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Home Physician Wellbeing COVID-19: Health and wellbeing support for doctors Doctors’ stories and words of advice

Doctors’ stories and words of advice

What do doctors have to say about the pandemic?

Here we share a selection of stories, observations, words of advice and tips for getting through the Covid-19 pandemic.

If you would like to share your story, please get in touch. Email us at wellbeing@rcpi.ie

You may also be interested in our Heritage Centre's quest to build an archive of healthcare workers' experiences of the pandemic. We want to collect this material to assist researchers in the future who are looking at this extraordinary period in history.  You can read more about this here

Reflections on a pandemic

Dr Diarmuid O'Shea, Registrar of RCPI, recently shared his reflections on the pandemic, which you can read here

COVID-19: Prof Gaye Cunnane has a message for doctors

"Through solidarity, supporting and listening to one another, we can have hope," Dr Sean Casey, Paediatric SpR, Health and Wellbeing Rep, RCPI Trainees Committee

Dr Justin Brophy-Psychological reactions in medical professionals to the Covid 19 Pandemic

A shared experience – Dr Philip Kavanagh

Dr Philip Kavanagh has shared his personal experience with RCPI Health and Wellbeing of what it is like working in healthcare during the current COVID-19 pandemic. 

After completing a degree in French and German and Masters in International Marketing Philip moved to Berlin in 2004 to work in cardiovascular medical devices for Enterprise Ireland. He was later promoted to head up pharmaceuticals and biotech for Germany, Switzerland and Austria. He returned to Ireland in 2011 to study medicine. On completing his internship he spent six months in Sweden that included an observership in heart failure at Lund University Hospital, and obtained an advanced Swedish language certificate from the Folksuniversitätet in Stockholm. Following the loss of a family member in 2017 he took nine months out of the medical BST. During that difficult period he was linked in with Health & Wellbeing in RCPI as well as HR in Tallaght Hospital, both of whom were an immense support facilitating his return to the scheme and achieving his memberships. He will complete the BST in July 2020 with a view to specializing in cardiology.

You can read Dr Kavanagh’s shared experience below.

Dr Philip Kavanagh

A shared experience - Dr Philip Kavanagh

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Read Dr Philip Kavanagh's personal experience of what it is like working in healthcare during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Professor Ken Mealy, President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

Coping with Coronavirus - Psychiatrist Prof Brendan Kelly has a message for doctors

What to expect when working with patients with Covid-19-some practical information from Dr Christine Kelly, SpR in Infectious Diseases

Where to find health and wellbeing support

RCPI Physician Wellbeing Programme

Tel: +353 1 863 9700

Through our Physician Wellbeing programme we are providing support, training and information to doctors at all stages of their careers.