Georgina Ferry interviews Emma Flint, former medical student (Oxford Medical School), 5 January 2023.
Topics discussed include (00:00:50) early interest in medicine, medical studies at university level, voluntary work; (00:04:54) choosing to study at Oxford; (00:06:32) experience of being a medical student at Oxford; (00:07:58) research project on endometriosis; (00:09:25) interest in research in future career; (00:11:43) voluntary experience with the ambulance service as a student first responder; (00:15:20) Spring 2020 and planning for the elective period overseas; (00:21:42) first awareness of COVID-19; (00:25:07) voluntary roles medical students took on during the early stages of the pandemic, including A&E work; (00:32:18) breaks during shifts, working with other student volunteers; (00:34:47) early graduation and work as interim foundation doctor from May 2020; (00:39:42) memorable cases; (00:42:46) patients at end-of-life in A&E; (00:44:39) PPE provisions at the start of the pandemic; (00:51:00) first placement as a foundation doctor; (00:55:16) work as a foundation doctor in intensive care, changes in COVID-19 cases; (00:57:34) experience as a new medical graduate over the pandemic, including disruption of education, experience of training in a pandemic setting, lack of opportunities for new trainees, supervision and career development; (01:03:33) morale of junior doctors; (01:06:40) personal threat from COVID-19, living arrangements during the pandemic under lockdown conditions, symptoms of respiratory illness in summer 2020; (01:10:43) wellbeing as a result of voluntary work and interim foundation doctor role; (01:12:26) changes in attitude and approach to work as a result of the pandemic, including a movement towards a specialism in psychiatry and the importance of mental health. Note: the following sections of audio are redacted owing to interruption (00:17:55) to (00:19:36) and (01:16:57) to (01:18:41).
