We’re very excited to announce that Dr Adeelah Phul has decided to join our team at Ponteland Medical Group as a GP. Originally from Mauritus, Adeelah spent time at medical school in South Africa before arriving in the North East. Dr Phul spent time working in orthopaedics at the Royal Victoria Infirmary before transitioning in to the world of general practice.
We sat down with Dr Phul to get to know a little bit more about her, her career and what motivated her to join our team and the world of primary care in general.
Hi Adeelah, it’s nice to meet you! How are you settling in so far?
It’s been great so far. I’ve completed my induction and I’m beginning to get to know my colleagues at Ponteland Medical Group. I’m looking forward to starting in the practice and meeting some patients.
Going back to the start of your career, what inspired you to pursue medicine?
I was always interested in science as a child. Although I did well in and enjoyed a range of other subjects, science was always what I was drawn to the most. From there, medical science, and subsequently medicine, was the next logical step for me!
You’re originally from Mauritius, but studied in South Africa. How was it moving away from your family and friends to go to school?
At the time, Mauritius didn’t have a well established medical school so I decided to look further afield. Coming from a small island, it’s quite common for young people to move away for university. South Africa is just over four hours away by plane, so it meant that I was able to travel home for holidays and see my family with relative ease. My father also has connections to South Africa so it just kind of made sense. I ended up doing six years of medical school there, followed by a two year internship and a year working in orthopaedics.
After leaving South Africa, how did you decide on the North East?
My husband, who I met in Mauritius, was studying medicine in Newcastle and got a job in the area. It just made sense for me to join him. I was able to find a job at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in orthopaedics and really enjoyed it!
What made you make the move in to general practice?
Whilst I really loved working in orthopaedics, I found that I was longing for a change. Initially, general practice wasn’t something that I’d considered, but the stability and structure it provides was something that interested me. At first, I was hesitant about the move but as soon as I made it, I found that I really loved working in a GP practice.
What do you enjoy most about working as a GP?
Working as part of a team with the same people, day in and day out, is definitely a huge plus. I love that everyone in the practice is working together to provide the best possible level of care for patients. You get to know each other and form a bond; everyone pulling in the same direction creates a real sense of unity. I also love that no two days are the same. Each day you meet different people from different backgrounds who are experiencing different problems. The amount of variety keeps you on your toes and makes every day interesting.
Another element of general practice that I love is the opportunity to build relationships with patients and work with them over extended periods of time. As Ponteland is a small place, I’m very excited to get to know patients and provide them with support and care throughout their lives. Being someone’s GP allows you to understand a patient’s their history and gives the opportunity to create a continuity of care that is so important to keeping people healthy for longer.
What’s your favourite thing about living in the North East?
I love being close to the sea. Although it’s a little bit different from Mauritius, I feel very fortunate to have such a beautiful coastline so close to where I live. Unlike other larger and more urbanised cities in the UK, Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland feels a lot more local and like a collection of villages and towns rather than one large city. I like how there are so many small communities that meld together. It means that there’s lots to explore and everything is so close together.
Outside of work, what do you like to do?
Me and my husband are quite outdoorsy people. We like to get outside in to nature and go for walks, hikes and bike rides. We have a young daughter who is getting to the age where she’s excited to go out and see the world, so we do a lot of family excursions in to the local countryside, of which there is an abundance near us. I also like to go swimming when I can, although I haven’t built up the courage to get in to the North Sea just yet!
Are you interested in joining Ponteland Medical Group as a patient? You can find out how to join us by clicking here. Northumbria Primary Care is always looking for talented and ambitious people to join our teams. If you’re interested in working in one of nine practices across Northumberland and North Tyneside, head over to the Northumbria Primary Care website.
