Portskerra woman in vanguard for medical qualification
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A medical student from Portskerra is encouraging others from the Highlands to train as a physician associate (PA).
Katya MacKenzie (28) is one of three students who are the first ever employed by NHS Highland to study the MSc physician associate studies course, at the Faculty of Physician Associates School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition at the University of Aberdeen.
Physician associates are collaborative healthcare professionals with a generalist medical education, who work alongside doctors, GPs and surgeons, providing medical care as an integral part of the team.
Katya and her colleagues Frances Seahafer and Liam Allan have put together a video which was posted on social media aimed at encouraging others to follow their lead.
She first heard about the two-year postgraduate degree while working on the ward at Raigmore Hospital.
“You really have to be very self-motivating when it comes to studying as there is so much to learn in such a short period of time,” she said.
“The job, though, is totally worth it.”
She added: “In my opinion there is no better job.”
Liam, who is 24 and from Findochty in Moray, said: “I joined the course to build on my current skills as a diagnostic radiographer and become more involved in frontline medical care.
“I enjoy the challenge of managing acutely unwell patients and wanted to advance my skill and knowledge in this area.”
Mr Allan said he had enjoyed working with the medical and surgical teams in Raigmore, where he hopes to continue working and which he described as “a credit to medicine and to the Highlands”.
