My name is Dr Fatima Ali and I am a Breast Clinician in training based at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust. I happened to stumble on the Credential in Breast Disease Management whilst looking for a job at my local trust. Soon after reading about the programme, I started to feel I had found the perfect career for me. The holistic nature of the training and being able to work across departments in different capacities was appealing.
I had previously trained as a paediatrician and so I had no experience of Radiology prior to this programme- the learning curve has been steep but the quality of training I have received has been incredibly high and the apprenticeship style of training has been refreshing. It has been both exciting and challenging to acquire a completely new and valuable skill set.
I work across 3 sites and train across 4 departments: breast surgery, breast radiology, cancer genetics and oncology. I love the variety that this set-up brings to my week. This has brought about huge opportunities to contribute to service development which has allowed me to develop my leadership and management skills further. With the support of my colleagues, I have been able to start a Family History of Breast Cancer clinic for our department. This has simultaneously reduced the workload of our Regional Genetics Service and saved patients having to come in for one-stop appointments when they don’t need imaging and may instead need more time to discuss their concerns.
The hours are routine with no on-call component which allows me to plan and manage my work-life balance with ease. The job is satisfying and rewarding and I take pride in the service we offer to our patients. I look forward to completing my training and as one clinician being able to assess, image, biopsy and deliver results to my patients.
It is a very exciting time to be part of the credential and I am excited to see future trainees come through the training pathway.