Were you thinking of becoming a doctor?

Today we have Dr Padraig Kelly sharing with us the secrets of his work in the Radiology Department.

Keep reading if you'd like to hear more about this unique medical field.

1. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Padraig Kelly and I currently work as a Radiologist Specialist Trainee in a large hospital serving a catchment area of over one million patients. I graduated with a Bachelors of Medicine degree in 2013 from the National University of Ireland Galway. Following that I worked in a number of medical and surgical subspecialties before entering into Specialist Radiology training in 2018. I mostly specialise in providing a diagnostic imaging service and image guided intervention across a wide range of clinical settings. I will complete my training in 2022 and I plan to further subspecialise in cancer imaging abroad before returning to Ireland.

2. Why did you become a Doctor? What drew you to this field?

I've always been fascinated by the human body and disease. I enjoy helping people, so naturally, medicine is the best fit for me.

3.What are you currently working on?

I'm currently completing a paediatric rotation as part of my general training away from my parent hospital. One of the great things about my discipline is that I am involved in decision making across every subspecialty in the hospital. Most doctors don't have this opportunity to interact with so many disciplines in the hospital.

4. Would you have any words of encouragement for Leaving Cert students that would also like to pursue this career?

If you have a passion for a particular field, then go for it. I've always been interested in Medicine, and it's a great fit for me. It's always changing, and I learn new things every day. Improving our patient's outcome is incredibly rewarding.