Published: 30 March 2024
30 March 2024 is Doctor’s Day! To celebrate this, we are sharing the story of Dr Nirja Joshi, St George's class of 2014 Medicine alumna and Co-Founder of The WorkWell Doctors.
Nirja's journey
I attended St George's from 2008 to 2014 on the Medicine (MBBS) 5-year programme. Once I graduated, I completed my foundation training in South Thames, returning to GP training at St George's.
The WorkWell Doctors
During this time, collaborating with another GP, Dr Alex Lai, we created The WorkWell Doctors.
We have created education to improve workplace wellbeing for healthcare staff and beyond.
We started during the pandemic volunteering to provide "safe spaces" for healthcare staff and students. Now, in our fourth year, we have provided over 100 bespoke educational events for primary and secondary care as well as a variety of other sectors.
- Nirja Joshi, MBBS alumna -
Time at St George's
My time at St George's gave me valuable leadership experience, as well as early clinical experience to give me a robust foundation to start The WorkWell Doctors.
- Nirja Joshi, MBBS alumna -
I'm proud of what we have achieved, and am grateful to have received two awards for this work, including an Inspire Award from the Royal college of GPs and a Rising Star Award from Canterbury Christchurch University.
Through my time at St George's, I made the most amazing friends who have supported me through medical school, training and beyond. Having the network at St George's meant that I returned to provide physical wellbeing sessions during the pandemic and also returned to do a dance wellbeing session with accident and emergency colleagues.
Celebrating Doctor's Day
Doctors do so much. In this current climate, doctors are entering medicine in such difficult circumstances, financially, politically, but they continue to work hard and serve the public.
Alongside this, so many doctors are branching out into improving healthcare in various ways, through health technology, through research and innovation. It is very important to celebrate their work on Doctor's Day!
- Nirja Joshi, MBBS alumna -