Gunjan Sharma

"I think my personality types are quite accurate, particularly with my work.1. Coordinator. Being able to communicate with others and offering patience and compassion is a very important skill in Medicine. As a doctor I am looking after people who are sick, scared and lonely. Being able to sympathise with what they are going through and explain medical terms in a simple way is very important to help people feel they are being looked after.2. Developer. Being inquisitive and learning new things is helpful as a doctor. Science is always changing and learning about new ways to help people is exciting. There are always new medications being released or different ways of helping my patients in hospital. Also, everyone I meet is different - no two patients are alike. I am always thinking on my feet when I'm speaking to a patient and trying to understand how I can help them as a doctor - it's more than just giving someone medicine to take!3. Explorer. Being an explorer is one of the most important traits of being a doctor I think! There are things I learnt at medical school that are no longer true because Science has moved forward so quickly. Medicine is fun because not only do I learn about how the human body works and how we can fix it, I then have to apply what I know to people, who are not so easy to understand. This means I have to be creative in how I work and curious in people's lives. It can be challenging sometimes when people get unwell but it's great when you can help someone."

"I work as a psychiatrist in a forensic hospital. This means that I work with people who are suffering from a mental illness; working in a forensic hospital means I am working with people who have committed a crime. It's a very interesting and challenging part of Medicine and shows how Medicine can take you anywhere you want it to.I look after 18 patients who all have mental health problems and all have committed a crime that means they have come from prison. Day-to-day I work with a team of nurses, psychologists, therapists and social workers to look after these patients. I speak to these patients about how they are feeling and what difficulties they are going through. These are often very vulnerable people who have gone through a lot in their lives and having someone who cares about them can be life-changing. As a psychiatrist I am a doctor, which means I use my knowledge of science to treat my patients. This includes giving them medication, offering therapy and helping them gain skills to improve their mental health overall. When patients get better the change can be dramatic. They feel more confident, are able to look after themselves and have hope for the future. They are able to talk with their friends and family and develop hobbies and interests which they previously couldn't.This is also one of the things that I love about my job. I get the privilege of working with very vulnerable people who are suffering and sometimes get to change their life around. This makes my job worthwhile and I feel I am doing something that makes a difference."

"To work as a doctor you need to go to medical school which is a 5-6 year university course - a long time! You can enter medical school either straight from school (in which case you need minimum 3 A's at A Level) or after doing another degree. There are people who trained as doctors after doing degrees in science, art, literature and history. You don't have to go into medicine straight after school.When you apply to medical school you have to write a personal statement and go through interviews. This can be quite daunting and I am happy to talk about this in more depth if you want to talk to me about this and offer some advice!After 5-6 years of medical school you have to work as a 'foundation doctor' for two years before you can choose what you want to specialise in. Being a foundation doctor means you work as a doctor in a hospital and rotate around different specialities such as surgery, A&E, as a GP etc. After this you can choose what you want to specialise in - there are a lot of things you can go into as a doctor. You could choose to work with only one area of the body such as the heart (cardiologist) or lungs (respiratory). You could work as a surgeon, or in A&E, or as a GP, or in psychiatry like I did. You still have to work as a 'trainee' doctor for at least 6 years (3 for GP) after being a foundation doctor before you can become a consultant. A consultant is someone who has overall responsibility for patients. It is a long path but there are a lot of opportunities and no single day is the same."

"I am quite introverted so I like my space. I love reading fiction and non-fiction. I used to love reading books in school and I always make sure I have a good book to read and relax after work. Recently I've just finished re-reading the Harry Potter series which brought back memories.I also play the violin - again something I started in school and continued into work. It's a great way to relax and I can sometimes manage to make a nice sound. It also gives my the opportunity to travel with an orchestra and meet new people outside of work.Finally, I love writing. I love writing stories and reflections on what I have seen both inside and outside of work. Working as a doctor can be quite emotionally draining so it's important that you're able to let off steam. I've written a few short stories and non-fiction essays on topics that I find interesting such as Philosophy and Law. Oddly enough I find it very relaxing!"

"I work with a team of psychologists, therapists and social workers to look after 18 patients who are admitted to a forensic psychiatric hospital. They all have mental health problems and they have all committed some sort of crime. Everyday I speak to these people and find out what is going on in their lives. I offer help through medicine and therapy. I also attend regular meetings with the rest of the team to understand how we can help these patients longer term - medicine is more than just giving people medication.Sometimes psychiatrists attend court to give evidence about their patients if they feel people should be in hospital rather than prison. Sometimes they might be asked to give expert evidence as specialists in mental illness.I also do practical things - I take bloods from people, I give injections, I sometimes suture wounds. Don't worry if you don't like needles - you get used to it very quickly!Overall as a doctor I want to make my patients better. In psychiatry this means trying to treat people's mental illnesses. When people get better they feel more confident in themselves and feel they can speak to others. They can go out and enjoy the fresh air without feeling anxious, they can join groups and engage in activities, they can speak to friends and family and they can feel like they are back to who they were before they become unwell. "

"I studied Biology, Chemistry and Psychology at A-Level and got A* (Psychology), AA. I then studied at medical school for 5 years and graduated with an MBBCh. This stands for Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and is what all medical students graduate with in the UK. You need this degree to work as a doctor in the UK.I am currently studying for the 'Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Exam or MRCPsych. This is an exam that all doctors need to pass if they want to work as a psychiatrist in the UK. Every medical speciality will have its own exam.More recently I completed an LLM (Master in Laws) in Mental Health Law. This isn't needed to become a doctor but working in medicine means you can explore other areas that interest you. Some of my colleagues have done masters in philosophy, ethics and literature. "