In this episode, we talk to Dr Brunning about the strategies we can use to improve our wellbeing, by trying to make sure we have a good day.

In this episode we are exploring the highs and lows of spending 526 days as a British Antarctic Survey doctor, with Dr Kat Ganly. 

In this three-part series of exit interviews, we have informal conversations with previous UK anaesthetic trainees who left the traditional training structure to pursue another path. These paths include careers outside of medicine, and outside of the UK. We ask about their thoughts on their time as a trainee. In this episode, Nilofer Ahmed shares her experience.

In this three-part series of exit interviews, we have informal conversations with previous UK anaesthetic trainees who left the traditional training structure to pursue another path. These paths include careers outside of medicine, and outside of the UK. We ask about their thoughts on their time as a trainee. In this episode, Chris Smith-Brown shares his experience.

In this episode we discuss Dr. Rob Fleming’s experience developing his career as a specialist anaesthetist and how this under-represented part of the medical workforce could be the solution to the anaesthetics training crisis.

Dr. Caroline Corbett is a specialist anaesthetist in Cape Town, South Africa. She is the current President of the South African Society of Anaesthesiologists and the Medical Director & Co-Founder of Morgan Joshua Innovation – a start up medical tech company. In this episode, we discuss human-centric innovation and why any great idea or advancement must focus on people and staff.

Happy New Year and welcome back to Coffee and a Gas Podcast! In this episode, Claire-Marie Agius interviews Dame Julia Slingo about the role of the anaesthetist in the climate crisis and the evidence base behind interventions to reduce the carbon footprint in anaesthesia.

Dame Slingo was the UK Chief Scientist at the Met Office until 2016. She is also a visiting professor in the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading, where she held, prior to appointment to the Met Office, the position of Director of Climate Research in the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) National Centre for Atmospheric Science.

For further information on this topic, do look out for Dame Slingo’s article in the January issue of Anaesthesia.

This episode was recorded live at Trainee Conference 2023 by Dr Allan Xu. He interviews his Australian counterpart Dr Ben Cahill about life in Australia as a doctor in anaesthetic training.

This month our guests on the podcast are Dr Tommy Perkins and Dr Ed Cantelo from Medics' Money. Tommy and Ed are both GPs, and Ed also has a background as a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser. They talk about financial wellbeing, offer financial advice to new doctors, discuss the recent changes to pension tax and more. 

We’re delighted to have Tamal Ray with us in this episode of Coffee and a Gas. Tamal is a Less Than Full Time anaesthetic registrar currently working in London. He rose to fame in 2015 when he was a finalist on the Great British Bake Off. He then re-appeared on our TV screens as co-presenter of Channel 4’s Live Well For Longer in 2018 and is now a food columnist for The Guardian. In this episode we talk about his experience of Less Than Full Time Training and his passion for baking.

In this episode Vice President of the Association Dr Tei Sheraton talks to Dr Shahina Braganza and Dr Christa Bell, who are both consultants in emergency medicine in Queensland, Australia. They talk about their wellbeing work, how it is developed, what makes it work, challenges they have faced and why wellbeing is a team sport.

The Coffee and a Gas podcast is back! Our new podcast lead Dr Allan Xu and Dr Leyla Turkoglu from the Trainee Committee talk to beloved children's author and writer Michael Rosen about his experience in intensive care with COVID-19 and his subsequent recovery. Keep an eye out for further new podcast episodes in your feed in the upcoming months. 

In this episode introduced by Dr Claire-Marie Agius, we talk with Dr Louise Flynn, consultant paediatric anaesthetist in Leeds, about using escape rooms to study team dynamics in theatre.

In this episode of Coffee and a Gas we are talking about fatigue. Fatigue is something that we have all experienced as anaesthetists, even before the pandemic. We’re talking to Dr Roopa McCrossan and Dr Emma Plunkett, who are consultant anaesthetists and pioneered the Association’s Fight Fatigue campaign.

In this episode we welcome Professor Dame Clare Gerada. Dame Clare is a GP with extensive experience of working in mental health and addiction. After her psychiatry training she took up general practice while maintaining her interest and expertise in addiction. Dame Clare has held an impressive number of national roles and is currently the President of the Royal College of General Practitioners. She is also the Medical Director of the NHS Practitioner Health programme. She joins us to talk about burnout in healthcare workers. (Find her book Beneath the White Coat on the Routledge website http://ow.ly/WN1A50H3YYW)

We are delighted to welcome you to our first in-person recording of the podcast, coming to you from the Association of Anaesthetists Trainee Conference in Newcastle. We are joined by Prof Michael Trenell, professor of lifestyle medicine and digital health at Newcastle University, and CEO of the digital behaviour change company Changing Health.

