Meet the young University of Sheffield doctors about to be fast-tracked onto the front line of the NHS

Two of those young doctors spoke to The Star this week, with both keen to help the service meet the biggest challenge it has faced in its 70-year history.

Annie Evans, aged 24, from York, said that while it was daunting to begin their careers at such a critical time for the country, she was ‘feeling positive’ about starting work.

“We have been preparing for this for the last five years and I believe that we are all capable of being great doctors,” she said.

“We will have the support of the medical teams behind us and many doctors have already reached out and said if we need any help they are always there.

“Obviously, it is a daunting time to start our career in medicine, but I’m sure we are all up to the challenge as we have been well prepared by the university over our time with them.

“My family and friends are very excited for me to be starting but also are immensely proud of the work we are going to be doing on the frontline in the NHS.”

Annie, who is also the medical school’s final year student representative, said she had planned to go on holiday with family and friends this summer, but was now resigned to missing out.

But she said she was happy that the university had managed to organise a virtual graduation for the students to make up for them missing the big event this summer.

“It’s a really nice touch that the University of Sheffield are acknowledging and celebrating our early graduation in the best way possible in the current circumstances,” she said.

“It is something that you look forward to all the way through medical school and it will be great to celebrate it virtually with all of our friends and family.

“One of the big disappointments is the postponement of our graduation and graduation ball, which I have been organising.

“But both of these are being rearranged and will be a lovely chance to catch up with our friends in the future.”

The new medics have been told they will be performing tasks such as writing notes, practicing clinical skills, ordering scans and writing discharge letters - but will always have one or two current junior doctors on hand to help them.

Postgraduate student Philip Mitchell, aged 27, from Hampshire, who is also the president of the Sheffield Medical Society, will also be joining the NHS front line at the same time as Annie.

He acknowledged that it was a difficult time for everyone involved in the health service at the moment, but felt confident the new doctors would rise to the challenge.

He said: “It is daunting but it was always going to be daunting in August when we were starting in our expected foundation jobs. The university would not be graduating us if they did not think we were ready to take on working as doctors.

“While this will be an even steeper learning curve than we were expecting, we all want to get out there and help by putting what we have learned over the last five years to good use.

“We've already had messages from current doctors saying that they will support us which has been really great to hear and is really reassuring.”

None of the new doctors know exactly where they will be going yet, but most are hoping to serve at one of the hospitals in Sheffield before spreading out around the UK to formally start their careers.

Like Annie, Philip was due to go on holiday at the start of July, but said he was happy to postpone it to play his part in the fight against Covid-19.

“I just want to contribute as much as possible to all that is being done to tackle this pandemic,” he said.

“We have not been given full details about exactly what we will be expected to do yet but if we can be helpful in any way then that is the main thing.

“My family and friends have always been really supportive throughout my five years at Sheffield and I know they will be even more proud once I start working.”