Dashboard – I'm a Scientist 2024

About Me:

I am a 52 year old married father of two children, a radiologist by trade, I am interested in many subjects beyond my work, especially aeroplanes. I build balsa wood planes that fly by themselves.
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I enjoy my work, but I do not think it defines me entirely. I have worked part-time since the birth of my children and I am glad that I was able to take a greater role in their upbringing than my father did. They are reasonably independent now, so my role at home has changed, too.

I enjoy reading, particularly non-fiction books. I find that audiobooks are great and enjoy listening to books on a variety of subjects; physics, astronomy, biology and history.

When I was a child I built plastic models. They came in big, colourful boxes, but the end results were generally small and disappointing (usually covered in fingerprints). As an adult I started building flying aeroplane models made of balsa model. These come in small boxes or as plans, but they build up into something that actually FLIES! In truth I am a bit of a frustrated engineer. I test myself in free flight flying scale model competitions. The aim is to make models that look like and fly like the real plane, but with no controls after launching. It is an endless challenge.
My pronouns are:

He/him
My Work:

Consultant radiologist in North Wales
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Slot cars built from resin kits.

Rubber band powered model designed 1942

Cattle in Oberhelfenschwil

Oberhelfenschwil, where my mother lives

Airfix Lightning model, assembled and painted by me. Cloudscape box.

I assess pictures of the insides of people, trying to find out what is making them feel ill.
My Typical Day:

The main part of my job is looking at pictures of people and writing short reports on what I find. The pictures are taken by radiographers, who I work closely with. Doctors from other specialties ask us to find out or confirm what they think is wrong with someone, we like to think we can usually give a clear answer. I sometimes take the pictures myself and some procedures. I used to do more procedures- image guided drainage, widening arteries etc.
What I'd do with the prize money:

Stage a make and fly a model competition.

Candidate CV questions (extra)

Education:

I wanted to be a photographer or a psychiatrist when I was at school. I liked computer programming, but thought it would bore me long-term.

I took biology up at A level and really enjoyed it. I decided to apply for medicine at university. I was disappointed not to get a place in Cambridge University, but Cardiff University was fine and gave me a good education. After two years of medicine, I did a BSc in Anatomy; (a year after the presenter Professor Alice Roberts did the same course, but I didn’t know her well). The BSc included research involving immunohistochemistry. This is now commonly used in medical diagnosis, using automated processes, but the principles are the same as the tedious bench-top work I did.

As the UK was then part of the European Union, I got to study medicine in both France and Finland, which was really useful. After graduation in 1998, I started a PhD in London (in augmented reality), but it was not for me and I returned to clinical medicine.
After a few junior doctor jobs, I applied for Radiology specialist training. The training program is five years and paid, but there are lots of exams. I became a consultant in 2008 and I still enjoy it.
Qualifications:

Eight GCSEs; All A

Four A levels ; Biology, Chemistry, Maths with Stats, French. A,A,C,B

BSc in Anatomy

MBBCh – Medical degree

FRCR – Radiology specialist qualification
Work History:

I was an auxiliary nurse in St Moritz, Switzerland for ten months

Two months as an auxiliary nurse in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Temporary jobs as door-to-door sales (useless at it), packing plants, receptionist, and working for the Environment Agency

As a medic I worked as a GP, as a hospital house officer (junior doctor), then in A&E and Gynaecology before starting Radiology training .
Current Job:

Consultant Radiologist.
My job involves combining knowledge of medicine, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and physics to come up with a reasonable single answer or small number of possibilities as to what is wrong with someone. Occasionally I recommend other tests to confirm the findings. Although most of my communication is via written reports, I also join regular meetings where cases are discussed by people with a variety of roles – trying to find the best way forward. Medicine is always changing and evolving, with new techniques and methods of working, it keeps me interested.
Employer:

BCUHB – Betsy Cadwaladr University Health Board

Effectively the North Wales NHS hospitals

My Interview
- How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
  
  Dad, radiologist, modeller
  
  What did you want to be after you left school?
  
  Photographer, psychiatrist or computer programmer
  
  Were you ever in trouble at school?
  
  Not much, did go once AWOL for an evening during a field trip.
  
  If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
  
  Aviation engineer
  
  Who is your favourite singer or band?
  
  I can’t pick one, but I listen to prog rock, jazz, Bach….
  
  What's your favourite food?
  
  Smoked salmon
  
  If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
  
  Remain well, see my children become adults, maintain my lifestyle
  
  Tell us a joke.
  
  What do you call a fly without wings? A walk.