A DAY IN THE LIFE
“My work involves a lot of variety” Dr Beth Pascall Paediatric ST5 Royal Derby Hospital
Beth is also a professional trail runner
When I’m finished working I like to...
@bethpascall
I became a paediatrician because I took a year out in the middle of medical school and spent several months volunteering in a hospital in rural Zambia. I was sent to work on the children’s ward because they were in desperate need of help. With over 100 children on a 30-bed ward, many dying daily from malaria and other infectious diseases, I quickly learnt how to help with what limited treatments we had available. I could save lives on a daily basis. It was the most rewarding thing I had ever experienced. The work just seemed so important. Even though paediatrics in the UK is very different, after this experience I couldn’t imagine pursuing any other career.
…run! In fact, this is what I do before work as well. Alongside my job in paediatrics, I am a professional trail runner for the Salomon International team. I usually train for about Beth was inspired to become a paediatrician after volunteering in Zambia
20 hours a week (runs might be 6-8 hours long on my days off), and if I include
My typical working day involves coffee (I’m a self-confessed coffee snob), a lot of food, and variety. I get to work at 8am (to beat the traffic!) and spend an hour doing admin before handover at 9am. After handover, I help with the general paediatric ward round, either seeing patients independently or the most complex patients with a consultant. I try to get some of the most urgent tasks (procedures, referrals etc) done before lunch. Lunch is usually eaten whilst at some sort of teaching session or clinical meeting. In the afternoon, I will either be in the general paediatric clinic or helping out on the wards and reviewing the new admissions. Assuming I’m not the unlucky person working a long day, I leave work around 5pm. The most difficult part of my job is switching off when I leave work. I have always been a ‘thinker’ and I often find myself dwelling over a decision I’ve made at work whilst I’m out for a run in the evening, or in the middle of the night. I’m working on this!
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30
SPRING 2022
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Milestones
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The best part of the job is the satisfaction I get from making good decisions. As a trainee when I started to work more independently, the responsibility was daunting at first, but with that comes greater reward when things go well. It’s those moments when you see you’ve made a difference that make the job worthwhile. Also, working in such an enthusiastic and supportive department! I feel very fortunate.
all other runningrelated activities (media, content creation, research and development with brands) there is very little time for anything else! I love travelling all over the world to race, but
My most memorable moment was as an ST1 in my first neonatal job. I attended the delivery of a 23/40 preterm; she had a stormy course on NICU followed by several months on PICU. It happened that my NICU job was followed by PICU so I ended up looking after her for the first five months of her life. When she was eventually discharged home, it was a joyous and emotional moment.
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also the platform it gives me to inspire others to exercise in nature. Follow me on Instagram @beth_pascall or at www.bethpascall.com.
milestones@rcpch . ac .uk