Nishan has always enjoyed travelling, meeting people and seeing different cultures and worked at a school in Zambia on a gap year before university. She studied in Glasgow and after her foundation years in Scotland, took two years out of training to work in New Zealand and travel. On returning to the UK he worked in emergency medicine before moving into anaesthetics.
I was brought up in Carlisle and wanted to be closer to home, friends and family. I was not aware of all of the opportunities available in the deanery until I moved here
I had heard about the link between the Northumbria hospitals and KCMC in Tanzania, and when a consultant colleague informed me that he was going over with the team for a two-week project and suggested I might want to be involved I jumped at the opportunity. I was the first anaesthetic trainee to go, although surgical trainees had been in the past. We were involved in a burns project and did a lot in and out of the theatre; assisting with operations, setting up a new ward, providing pain relief, education in the community I learnt a lot about working in a different system, working with basic and often faulty equipment, team working, communication difficulties. It really is quite a unique place as they get a lot of outside aid, but it is still very poorly resourced. The consultant anaesthetist that I went with was brilliant, and I learnt a lot from him.
The people in the north of England are friendly and welcoming. The scenery is stunning. There is lots to do and many opportunities inside and outside of work.
You will get good training and great opportunities whatever you are interested in.
Throw yourself into the region. There is a lot going on inside and outside of the hospitals and training so get involved in as much as you can.
If you are happy here you will be able to get a lot out of the training.
If you show willing people will be keen to help you out. I was the first anaesthetic trainee to go on this trip and since then other trainees have gone and it is becoming easier for them as it becomes a more recognised project within HENE.