Shivir is from Trinidad & Tobago and is a Core medical trainee 2 doctor with Chelsea and 
Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust with King's College Hospital NHS Trust.
What has your career path been since graduating from the University of Birmingham
Since graduation I completed my F1 year at the Princess Royal University Hospital in South Thames. My F2 year was completed in Eastbourne and Hastings. I completed rotations in geriatrics, ITU, acute medicine, public health, A+E and paediatrics during these 2 foundation years. I did my CT1 year at King's College Hospital and complete rotations in Haematology, Neurology and Acute Medicine. I am currently in my CT2 year and have done rotations in ITU and Cardiology at The Royal Brompton Hospital and am currently at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital doing General Medicine and Geriatrics.
How did your course help prepare you for your career?
My degree gave me the knowledge of medicine needed to help me treat people day to day. Working as part of a team and communicating effectively are core parts of the training I received, and these skills have allowed me to prosper when managing patients and relatives. A sound clinical knowledge, good communication skills and knowing how to work under pressure are essential skills required as a clinician, and my 5 year course prepared me for this working environment.
What attracted you to studying at Birmingham?
As an international student, Birmingham stood out due to its reputation for medical education and the diverse population that currently occupies the city. The variety of diseases I saw during my clinical years reflected this diversity. Additionally, this university had a lovely campus and many social activities to allow me to have a good work life balance.
What inspired you most during your time at Birmingham? For example, guest speakers, lecturers, research, friendships, extra-curricular activities.
Professor Chris Lote was one of my biggest inspirations. I have never been able to grasp concepts with such ease. His projector style teaching was second to none. I have a passion for teaching and I adopt some of his methods when teaching medical students of colleagues. My experience as part of the university cricket team was one of the most memorable times in university. We played to a high standard while enjoying social events regularly.
What tips/ advice would you give to people who are considering studying your course at Birmingham?
1) Put in the hard work no matter the course. It will pay off during and after university. 2) Be open to meeting new people and learning about different cultures. Seeing things from different perspectives will help you to think more openly. 3) Try to enjoy the lighter times in university. Join clubs, go out, play sports.
How would you advise people to make the most of their time on their course?
Make sure you choose a course that interests you and stick with it. Learning new concepts can be challenging sometimes but it is worth persevering. Meeting people, working in groups and chatting with your lecturers can help you learn and develop into a well rounded professional. It is important to have something outside of your course as well. Joining a club or society is probably one of the best ways to achieve this. Joining the university cricket team was one of the best things I'd ever done.