Debbie D'Oyley

Born and raised in Hackney to Jamaican parents, Debbie's earliest impression was made by TV pathologist "Quincy ME", played by the wonderful Jack Klugman - an old white dude, if ever there was one. But, being amazed and surprised to see reflections of herself on British TV she took inspiration where she could from shows such as "Love Thy Neighbour" (1972-76), which demonstrated a strong marriage between the well-spoken Rudolph Walker's Bill and Nina Baden-Semper's Barbie Reynolds. But, the call of medicine was enhanced by "St. Elsewhere" (1982-88) and the young doctors led by the star intern - Denzel Washington's Phillip Chandler. There was inspiration within her own family when her mother wowed the nation in Channel 4's "Cutting Edge: Casulties" (25/11/1991), as the exemplary Sister "... whose quiet yet purposeful presence seemed to be all that stood between a highly disturbed mentally ill young man and a violent outburst," (Nursing Times, Nov 13-19 1991, P.16). As the crew filmed on the front line at Homerton Hospital, the nation's empathy burst forth as she first calmed the man, then led him around, holding his hand, but going about what business she could. Debbie graduated St. Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, London University, less than a year later. Within two years, she had found her calling in the sub-speciality of anaesthesia, mastering the dextrous practical skills, situational awareness, clinical pharmacology and medical knowledge to such an extent that she was informally promoted into 'acting up' as a registrar on the duty roster, with all of the increased responsibilities thereof. This was characteristic of the rest of her career, her abilities and love of the sub-speciality helped her through the strenuous years of personal losses whilst sitting post-graduate clinical exams. By the time she achieved accreditation, she had accrued an extraordinary volume of experience treating thousands of patients, and rewarded with a gold medal in clinical excellence from St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, after completing a year as senior clinical fellow in liver transplant and hepatopancreaticobiliary anaesthesia. Enduring skewed perceptions and negative politics, she gathered more routine and high risk specialist clinical peri-operative management experience at consultant level. She was committed to participating in hospital and simulator-based assessments of trainees, fellows and students, designing and organising lectures, tutorials and courses. Two of her courses were recognised for training and consultant revalidation by the Royal College of Anaesthesia. She became an on-set supervisor and safety consultant for two British TV documentaries, and was selected from over 400 London applicants to become a BBC Academy BAME Expert Voice. She continued to present internationally and publish unique case reports, hoping to add to the specialist knowledge base Debbie earned an Arts PG Certificate in medical humanities from Birkbeck University's MA course - the interdisciplinary field of medicine which includes the humanities (literature, philosophy, ethics, history and religion), social science (anthropology, cultural studies, psychology, sociology, health geography) and the Arts (literature, theater, film, and visual arts) and how they can be applied to medical education and practice. She gained the speciality's core strengths of imaginative non-conformist qualities applied to medical practice. She hopes to complete the Masters degree one day. She changed career to become a medical assessor with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), an executive branch of the Department of Health, providing clinical assessment of the quality, safety and efficacy of drugs and patient/prescriber information as an EMA clinical expert for patients, public, Pharmaceutical companies, colleagues, MPs, expert advisory groups and the Commission on Human Medicines. She works across two teams including, of course, medicines used in intensive care, pain and anaesthesia, as well as other cardiovascular, diabetic and other medicines affecting the central nervous system. Debbie is also an active blogger and earned her BAJ press card once she realised the power of images and rhe Arts. So, she creatively utilises journalism to help change perceptions of ethnic, social and gender groups entering any profession.