Carol Brignall (FRCSEd)
Name : Carol Brignall (FRCSEd)
Employer : North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
University : University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Subject : MB.BS
Graduated : 1980
I wanted to become a surgeon from the age of twelve and always enjoyed cutting things up in biology lessons! After my medical degree, I decided to go into general surgery and as part of my general surgical registrar rotation, I had the opportunity to work for six months in orthopaedics. I’m really glad that this happened as I’d never considered it as a specialty and yet I discovered it was the place I wanted to be.
Working life
In a typical week I have adult and paediatric elective clinics. Common referrals for the adult clinic include hip replacements, knee replacements and foot surgery; for the children’s clinic they include dysplasia of the hip, club feet and gait abnormalities. I also have an elective operating list. The other part of my job is working with trauma patients. I am on call one day a week for emergency surgery and have a trauma list for those patients who do not need treatment in the first 24 hours. In addition to this I run a fracture clinic for those who have been through A & E and are being reviewed as outpatients. My normal hours are 8.15 am to 5.00 pm but these hours vary depending on the size of the operating list.
Best and worst
Working with such a diverse group of people, of all different ages is immensely rewarding. I also enjoy the teaching aspect of my job. It can be difficult working long hours and being away from home, particularly earlier on in your career.
Most unforgettable moment
One of my patients was a four-year old with cerebral palsy whose legs were scissored and she couldn’t walk. Following two operations on her hips and achilles tendons, she was able to both stand and walk and it was fantastic being able to make this possible.
Life outside work
Medicine is such a commitment that it’s difficult to have much of a life outside of work. I’d love to have more time to myself but I wouldn’t change my life or my job because I enjoy every part of it. It can be particularly difficult for women, juggling family commitments with a full-time job. It’s important to be able to switch off – I live on a farm so I can remove myself completely from work and everything related to it.