Psychiatry consultants have varied and diverse roles. And from leading a team of multidisciplinary professionals to helping rehabilitate individuals, this diversity is what Dr Baruah enjoys most every day. We asked Dr Baruah a few questions about her role as a psychiatrist, including what it entails and how working locum shifts works for her.
How long have you been a psychiatrist and why did you want to become one?
“I’ve been in psychiatry for more than 17 years. Before that, I worked in a few different fields, including forensic medicine and neurology. It was only when I started learning about neuropsychiatric disorders that I considered psychiatry more closely. I was always interested in brain disorders and that led me into forensic psychiatry.”
How did you become a psychiatry consultant?
“When I became a registered practitioner in 2001, I wanted to find out which areas of practice were best suited for me, so I went into neurology. As my interest in forensic psychiatry grew and I became more experienced, I took on my current role as a forensic community consultant.”
What does being a psychiatry consultant entail?
“The role of a consultant is to lead a multidisciplinary team and to decide how best to treat a patient. Providing care isn’t just a doctor’s responsibility. We are a team of nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists and care workers, and my role is to bring these different skills together to help patients overcome sometimes complex and challenging issues.
Usually, this means I’m based at a hospital, but as a forensic community consultant, I’m frequently in the community, especially where patients have been moved into local care settings.”
What do you enjoy most about being a psychiatry consultant?
“Making a difference to people’s lives is very rewarding. Everything we do is about helping our patients overcome complex disorders and seeing them succeed is always very satisfying.”
What are the challenges of being a psychiatry consultant?
“It can be extremely hard work. You need a lot of specialist knowledge and to continually keep up to date with changes to our practice. Some of our patients also come with very difficult backgrounds and issues, and there are also challenges involved with leading a team. It can be a challenging role, but it makes the rewards all the more enjoyable.”
What are the most important skills for a psychiatry consultant?
“You need a lot of medical knowledge, and you need to be continually refreshing this knowledge as the field changes. Another important skill is teamwork as leading a team comes with its own challenges. Then I would say perseverance. It is a challenging role that involves a lot of hard work so being able to persevere is important.”
Why did you choose to work locum rather than taking up a permanent role?
“Working locum gives me more flexibility. I enjoy having a range of different cases and using my varied experience, and locum allows me to do that. In a permanent role, I’d feel stagnant, so working in this way helps me balance the diversity of my experience with flexible working.”
What were your first experiences with Global Medics and how have you found working with them?
“I first started working with Global Medics in 2011. After working a few more permanent roles I got back in touch in 2015 and have stayed ever since.
The support that I have received from Global Medics has been exceptional. They listen to my interests and what I am looking for and have gone out of their way to find locum roles that are suited to me. They have been extremely supportive throughout my career.”
Finally, what advice do you have for anybody considering becoming a psychiatry consultant?
“My main advice is to really think about it. It does come with challenges and can be hard work, so isn’t necessarily for everyone. But if you’re prepared to take up the challenge, it can be an extremely rewarding role.”
From leading a team of medical specialists to helping patients overcome challenging disorders, being a psychiatry consultant is an immensely rewarding role. Discover more about becoming a psychiatry consultant and find your next psychiatry role with Global Medics.
