Bring me joy

Catherine Calderwood, chief medical officer for Scotland

I didn’t ever imagine that there could be job satisfaction that would rival the feeling of holding a newly born baby, handing them over to smiling, crying, overwhelmed parents and observing their faces filled with emotion and exhaustion. I have kept all the thank you cards.

But that was my previous job. Joy now is brought by the variety of days, which are literally never the same. There are interesting and influential people to meet, tough challenges to face, and difficult decisions to make. And then there is the interaction with the dedicated people I meet in Scotland and further afield while discussing Realistic Medicine1 and the effect it is having. There is joy too in moving away from my medical comfort zone into the worlds of education, justice, and finance. They provide great privileges, unique experiences, “likes” on Twitter, good conference feedback, and heartfelt thank you cards—and, yes, I do still keep them all—that keep me smiling.

Sally El-Ghazali, anaesthetics and intensive care registrar and chair of the Association of Anaesthetists Trainee Committee

I …