'My students' achievements will eclipse mine'

What attracted you to study at King’s?

King’s – or Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital as it was when I studied there – has such a great reputation nationally and internationally. I knew I’d be taught by extraordinary teachers and surrounded by exciting work.

Also, I grew up in the South Coast, so I wanted to study in London because it’s so diverse and full of people from different places.

What attracted you to dentistry?

When I was at school and deciding what to study, I did two weeks of work experience, one with my dentist and one with my doctor. I genuinely couldn’t decide between them. I ended up being a maxillofacial surgeon, which combines them both.

My dentist graduated from Guy’s and he loved his job. Patients came to him with a problem, he’d listen to them, formulate a plan and deliver it. That combination of problem solving, patient interaction and clinical skill set all sold dentistry to me.

What’s your favourite memory of your time at King’s? 

I enjoyed all of it, soaking up knowledge from all of the lecturers and teachers. It was inevitable I’d enjoy the clinical aspect as I loved meeting all the patients.

I had great classmates. We were all so supportive of each other. The year above you would be your ‘mum’ or ‘dad’ and look after you, then we did the same for the year below us. There was plenty of opportunity to have fun.

What’s the key skill or lesson you learnt at King’s?

Know that others have gone through it before you, so you can ask them. You’ve got your teachers and you’ve got your peers. Everyone’s willing to help you. Also, remember that you have to work hard – be organised and planned. And keep going!

What was your plan when you left King’s?

To be frank, I didn’t plan to be an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. When I graduated, I felt I needed extra skills and confidence in the surgical aspects of dentistry to be the best possible clinician I could be. I ended up at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in an oral and maxillofacial unit doing the equivalent of dental core training. I gained so much experience and had a supportive consultant and resident trainee who helped me build up my surgical confidence.

In the end, I loved it so much and I had so much support that I thought, ‘This is it. This is what I’m going to do.’

What are your proudest career achievements so far?

At King’s, we train about 30% of the oral and maxillofacial surgeons of the country. What people will most remember me for is my role in supporting and mentoring future surgeons, having a role in their journey and helping to ensure that we have a workforce to serve the country. My students’ achievements will eclipse mine and that’s warming to think about.

Also, as a clinician, being able to make a difference to a patient is special. Be it getting them out of the pain, managing their infection, removing cancer or reconstructing their face. People’s faces are their identity and we’re so lucky to be able to have a role in helping people to get on with their lives.

What have been the biggest challenges?

I love my clinical, academic, national and international career, and being a mum and a wife. The biggest challenge is juggling all of those. You don’t necessarily juggle it well all the time. You might take a bit longer and accept there are things you might like to do but don’t have time for right now.

Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a long pathway and it’s demanding. You have to be ready for challenges. You have to build resilience – it’s so important to have perseverance and a strong support network. For me, my support network started way back when I was studying.

You were the first woman professor with dual qualification in your field. How has oral and maxillofacial surgery changed since you started your career? 

The landscape has changed so much. There are more women, there’s more diversity and everything’s more achievable. There’s more belief in ourselves that we can do it, supporting each other and having colleagues around us supporting us. I feel it’s my responsibility to do that for the next generation, too.

Alongside your clinical and teaching work, you’ve done so many other things. What motivates you?

My year as President of the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons was quite extraordinary. To have that opportunity to share knowledge, help improve training and improve our care for patients was amazing. To be able to represent our specialty and our association internationally and nationally – working with the Chief Dental Officer and the Department of Health and Social Care was extraordinary. It’s such a privilege to be in a position where you can make a difference.

I’m also an international academic and I’ve recently taught in Davos, Padua and Dubai in oral and maxillofacial surgery. I enjoy sharing what we do here in the United Kingdom, but teaching internationally also means I can learn how things are done elsewhere and bring those perspectives back with me. We never stop learning.

What advice would you give to King’s students and alumni wanting to follow in your career footsteps?

You should always have an idea of where you want to be. Sometimes things happen that mean you make detours. But if you know where you’re going, your trajectory is always more or less in the same direction. And know that you will get there. If you enjoy your job and you’re doing something you believe in, you will be successful.