In episode 3 of Coffee and a Gas we are excited to have Dr Michael Mosley joining us to talk about healthy eating. He is a scientist, journalist, producer and TV presenter, and a pioneer of intermittent fasting. We discuss nutrition and healthy eating for busy anaesthetists, and how we can optimise our nutrition to make us more productive. 

Welcome to episode 2 of Coffee and a Gas. In this episode we are talking to James Wilson, also known as the Sleep Geek. James is an expert in sleep behaviour and environment, and has been featured on the BBC and ITV, as well as being a sleep adviser for Rotherham United football club. 

Welcome to Coffee and a Gas, a wellbeing podcast brought to you by the Association of Anaesthetists Trainee Committee. This podcast will cover topics from fatigue and sleep to mentoring, digital detox, and mental health. 

The first episode is hosted by Dr Nikki Sharma and Dr Nadia Taylor, and they are joined by Dr Mark Stacey who talks about reframing the day and stress management. 

In this episode, Dr. Matt Wiles, editor-in-chief of Anaesthesia, discusses the 10 most impactful papers (2023-2024) in anaesthesia.  For links to the papers discusses, follow Pick of the Papers 2024 | STH Journal Club (wordpress.com)

In this episode, Dr Nancy Redfern discusses the benefits of mentoring for anaesthetists, particularly when starting a new role or wrestling with a dilemma.

Are you attending the Annual Congress, or any other large Conference organised by the Association of Anaesthests?

Book a free introductory mentoring session.  Interested in having a mentor? Fill in our booking form Mentee_booking_form_Association_of_Anaethetists_Sep_2018 (New.docx (live.com) and as a member of the Association of Anaesthetists, you can access mentoring via our free Association Mentoring Scheme.

Further info regarding mentoring: Mentoring for doctors in the UK: what it can do for you, your colleagues, and your patients (bjaed.org), and "Coaching and Mentoring at work" by Connor & Pokora.

Welcome to another special internationally-themed episode of our podcast Coffee and a Gas, where we embark on a global exploration of equity in anaesthesia. In this episode, we bring unite the UK and Kenya as our host speaks with Dr Tom Bashford and Dr Rediet Shimeles Workneh to gain insightful conversations unravelling the complex web of challenges and triumphs in the pursuit of global equity in anaesthesia.

This episode sheds light on the work of the Association’s International Relations Committee and inspiring endeavours that aim to bridge gaps in the access of quality anaesthetic care and shares stories of resilience, innovation, and collaborative efforts aimed at addressing inequities.

Ben Morton and Duncan Wagstaff – Research in lower income settings

Join us for another special internationally-themed episode of our podcast Coffee and a Gas, where we explore the fascinating intersection of anaesthetic research and healthcare challenges in low-resourced countries. In this episode, join our host as they sit down with Dr Ben Morton in the UK and Dr Duncan Wagstaff from South Africa to discuss the challenges and inequalities faced in lower-income environments, and how the Association’s International Relations Committee (IRC) is helping the efforts of individuals and organisations dedicated to improving collaboration through research and publication opportunities worldwide.

Listen to inspiring stories and advice from our guests who will explore the global landscape of anaesthetic research, collaboration, and the transformative impact that thoughtful research can have on communities facing healthcare disparities.

Welcome to another inspiring episode which shows how the IRC has changed lives around the world.

Welcome to a special international-themed episode of our podcast Coffee and a Gas. In this episode, we travel to San Francisco and Uganda bring together Dr Maytinee Lilaonitkul and Dr Mary Nabukenya to shine a spotlight on a groundbreaking Safer Education From Anaesthesia (SAFE) program.

Join us for an insightful exploration of SAFE, a collaborative venture with the Association of Anaesthetists and the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists that unites anaesthesia professionals from around the world in the pursuit of standardised, high-quality education. Our inspiring guests will share their expertise on how this initiative is shaping the landscape of anaesthesia education on an international scale.

Welcome to an episode that underscores the importance of international collaboration in advancing the standards of anaesthesia education and, ultimately, ensuring safer practices across the globe!

