Georgina Ferry interviews Sile Johnson, former medical student (Oxford Medical School), 15 December 2022.
Topics discussed include (00:00:12) early interest in medicine and science, studies in Ireland and Masters and PhD in Scotland, accelerated course at Oxford; (00:01:42) entry into clinical practice; (00:02:31) experience at Oxford as a medical student, role as Junior Dean; (00:03:22) interests in sports, including hockey, rugby and Gaelic football; (00:04:15) inequality in access to medical education, including STEP inTO OxMed; (00:10:27) first awareness of COVID-19, including closure of the medical school and impact on studies; (00:14:43) remote lectures and exams, bedside clinical teaching; (00:16:25) call out for volunteer medical students, emergency department assignment; (00:21:58) shift lengths and duration of time as a volunteer; (00:22:46) opportunities that arose after voluntary work, including work with Donal Skelly on taking blood samples from COVID patients to create a profile of how the body responds to COVID [Oxford Protective T cell Immunology for COVID-19, 'OPTIC' trial]; (00:26:19) role within the OPTIC project; (00:28:52) vision for career and future, importance of communication and listening to patients in clinical practice; (00:32:59) medical specialisms of interest for the future; (00:34:03) personal experience of lockdown, including living arrangements, college responsibilities and work with the Oxford Hub; (00:41:20) personal threat from COVID-19; (00:42:35) affect of the pandemic on family; (00:45:05) changes in attitude and approach to career as a result of the pandemic; (00:46:26) hopes for the future and for changes to the medical profession, including staff shortages and treatment.
