Valerie Rae

Hello, I’m Val Rae, a paediatric registrar working in South East Scotland. I am interested in paediatric high dependency care and implementing strategies within our systems to support wellbeing. Prior to commencing paediatric training, I enjoyed a wonderful year working within the Emergency Department team at RHCYP.

When I’m not at work, I enjoy getting outside for a run or a dunk in the sea as well as yoga and breath work. I can often be found with my head in a good book!

Lachlan Dick

I attended the University of Edinburgh and was awarded an MBChB in 2015. I completed Foundation Training in the West of Scotland following which I was accepted on to the East of Scotland Core Surgical Training programme. I joined the East of Scotland General Surgery training programme in 2021 and finished my ST4 year at Ninewells Hospital. I have experience of both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and have previously been a member of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland Emergency General Surgery Teaching and Training committee.

Away from medicine, I enjoy spending time with my young family and competing in professional level solo bagpipe competitions.

Ashley Simpson

Born and bred and trained in Edinburgh, Ashley is a senior registrar within the South East of Scotland, specialising in Renal Medicine. She is taking 2 years out of her training programme to undertake a Medical Education MD Fellowship within NHS Lothian. Her area of interest is Widening Participation, a subject matter which holds significant personal relevance for her.

When not at work or studying, Ashley enjoys a wide variety of outdoor pursuits, including rock climbing, hill walking, running, cycling, kayaking, skiing, cold water swimming & so on! On more relaxed days, she loves cooking, especially vegan cuisines of the Middle East and Asia. She has a soft spot for animals, and is known to rescue and re-wild all sorts of creatures, most recently a sparrow hawk!

Toby Merriman

Hi, I’m Toby and I’m an Acute Medicine Registrar in South-East Scotland. I studied in St Andrews and Glasgow, before completing my Foundation training on the west coast. I then moved to Edinburgh to complete Core Medical Training, before spending an amazing year in Australia. After moving back to Edinburgh, it took me a while to settle on a specialty, but eventually I began training as an Acute Medicine registrar.

My interests within medical education include professional identity formation, workplace learning and assessment, and the promotion of an equitable culture within NHS Lothian.

Outside of work, I love being on the water in any way, and I’ve worked as a Sailing instructor in the past. I’m also a keen runner, a film enthusiast, and I love spending time walking our golden retriever, Maverick.

Katie Hughes

Hello, my name is Katie. I’m a Trauma & Orthopaedic Registrar on the South East Scotland Training Programme. I’m taking time out of programme post ST4 to undertake a Medical Education Fellowship. I studied Medicine and completed the Academic Foundation Programme at St. George’s, University of London. I then did Core Surgical Training on the South Coast of England before moving to Scotland. I am excited to join the MED team to continue to develop my teaching skills and (hopefully!) bring a positive learning experience to students across NHS Lothian.

Alongside my MED role, I am undertaking a MD at the University of Edinburgh researching hip displacement in cerebral palsy (CP). My project uses artificial intelligence to try and improve the efficiency of CP hip surveillance and better understand how surgery can help children with CP.

I am very fortunate to split my time between Edinburgh and The Tweed Valley where I get to enjoy some of the best biking in the world! I also love rock climbing, cooking and curating Spotify playlists.

Sarah Galbraith

Hello, my name is Sarah, and I am a Medical Education Fellow within the MED team.  I am in my penultimate year of respiratory and general medicine training.  I have always had a keen interest in Medical Education and has supported this area throughout my career.  Within my role as a Fellow, I have chosen to focus on the use of AI in Medical Education and am busy developing a curriculum for a national training pathway in Bronchoscopy enabling me to utilise knowledge gained through completion of the Post Graduate Certificate in Clinical Education from the University of Edinburgh.

Charlotte Dewdney

Hello I am a Diabetes and Endocrinology trainee based in NHS Lothian. I graduated from Edinburgh University in 2016 with an additional Neuroscience BMedSci. I completed Foundation Training in Edinburgh and then spent 8 months working as a Clinical Fellow in Shetland. Following this I did my Internal Medicine Training in Inverness before returning to Edinburgh. I have been a member of the Royal College of Physicians Trainee and Members’ Committee since 2019 and I am currently the lead for the Evening Medical Updates.

Outside of work I enjoy cycling, hiking and eating cake!

Stephen Waite

I am an anaesthetic registrar currently taking time out of training following the completion of core training in the East of Scotland. I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Edinburgh before departing for Liverpool, briefly returning to Edinburgh, and then latterly training in Dundee. My clinical interests include Intensive Care Medicine, sustainability and medical leadership.  Within medical education I have a particular interest in simulation.

Outside of work I enjoy travel (I’m currently learning Spanish) and I enjoy watching sport - I’m a big Welsh rugby fan and you’ll regularly find me at Murrayfield supporting Edinburgh. I do my best to live up to the anaesthetic stereotype, both obsessing about coffee and enjoying time out on the bike. I’m kept grounded by my fiancé Eilidh and my cat Niko (who will doubtlessly feature on future Teams calls).

