BSMS > About BSMS > Alumni > Alumni in focus Dr Emma Davies

Alumni in Focus - Dr Emma Davies

Dr Emma Davies (BM BS 2017)

Emma is currently finishing her Paediatric placement, the second rotation of her foundation year two after graduating in 2017. As a newly qualified doctor, Emma talks about how different life is on the wards and why she is enthusiastic to teach medical students throughout her future training and career.

Where are you now?

I've nearly finished my Paediatric placement, the second rotation of my foundation year two training in Brighton. Foundation year one was a steep learning curve and there are still some days where I find it hard to believe that I'm actually a doctor. Life on the wards is so very different to studying at medical school and nothing really prepares you for it until you get there. When you start as a 'baby doctor' everyone is very supportive and there is a lot to learn. I am really enthusiastic about teaching medical students as some of the most valuable teaching sessions for me as an undergraduate came from junior doctors. I think it's really important to have good role models in medicine to follow and seek advice from. I hope to become more involved in medical education throughout my training.

What has been your proudest moment?

I don’t have a pivotal proudest moment but I feel pride when I receive the words 'thank you' from a patient or family member, where I have been able to offer treatment, reassurance or just a conversation.

What are your favourite memories of BSMS?

Afternoons in the dissection room, organising a national paediatric society conference, numerous black-tie balls and baking cranial nerve cakes in a creative anatomy SSC!

What or who has inspired you most in life?

My Grandma was a head teacher and a very stoical woman. She was passionate about her pupils and her family, selflessly always working for and caring for others. Despite hardship in her life, she always got back up again seeking happiness in what she did and sharing this with others. I aspire to be more like her every day.

What brought you to study in Brighton?

After reapplying for medicine, Brighton was my one and only offer and I am so glad! From day one everyone including tutors and peers in other years were so welcoming and friendly. It was quite a journey from the first day in the dissection room to sitting final year OSCEs but I enjoyed every year. And a vibrant city by the seaside - what more could you want?!

What is the skill that you would most like to have?

I would love to be able to write a book!

Where would you like your career to take you?

I have loved my Paediatric placement. Whilst working in the Children’s Emergency Department I have been challenged on a daily basis as well as having fun with children! It’s a specialty where I have truly experienced effective team work and the only one where I can give ice lollies as part of a treatment plan! I hope to use some taster days to explore career options further. I know that for me any career needs to be intellectually stimulating and involve human connection with continuity of relationships I make with colleagues and patients.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

It's not about what you do or what you say to patients, it is about how you make them feel. I think this goes for colleagues too in terms of support and feedback. I can appreciate this much more now I am working; I had a jobs list for patients that seems to take precedence as an FY1 day to day. On reflection the most rewarding bits of finally becoming a doctor are the opportunities you get to talk to and connect with patients and their relatives. And remembering that this is why I chose to pursue medicine nearly 10 years ago.

What do you feel has been the biggest benefit from studying at BSMS?

Studying at BSMS, an inclusive and friendly medical school, has improved my confidence to learn and acquire new skills. It was always ok to not know. I have taken this forward now as I work as a doctor; it is so important to recognise the limits of your knowledge and competence. It is why we work in teams and are continually learning! In a supportive environment with close supervision from passionate tutors I was encouraged to work hard but also to develop as a person.

Describe BSMS in three words

Close knit, open-minded, happy.