DR
VICTORIA SAMPSON Obstetrics & Gynaecology Consultant On being a black, young and female doctor in the UK
Victoria Sampson. You are a black,
Were you intentional about showing
female, Cambridge educated, award
up exactly as you were or were you
winning doctor, that has completed
going with the flow?
specialist
a
As Cambridge wasn’t where I wanted
highly competitive area of London
to go, I didn’t put any pressure on
and at just 33 years old became one
myself to perform. I was also very aware
of
&
that I wouldn’t be able to keep up an
Gynaecology Consultants in the U.K.
act as someone else for a long time,
How did you do it?
and medical school is a long time. I
medical
the
training
youngest
in
Obstetrics
That’s a loaded question! A lot of my confidence
and
drive
began
in
childhood. I was fortunate to have two talented
parents
that
gained
full
scholarships to come to the U.K. from
wanted to be true to myself, be my base self. If they didn’t like me then there
was
no
point
being
there.
Ultimately, I guess they liked who I was because they gave me an offer.
Ghana to practice dentistry. My parents knew that, from being discriminated
In regards to turning up as your
against themselves, black people in the
base self, is that advice you would
U.K. had to work harder to achieve the
give youngsters applying to high
same as their white counterparts. I
achieving careers? As we know to a
always had that in the back of my
degree you have to “play the game.”
mind.
That depends on what you mean by playing the game. There are non-
Going to Cambridge was never my plan. My parents wanted that for me. I went
to
the
expectations
interview
which,
in
with
no
hindsight,
helped greatly. They announced my name “Victoria Sampson,” expecting a white girl to stand up but the little black girl stood up. I’m pretty sure they were shocked, but I went with the flow. I was just myself and to be honest, I think
that
got
me
a
place
at
Cambridge. The road to becoming a consultant hasn’t been easy. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic but always having the end goal in mind made it possible.
negotiables. You have to work hard.
