A day in the Life... Dom W Hayes (ORC, 07-14)

Why Medicine:

It’s something I’ve had my heart set on since I was twelve. Whether consciously or not, part of my reasoning will have come from witnessing the care that close members of my family received during illnesses. It’s something I felt would be stimulating and would provide a whole host of opportunities - both in clinical and non-clinical ways. Being truthful, I also felt it was a challenge, well respected and would provide a good quality of life for a future family. Perhaps most importantly for me though, it allows me to natter away with thousands of people from all walks of life - a true cross-section of society: patients, their next of kin, and my colleagues - hearing their stories and learning.

How did CCB help:

Small class numbers gave me opportunity to ask questions, receive quality teaching, and establish a solid foundation in the sciences. CCB arranged for me to have a mock interview with a former student who’d recently graduated from medical school. I was aided in producing my personal statement and UCAS applications. Perhaps less obviously, I learned a lot about meeting new people through CCB/OB organised extra-curricular activities, meetings and lunches.

 Where did you train:

Cardiff Medical School

 Why did you do what you are doing i.e. type of Medicine:

Emergency Medicine/General Practice: Not so different. My preference is to know a good amount about lots of things, rather than be an expert in a few things. I haven’t found one organ system or specialty that has captured me more than the others. I feel that both Emergency Medicine and General Practice provide this. So far I have worked predominantly in Emergency Medicine, it can be very intense managing a few very sick patients in “resus” and/or managing high volumes of more stable patients with injuries or less severe illnesses; but you get to work with a big team of highly capable nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and other allied health workers. GP has lots of similarities to this. You see such a varied array of medical presentations, they can still be very sick, and you still work with a team of allied health professionals and other doctors. Both involve a social element of talking to lots of different people. GP maybe has more opportunity to get to know your patients and manage their conditions throughout their lives - and even care for their children’s or parents’ health, too. There are lots of opportunity in Emergency Medicine, but even more so GP, to incorporate other interests into your portfolio. I’ve worked with Emergency Medicine Consultants who are qualified in other specialties (including GP); they are qualified sonographers, work in sports medicine, medical education or health management. I’ve worked with GPs who work in A+E, palliative care, with Medicins Sans Frontiers, Mountain Rescue; GPs who hold Cardiology or Respiratory clinics, who are also qualified sonographers, and who are palliative care doctors. Based on my experience working with Emergency Consultants and GPs, for me, the balance of work stimulation and satisfaction, along with having the quality of life that I want with family and friends, sways me towards training as a generalist in the primary care setting (General Practice).

I hope to develop specialist interests on the side; whether that’s by working in A+E as a GP, expedition medicine, mountain rescue, paediatrics, health management, palliative care.

Being a health care worker, maybe you’d suspect that saving life might be what I find most important or satisfying; it is of course, hugely important. All I can say is that the patients I remember most, are those that I didn’t ‘save’. Some of the most rewarding moments in my short career have been centred around facilitating a ‘good death’; whether that be providing relative comfort in the final moment, assisting the family who are present, or being at home and being better prepared mentally for when that day does/did come.

 Where have you worked:

Royal Gwent Hospital

Grange University Hospital

Royal London Hospital 

Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital - Perth

Rockingham General Hospital - Perth

 Why go overseas:

I always planned to work overseas, both for the experience in a different health care setting, but also to see the world and meet new people. I can’t deny that the current working conditions in the UK are extremely taxing and the thought of them not changing is scary. I have too many friends and colleagues who are struggling with PTSD and/or have left medicine due to burnout both pre, during and post covid. Having worked as an emergency doctor in Australia has certainly been eye-opening. There are very tangible differences in the structure, provision and staffing of healthcare. My quality of life was unquestionably better, I was less stressed, I had more time off work, rotas were more flexible, work was easier and, most importantly, it felt like you were providing more complete care for patients. All the factors of better staffing, more time off, better pay, and more resources contribute to workforce retention, staving off burnout, and maintaining a better work/life balance: it can be the same in the UK!

 Where are you working now:

Prince Charles Hospital – Merthyr (for the next six months) then back off to work/travel for a bit!

 Best part of your job:

Unquestionably, the social aspect: I meet amazing people with amazing stories every day. Most days there are moments where somebody is very sick, or there are high stress situations. Applying your knowledge and experience to finding solutions or next steps at these times, both as an individual and with your team, can be exciting and adrenalin-fuelled - and you learn a lot about medicine and also yourself in the process. It may be the reason cited most consistently by prospective med students, but it truly is hugely satisfying and rewarding to help people.

 Worst part of your job:

The frustration with inadequate systems and resources that get in the way of providing the care we all signed up hoping to provide. Of course you can’t get away from working unsociable hours - people aren’t just unwell 9-5.

Future:

I’m not applying for further training at the moment. I’m working ad-hoc back in Wales until the New Year, at which point I plan to pop back to locum work and travel in Australia. There’s a lot more to see and a few states I haven’t set foot in. For the next year or two I’ll make the most of the amazing job security and flexibility of locum work that being a doctor permits you. I’ll absolutely be visiting my brother (ORC 2013-20) in his year at the University of North Carolina. I really would like to bring back some of what I’ve learnt about healthcare in other countries to the NHS.

 Why do medicine:

Although being a doctor can be frustrating and extremely taxing at times I truly cannot see myself doing anything else. I learn new things every day, I meet new and amazing people every day, I sometimes get to help them, often all they need is advice or to talk. Wherever there are humans, there is need for healthcare workers enabling me to live and work on the other side of the world (even when Western Australia was ‘closed’). Do medicine for the right reasons and you will be fulfilled.