Meet Sarah Marsden. Sarah is a chief registrar in ST4 anaesthesia. She works at Harrogate District Hospital. Sarah’s clinical interests are obstetric anaesthesia and perioperative medicine.
What does the Association Trainee Committee mean to you?
For me, the Association Trainee Committee was an opportunity to stop being a coffee room activist, and channel my energies into advocating for trainees, helping to produce meaningful change. It’s an opportunity to work alongside, and be inspired and challenged by, brilliant colleagues from different backgrounds, and have my ideas supported to come to life. It’s also a great opportunity to represent the Association’s trainee voice at external committees and events.
What has most surprised you since joining the Trainee Committee?
I think I’m surprised by just how many projects and workstreams we manage to contribute to on top of busy clinical careers - and how much we collectively achieve. I’m also inspired by the senior leadership from the Board and Council and really appreciate how approachable and accessible they are.
What would you like to achieve in your time on the Trainee Committee?
I want to make a difference and contribute to projects and initiatives that produce tangible outcomes, supporting trainees during their anaesthetic training. I’ve come on to the committee at a difficult time for trainee morale but feel there is a lot we can achieve with strong advocacy, and we benefit from having a range of trainee grades and backgrounds represented.
Why did you decide to become an anaesthetist / doctor?
I think on both fronts, to make a difference. Anaesthetics was the first rotation I did in medical school where there seemed to be the opportunity to remain hands on and practically involved at every stage of your career, making an immediate difference to the lives of your patients every day. I was also impressed by the range of work anaesthetists are involved in, and the capacity for sub-specialisation.
What do you like most about your job?
Anaesthetists are involved in the whole spectrum of human existence, from cradle to grave, with the best moments of life to the worst. I love that we can make a difference at any stage, whether that’s enabling a mother a comfortable birth, or supporting a critically ill patient and their family through an incredibly difficult time. I enjoy the challenge of rapidly building rapport with patients and the challenge of tailoring my care to the patient in front of me.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I am a keen runner, currently training for my eleventh marathon, and I enjoy hiking, particularly in the Lake District. I’d also describe myself as a fair-weather cyclist, and a connoisseur of coffee and cake stops! My other very important role is as Auntie Sarah to, and chief bad influence of, a brilliant 4-year-old niece.