DSN ::the DOCTORS' SUPPORT NETWORK::

Life Beyond Medicine!

For those caught up in contract discussions, NHS re-organisations, on-call rotas and all the other hassle that make for day to day life in the NHS, retiring at the age of 40 may sound wonderful!  To have it forced on you for health reasons when you still have great plans for your career can be devastating!

However, there IS life beyond medicine!  Although my monthly income is much less than it was there is security in knowing that the pension comes in each month whether I am well or not!

A couple of short-term part time clerical jobs when I have felt well have provided a wider perspective to the field I used to work in, and my organisational and administrative skills have developed as I have helped to promote the Doctors’ Support Network in Wales and the South West.

DSN is important to me – it has been a great help to me over the last few years.  It is important to realise that other people – even doctors – have illness, doubts and fears at times.  Having appreciated getting to know people more locally through the meetings in Bath and Cardiff it is my hope that DSN will continue to grow and flourish in other areas of the UK so that, wherever people live they can benefit fully from the support available.

I hope to get back to more regular work at some stage – probably not in medicine but using other skills that I have developed.  I’m sure the voluntary work that I have done for DSN will help with that, as will the fact that I have attended a couple of computer courses to formalise my skills in that area.

Although everything I do still takes me longer than it ought, I am able to pace myself and make the most of the good days.

Life certainly hasn’t been a bed of roses but I have discovered that being a person is more important than being a doctor!