Meet James Brooks. James works in ST4 anaesthesia at the Royal United Hospital in Bath. He is the Trainee Network Lead Officer in the trainee committee, and the lead for Trainee Conference 2024. James’s clinical interests include obstetrics as well as head and neck anaesthesia.
What does the Association Trainee Committee mean to you?
Simply, being given the opportunity to try to advocate for anaesthetists in training and the wider anaesthetic community.
What has most surprised you since joining the trainee committee?
Two things. First, the amount of time given up by those on the committee, in an unpaid role, to advocate for trainees is huge! Second, the way in which the Association treats the trainee committee as a vital part of the organisation.
What would you like to achieve in your time on the trainee committee?
I would like to continue to grow the TNL network and ensure that they have every opportunity to improve the wellbeing and education across the UK and Ireland. Ultimately, I’d like to ensure that the network becomes sustainable and popular long term.
Also, as the lead for Trainee Conference 2024, I hope to help create a fun, educational conference with a little bit of a twist….
Why did you decide to become an anaesthetist / doctor?
Our physiology pre-clinical years at university were taught by anaesthetists and intensivists. I was always fascinated by their grasp of science and how they used it every day in their jobs. When I started to do surgical rotations, I was always more interested in what was going on behind the closed door of the anaesthetic room and this interest stuck with me.
What do you like most about your job?
Anaesthesia is the quiet and understated yet powerful force that keeps hospitals running. We are the firefighters of the hospital, being called when the needs of a patient cannot be met by other team members. Not every patient admitted under the surgeons needs surgery, but those that do need an anaesthetist. Not every woman in labour has an epidural or C-Section but those that do need an anaesthetist. Not everyone with rib fractures needs a block but those that do need an anaesthetist. To be able to help people with a variety of different problems and needs, often in a very timely manner, is one of the reasons I love my job and consider it the ultimate privilege in medicine.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I spend as much time as possible with my young family and occasionally squeeze in some baking and guitar playing.