I’m excited to meet a whole host of new people and develop as an educator as I join the MED team!

Jan Engel

Hello, I’m Jan and I just completed three years of Internal Medicine Training in the South East of Scotland. I’m very excited about being one of the new Medical Education Fellows starting in August 2024.

Before moving to Scotland in 2021, I completed my medical degree and foundation training in Austria and was also lucky enough to complete electives in Germany, Scotland and Tanzania. My main clinical interest is Infectious Diseases, focusing my undergraduate thesis on parasitology and completing the Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene in 2021. I’m also interested in Acute & Critical Care and hold an MSc in Internal Medicine from the University of Edinburgh.

I first became interested in medical education through volunteering with the Austrian Red Cross Ambulance Service and while working as an undergraduate sonography tutor at the Medical University of Vienna, which also involved organising national and international sonography courses for students. More recently I have been working on improving PACES teaching as the Chair of the SE of Scotland PACES Teaching Committee and have been developing my academic interest in teaching through completing a PgCert in Medical Education.

As an International Medical Graduate, I know how hard (but ultimately rewarding) it is to successfully relocate to a new country and healthcare system and I hope to use my time as a MEF to help improve support and training for IMGs, especially those who have recently moved to the UK.

Outside of work, you can usually find me out and about in the hills with my wife, and I’m currently pursuing the UK Mountain Leader qualification and International Diploma in Expedition and Wilderness Medicine. I also love spending time with my family, playing tabletop roleplaying games, and wishing I was better at rock climbing.

Jennifer (Jen) Wood

Hello, my name is Jen; I’m an early years EM doctor taking time out of clinical work to undertake a Medical Education Fellowship in sustainability. I took a circuitous route into medicine, before being awarded my MBChB by the University of Dundee in 2020. My Foundation Programme training was undertaken in South East Scotland, where I spent a further two years in NHS Fifes ED department as a Clinical Fellow. One of my other ‘hats’ is as the communications lead for RCEM GreenED.  I’m excited about working with new teams to focus on making our healthcare more resilient to the various challenges we face collectively and to develop my teaching skills.

In my spare time, I enjoy outdoor activities (gravel riding, hiking, climbing, swimming), art, reading and am currently experimenting with foraging recipes and brewing beer (brave taste testers accepted!)

Niharika Nalagatla

Hello, my name is Niharika. I am an Ophthalmology registrar in my fourth year of training working in South-East Scotland. I am taking an Out of Programme to complete a Medical Education Fellowship this year. I studied Medicine at the University of Aberdeen and then competed my Foundation Training in Glasgow, where I originally grew up. My personal interests include promoting excellence in training through teaching and education and trainee wellbeing. I am interested in the use of simulation to improve experiences in training as well as clinical outcomes. I hope to use the skills and knowledge I gain during this fellowship to make a positive impact in both undergraduate and postgraduate education in NHS Lothian.

In my spare time I love being active and some of my hobbies include running and hill walking!

Victoria (Vicky) Sobolewska

My name is Vicky and I am a Respiratory registrar working in South East Scotland. I carried out my undergraduate training in Aberdeen and then moved to Edinburgh at the start of Foundation training and have been here since! After Foundation training I did a year as a Clinical Development Fellow and was able to start getting involved more with teaching through the Simulation programme as well as attending the MLA and QI Academy. I then went on to do my Internal Medicine Training before starting as a Respiratory registrar in 2022. I have recently been able to use my skills in facilitating sim sessions by running a ward MDT based sim with the respiratory team, which has been well received. I am also regularly involved in teaching the medical students as they rotate through the respiratory department.

I’m taking time out of programme after completing ST5 to undertake a Medical Education Fellow post. I’m really looking forward to being more involved with simulation again as well as developing new teaching and leadership skills. I also hope to be involved more with the undergraduate teaching programme and aim to complete the PGCert in clinical education.

Out of work I enjoy running/going to the gym, good food and coffee and spending time with friends/family. I enjoy travelling and being able to relax in the sun! I may also be known for going on the occasional shopping spree...

Stephanie Penswick

Hello I am a Diabetes and Endocrinology trainee in Edinburgh. I graduated from Edinburgh University in 2015 and intercalated in Reproductive Biology. I have worked in South East Scotland since graduation in clinical fellow and medical training posts.

Outside of work I enjoy hitting the gym, board games and climbing!

Thomas O’Neill

I've enjoyed a portfolio career combining clinical research, medical education, and paediatric emergency medicine. I have special interests in healthcare inequalities & improving access & experiences of equitable healthcare, and using simulation in innovative ways to improve communication skills.

With MED, I primarily work on educational programme development and innovation, working with teams to come up with creative solutions to emerging challenges. My main focus currently is new ways of approaching communication simulation, using artificial intelligence to power on-demand communication skill training & rehearsal for both postgraduate and undergraduate healthcare professionals. Outside of work, I'm a climbing & bouldering instructor and will happily take any of the MED team for a climb as an excuse for a 'work meeting'!