six weeks shadowing an F1, gradually taking more responsibility such that by the end of the 6-week period I was leading a ward round, interpreting blood results, referring patients to other specialties and ordering some investigations. It just so happens that the F1 I was shadowing was working in general surgery at the time, which is the rotation I’ve started on first for FY1! So it was the perfect preparation.
What would you say to your first-year self?
I’ll talk to my third-year self instead - I would say, “You might feel behind your peers in some areas, but you’re ahead in others. Don’t worry, it’ll all even out soon and you’ll feel much more comfortable! Also, your friends are brilliant teachers - so pick their brains on anything you feel you don’t know!”
Discover more
- Get involved in the PAL-Med teaching scheme, as a student or tutor, if you’d like to pay it forward like Emily. You’ll find the form to apply on the PAL-Med Linktree (link).
Interested in research? Take a look at the ways in which the School can support your interest on Student Research (link).
Get in touch with mednews@liverpool.ac.uk if you are interested in stepping into the Student Spotlight or would like to nominate a student or group to do so.