RUMS Review Vol. VIII Issue I - January 2023

Out of Hours
Professor
What made you choose
medicine?
Kate Ward
By Eeshaan Ghanekar
My career in Medicine was started off
by my love for science, as my first
degree was, in fact, Biochemistry at
UCL. I then moved into doing a PhD at
Cambridge, looking at DNA repair.
However, what I realised was that
research was a very lonely, inwardlooking
sort of thing to do. One day,
my partner suggested, ‘Why don’t you
do Medicine?’ Despite my initial
trepidation, I decided to study
Medicine at Cambridge. I was excited
by the number of doors medicine
opened for me, as you can really take
it in any direction you like. Continuing
to research as well as helping people
was what I wanted to do.
What is one piece of
advice you would give
to students?
Believe in yourself. Even if it gets
competitive, or you feel like giving up,
just put one foot in front of the other
and keep on going.
What is the highlight
of your career so
far?
Working at the Hammersmith Hospital. I
was involved in the departments of
haematology and virology, looking at
bone marrow transplants. That was an
exciting experience.
What are your
ambitions for the
future?
What is your favourite
aspect of your job now?
I love teaching, and just being in
Lecture Theatre 1. Initially, talking to
350+ students is quite intimidating,
but I just love interacting with the
students, throwing around a few jokes
and the feeling of teaching. Going
back to medicine, it’s lifelong learning.
You guys probably think: Oh, I’m
asking all the questions, and she
knows all the answers. It isn't quite
that simple. We're also learning. And
sometimes when students ask
questions, you realise something you
don't know, so I enjoy that too —
having questions, learning how to
explain things better, and being
challenged.
What is your guilty
pleasure?
Chocolate and cheese.
What helps you to relax
in your free time?
Crime novels.
What is your favourite
food?
Home cooked leeks with cheese sauce
and bacon.
What are 5 words you
would use to describe
yourself?
Patient, caring, human,
teacher, scientist.
I want to continue teaching and
continue improving to teach.
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