Dr Majd Protty is an academic clinical trainee in Cardiology and is currently preparing for a PhD. Majd graduated from Birmingham in 2013.
What are your career experiences since graduating from the University of Birmingham?
Since qualifying in 2013, I moved to Cardiff and embarked on an academic-clinical career in cardiology. For the first two years, I completed an academic foundation scheme, passed my postgraduate examinations and was awarded the Membership of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP). In 2015, my training in Birmingham equipped me with the skills and endurance to complete an MSc degree in cardiovascular therapeutics and to be recognized as a medical educator through the membership of the academy of medical educators (MAcadMEd). These achievements enabled me to secure a highly competitive clinical academic training fellowship at Cardiff University to combine clinical and academic training in cardiology.
What is your current role and what does it involve?
I am an academic clinical trainee in Cardiology, currently at ST2 level, as part of the Welsh Clinical Academic Track (WCAT). This allows me to spend 80% of my time in clinical training, in general medicine and cardiology, and 20% in academic training at Cardiff University to prepare for a PhD in cardiovascular sciences. My current role involves treating acutely unwell patients with cardiovascular disease (the biggest killer in Wales), and researching areas that will improve patient outcomes.
What do you love the most about your job and what is the biggest challenge?
I love the simultaneous combination of academia and clinical work, which makes the job interesting. In a typical week, I would have one academic day to carry out research in an area that interests me and complements my clinical practice. This day provides a break from the clinical time during the rest week (four days plus out-of-hours), where I enjoy managing patients with acute and chronic medical conditions. The biggest challenge in all of this is making sure that I take both the academic and clinical elements seriously and not to neglect one at the expense of the other.
How did your degree help prepare you for your career? What subjects/ modules/ experiences did you find the most valuable?
My degree in Medicine at Birmingham exposed me to experts in the field of clinical and academic medicine. The University is home to a number of research centres of excellence with on-going cutting edge research programmes in basic, clinical and translational medicine funded by prestigious bodies such as the British Heart Foundation. My student-selected modules were most valuable as they allowed me to explore the projects taking place at the University and to carry out research in other centres in the UK and abroad, with the support of the University. This meant that I was equipped with the skills to manage my time and split it effectively between clinical and academic pursuits.
What attracted you to studying at Birmingham?
Birmingham University is a campus university. This was an attractive feature as it meant that I was able to socialise with students across a number of disciplines without having to travel long distances. Other attractive features included the student elective modules, which allowed me to travel to Australia to explore clinical medicine there.
How would you sum up your time in Birmingham in three words?
World-class experience
What inspired you most during your time at Birmingham?
The Medical Society at Birmingham catered for my extra-curricular activities in sports, charitable work and medical education activities. I also became involved in the inner-works of this society and was elected president during my third year. This was an inspiring year as it improved my leadership and team-working skills and allowed me to understand the challenges facing my student colleagues and to make our experiences better.
What tips/ advice would you give to people who are considering studying medicine a Birmingham?
City, Campus and Excellence. These are the three things you will gain from coming to Birmingham. The social vibe of the city is great, with many venues catering for the needs of students of all backgrounds. Facilities on campus including sports clubs and charities will cater for your extra-curricular interests. If there is no club for what you’re interested in, you could always start one and the university will support you in doing so! Finally, if you are hoping for a world-class education that puts you at the forefront of Medicine/Dentistry/Medical Science, then you will be coming to the right place.
How would you advise people to make the most of their time on their course?
Go in with an open mind and get involved in as many things as you can. With time, you will identify the areas that interest you the most and you will be able to focus on these and acquire many transferrable skills that are valuable for any future career you go into.