After completing my A-levels locally at Torquay Boys’ Grammar School I moved up to Birmingham, a city with which I have strong family connections, to start medical training in 2000.
I have always wanted to be a general practitioner – doubtlessly influenced by my dad’s boundless enthusiasm for the job – and my experiences at medical school did little to sway me from this career path. I invariably sought out opportunities to better my understanding of community healthcare, including spending an elective period at a GP surgery in the remote environment of the most northern tip of mainland Scotland.
While I grew accustomed to the bright lights and hustle and bustle of a large city, I never lost my desire to work ultimately in a more rural area and this led me to undertake my GP specialty training in and around Worcestershire and Herefordshire.
When the chance then arose to return to the picturesque and friendly surrounds of my hometown of Totnes, I immediately seized upon it with both hands.
While I consider myself to be interested in all aspects of general practice, including student education and surgery management, I do harbour a particular passion for medical history. I was fortunate enough to undertake a BMedSc degree in the subject, largely involving primary-source research into so-called ‘quack’ practitioners operating in 18th-century Georgian Birmingham.
When not at work I enjoy playing any sport requiring a racket, honing my DIY skills and trying unsuccessfully to keep an eye on my mischievous collection of cats who were ‘adopted’ after being born to a stray mother in the garden of my former Birmingham home.
