Careers Angel Profile: Rich Reed
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| Name | Rich Reed |
|---|---|
| Email Address | R_C_Reed@hotmail.com |
| Industries/Sectors | Armed Forces; Medical & Health Care |
| Employer | University Hospital, Plymouth /Devon Air Ambulance |
| Position | Consultant Anaesthetist / Critical Care Doctor, |
| Experience | 20-25 years (approx.) |
| Degree | Medicine (graduated in 1997) MBBS |
| Other Qualifications | BSc Zoology |
| Internships | |
| Information | Spent a cracking 3 years in Grey Bar, did some Zoology and then (gulp!) had to get a job. Put off the inevitable for another 5 years studying medicine in London. Joined the army to avoid the NHS rat race a bit and spent an awesome few years passing both PARA and commando selection before retreating back to the hospitals for a bit of anaesthetics and ITU. Still prefered Grey bar though....! I’m still a consultant anaesthetist in the British Army, but University Hospital Plymouth and Devon Air Ambulance are my day-to-day places of work. |
| Things I Wish I'd Known | You don't have to know what you want to do at the end of your 3 / 4 years! Don't just leap in and grab the first city job you get offered. If there's something you really want to do - go for it (even if it means going back to school!) Remember: 1. Army medical careers might leave you a couple of years behind your peers in terms of exams 2. What you gain is SIGNIFICANT opportunities for early responsibilities, travel and adventure that the NHS comes NOWHERE near offering. 3. Get the army to pay for you to parachute, dive, canoe etc. 4. On the down side you will probably have to deploy away from UK at least once every 2 years in the current operational climate (not such a bad thing!) |