Page 14 - Cadet Review Spring 2022

Joint Service News
I went to Sandhurst, I already knew how to use a weapon (8 years on, and I could still remember how to do NSPs), how to march, how to read a map, and how to live out in the field. Even the instructors joked that it was like I’d returned home! I was so thankful for my cadet experience and genuinely still use it today.
WHAT DO YOU DO IN THE ARMY RESERVES?
I am based with 212 Field Hospital and hold the position of a medical officer. Within my Unit, I am the 2IC (second in charge) of my detachment and the Clinical Training Officer of the Unit. I was promoted to Major last year.
My Unit deployed to Afghanistan just after I joined, but I wasn’t allowed to go as I was still a student at the time. I wanted to deploy, so I joined a different Unit and went to Kenya in 2017. I provided medical support to Infantry troops in remote locations as a lone medic. This deployment was very different to my role in an NHS hospital. I was the only Reservist who deployed and thought I would stand out among regular soldiers. I quickly realised that it made no difference. We all deployed with the same goals, and I had all the training I needed. Most people didn’t even know I was a Reservist.
As a Reservist, I am given all of the same oppor-
Iwasso thankful for my cadet experience and genuinely still use it today.
tunities as my regular counterparts. I attend the same courses and compete in the same competi- tions. I recently competed in the military Bismarck competition; a 4-mile run while carrying 15 kgs. I am always very proud to manage this in addition
to my clinical role in the NHS. I was recently asked to use the skills from my PhD to help support the development of a reputable tri-service clinical course. I felt very honoured to do this because it allowed me to use my unique skills from my civilian career within a military setting.
IS IT DIFFICULT TO BE A FEMALE IN THE ARMY MEDICAL SERVICES?
It certainly can be. The military has moved a long way forward even since I first joined, but I still hear stories of sexism occasionally. I had one instance when a male warrant officer would find every reason to shout at me and belittle me in front of my colleagues in a previous Unit. I reported him and left the Unit.
My current Unit couldn’t be any more different. We are encouraged to stand up to any situation that isn’t right, and I see this across the army in general. My Unit is the perfect example of female empowerment. We have a female commanding officer, detachment officer in command, adjutant, and female nursing and medical cadre heads.
Even on my Deployment, my gender wasn’t an issue. I was one of three females in around 100 soldiers. The guys did not care. They cared that their doctor could look after them when needed and that I was part of their team. I participated in their evening sports, and they would invite me to participate on the ranges when I had spare time.
WHAT IS THE MOST EXCITING THING YOU HAVE DONE AS A DOCTOR?
Before I started my PhD, I worked as a surgeon
with an interest in trauma. Every time a trauma came in, I would attend the emergency department and manage their injuries, taking them to theatre with my consultant if needed. Most people think of traumas as scary; they definitely are for the patients. However, as a doctor, I feel that it is an area where it is effortless to make a chaotic area calm. Traumas have a sequence that is simple when I remain
Leading my detachment at
Remembrance Parade 2021
My first day as a Major and
using the new dress regulations
14 CADET REVIEW SPRING 2022