In celebration of Pride Month, members of the Trainee Committee are joined by Dr. Travis Reece-Nguyen to discuss diversity within anaesthesia, perioperative care for LGBTQ+ patients as well as their own personal experiences. Dr. Reece-Nguyen is an anaesthesiologist at Stanford’s Children Hospital and National Vice Chair of the American Society of Anesthesiologists LGBTQ+ Ad-Hoc Committee.

In this three-part series of exit interviews, we have informal conversations with previous UK anaesthetic trainees who left the traditional training structure to pursue another path. These paths include careers outside of medicine, and outside of the UK. We ask about their thoughts on their time as a trainee. In this episode, Hiba Khaled shares her experience.

In the latest episode of the Coffee and a Gas podcast, veterinary anaesthetist Daisy Norgate joins Joe Pick to discuss her career. We cover career paths and technical aspects of anaesthetising some weird and wonderful cases.

Starting anaesthetics training can feel exciting, daunting, and everything in between. In this episode, we sit down with a resident doctor who has just completed Stage 1 to share what it’s really like — from first on-calls to tackling the Primary FRCA, managing the e-portfolio, and finding your feet in theatre. Packed with practical tips, honest reflections, and advice they wish they’d known on day one, this is your survival guide to navigating Stage 1 and setting yourself up to thrive.

A two part episode with a meeting with former ENT surgeon and current MP, Mr Peter Prinsley, to talk about his career change, followed by a chat with President of the Association, Dr Tim Meek, to discuss how the Association advocates for its members.

Joe Pick and Claire-Marie Agius are joined by Kim Thomas. Kim is CEO of the Birth Trauma Association, a charity that supports parents experiencing psychological symptoms such as PTSD after traumatic birth. She was also the secretariat for the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) inquiry into birth trauma, and wrote the inquiry report, published in May 2024.

We discuss the idea of birth trauma and how as anaesthetists we may be able to help those going through traumatic situations.

In this Black History Month episode, we sit down with Dr Sethina Watson, Consultant Anaesthetist, and Mr Russell Ampofo, Director of Education, Training and Examinations at the RCoA. We celebrate the contributions of black anaesthetists and explore representation, allyship and advancing equity and inclusion in anaesthesia.

Dr Joe Pick is joined by Dr Rachel Clarke (palliative care doctor, author and former tv journalist) discussing the importance of storytelling in medicine and how you can make it part of your day-to-day practice.

In this deeply honest episode, Lucy reflects on a traumatic experience from early in her medical training and how its psychological impact followed her into clinical practice. We explore PTSD, imposter syndrome, and the hidden emotional burden of working in high-pressure specialties like anaesthetics.

This conversation shines a light on the gap between outward competence and inner struggle, the culture of silence around trauma in medicine, and why acknowledging our humanity matters for long-term wellbeing.

We also signpost to support available for anaesthetists through the Association of Anaesthetists:

• Wellbeing & support hub https://anaesthetists.org/Home/Wellbeing-support
• Mental wellbeing guidance https://anaesthetists.org/Home/Wellbeing-support/Mental-wellbeing
• Emergency contacts & support services https://anaesthetists.org/Wellbeing/Emergency-contacts
• Wellbeing leads & career support https://anaesthetists.org/Home/Wellbeing-support/Career-support/Wellbeing-Leads 

In this episode of our ‘stages’ series we discuss the challenges faced by the mid-career anaesthetist. It’s an often forgotten about stage of life and a career, where direction and purpose can be unclear. We are joined in this podcast by Dr Lois Brand an emergency medicine consultant and specialised coach who runs popular career pit stop sessions and Dr Robert Self VP of the Association of Anaesthetists.

Links

https://careerpitstop.co.uk

Joe Pick is joined by Head of Education and Events at the Association of Anaesthetists, Zack Puttock, to discuss upcoming events and education brought to you by the Association.

You’ve found your feet as an anaesthetic resident. Now it’s time to tackle specialist rotations, increased responsibility and the Final FRCA.

Dr Toni Robinson is joined by Dr Emma O’Neill to discuss practical advice on navigating Stage 2 training, avoiding common pitfalls and building a sustainable career in anaesthesia.

You’ve worked out how to navigate portfolio and training. Now it’s time to take the next step, becoming a senior resident and working out what kind of consultant you are going to be. Joe Pick is joined by Mo Amer to discuss practical advice on how to thrive in stage 3 and how to start planning for your future.