The first female honorary treasurer of the RCGP, Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard describes herself as ‘a back room type’.
As a clinical senior lecturer in the department of primary care at the University of Birmingham as well as being a GP principal in Lichfield, Dr Stokes-Lampard has a portfolio of roles that have helped get her noticed far beyond Euston Square.
She says: ‘I am one of life’s enthusiastic types so quickly get interested in new ventures and I also have a strong work ethic and am a completer-finisher so that helps when the going is tough.
‘Overall I have a strong sense of wanting to do the right thing to make life better so that clearly is how I ended up in medicine but also accounts for the academic and college facets of my work.’
Clearly a moderniser as well as a traditional GP, Dr Stokes-Lampard was involved in the staffing restructure at the college of which she says: ‘I’m a GP not a hard-nosed business type, so it really hurt.’
Her advice to young GPs is: ‘Don’t let all the negativity get you down - you are entering the most remarkable profession - the most trusted branch of the most trusted profession, with potential to follow any number of fascinating paths. If you are unhappy about something, don´t just sit there being sorrowful, get on and do something to improve matters - you can make a huge difference if you want to.’
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