Precision, compassion, and community: my path to intensive care leadership
The science of people
People often ask what first drew me to medicine. It was not a single defining moment, but a series of small ones.
I loved science from an early age, particularly chemistry and physics. For a time, I considered engineering, but what stayed with me was not only the science itself, but the human story behind it. I was drawn to understanding people: how they became unwell, what mattered to them, and how medicine could respond with both precision and compassion.
Those interests led me, gradually, to intensive care medicine, a specialty that brings together complexity, teamwork, and humanity at the most critical moments of life.
The power of collective medicine
My route into intensive care was not linear. I explored other specialties while trying to understand where I could contribute most meaningfully, and where I felt a genuine sense of belonging.
What drew me to intensive care was the collective nature of the work. Decisions are shared across disciplines. Teams support families through the most difficult situations they may ever face. Colleagues support one another in environments that are demanding but can also be deeply compassionate.
Mentors showed me that high-stakes medicine does not have to come at the cost of wellbeing. Sustainable practice, clear boundaries, and supportive cultures are not luxuries in intensive care , they are essential to delivering safe patient care.
That understanding has shaped the doctor, educator, and leader I continue to become.
Seeking spaces where you thrive
To girls and young women considering science or medicine: dream ambitiously, but do not try to succeed alone.
I have experienced doubt and imposter syndrome. And what sustained me were mentors, allies, and sponsors who created space for growth and reminded me of my capability at moments when I questioned it.
If an environment diminishes you, it is not the only one available. Seek spaces that recognise your potential, support your development, and allow you to thrive. Excellence in science is never achieved in isolation; it is built through community, encouragement, and opportunity.
Leading through presence
On the most difficult days, It’s my patients, their families, and my colleagues.
Working within a healthcare system founded on equity and access is a privilege I do not take lightly. Each day, I arrive knowing I carry responsibility for clinical decisions, for team culture, and for the experience of those in our care.
Some days are defined by loss. Others by small, quiet recoveries. What endures is the commitment of teams who continue to show up for one another with professionalism, kindness, and honesty. Leadership in intensive care is often less about command and more about presence, clarity, and steadiness in uncertainty.
Milestones and meaning
For many years, I did not pause to acknowledge achievement. With time, reflection has become easier.
There are visible milestones: contributing to national work on equity, diversity and inclusion; helping shape the Guidelines for the Provision of Intensive Care Services (GPICS); and beginning practice as a substantive consultant. These moments matter because of what they represent; collective progress, safer systems, and more inclusive futures for both patients and staff.
Some of the most meaningful moments, however, are quieter. Supporting a family to understand that a loved one is dying. Creating clarity in overwhelming circumstances. Ensuring care remains compassionate even when cure is no longer possible.
Pride also exists beyond the hospital. Watching my children grow into capable, thoughtful individuals reminds me that leadership is observed long before it is explained.
Designing a new era of care
As a specialty, intensive care continues to grow in scope, visibility, and responsibility, alongside a gradual movement toward a more balanced and representative workforce. Increasing numbers of women are entering the specialty, yet greater representation of women consultants on national and international platforms remains essential to ensure a broader range of perspectives helps shape the future of critical care.
Looking ahead, that future will be defined not only by technological progress but by transformation in how and where care is delivered. Advances in data science, artificial intelligence, and digital health have the potential to move evidence-based medicine beyond population averages toward truly personalised care. At the same time, critical care is extending beyond traditional unit boundaries through outreach models and the emerging concept of an “ICU without walls,” enabling earlier recognition of deterioration, timely escalation, and coordinated multidisciplinary intervention across the hospital, while telemedicine expands specialist expertise into remote or resource-limited settings and supports more efficient use of workforce capacity.
In parallel, ICU environments and organisational design are evolving to better support patients, families, and staff - creating flexible, healing spaces that reduce stress, address delirium, and allow meaningful human connection even during critical illness. I imagine patient-centred units with access to natural light and gardens, monitoring that does not tether people to beds, and spaces designed to make communication with families easier and more humane. This shift toward holistic, longitudinal care reflects a broader commitment not only to survival, but to recovery, rehabilitation, and quality of life after critical illness.
Through my work with GPICS, these reflections extend into deeper questions for the specialty including how we invest sustainably in the wellbeing of the workforce delivering this care. The future ICU will need to be adaptive, equitable, and technologically enabled, but also grounded in cultures where patients, families, and staff are able to thrive.
For the next generation of women and girls entering science and medicine, this future is not simply something to join, but something to shape - with clarity, compassion, and leadership.