Story

Role Models: Adult Congenital Heart Disease

Read
Dr Joanna Lim
Oxford
Good teamwork is key and throughout my career in ACHD, I have found my colleagues to be highly-dedicated, caring, inspiring individuals.

I graduated from Oxford University in 2006 and completed my junior doctor training in London and Bristol before returning to the Oxford Deanery to train in general Cardiology. I undertook higher specialist training on the Pan-London Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Rotation from 2014-2019, completing fellowships at the Royal Brompton Hospital, St Thomas’ Hospital, St Bartholomew’s Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. I was appointed as a Consultant Cardiologist specialising in ACHD at the Oxford Heart Centre in 2019.

My job involves a mixture of inpatient and outpatient work (MDTs, echo and lots of clinics) and I really enjoy it. Our ACHD service forms part of the Oxford-Southampton Congenital Cardiac Network and I particularly enjoy the interaction this affords with Paediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiologists, Surgeons, Nurses and Physiologists across the region.

During my higher specialist training I had my 3 children (aged 6, 4 and 2 at time of writing!). Since having children I have always worked 4 days a week, as has my husband. This is a great balance for us and I find this arrangement very rewarding as a mother and as a doctor (although it is admittedly quite exhausting at times!).

ACHD is a brilliant, constantly evolving speciality. Good teamwork is key and throughout my career in ACHD, I have found my colleagues to be highly-dedicated, caring, inspiring individuals. There are excellent teaching opportunities and I have recently established a regional congenital echo teaching programme. Providing lifelong care for this important, expanding group of patients is challenging, both from a physiological and psychological perspective, but endlessly fascinating and incredibly rewarding.

Keep reading...

Resource
Sex Differences In The Pursuit Of Interventional Cardiology As A Subspecialty Among Cardiovascular Fellows-In-Training

Many factors dissuade women from pursuing a career in interventional cardiology.

March 3, 2019
Story
Role Models: Adult Congenital Heart Disease

Short article description to give a flavour of what the full article will have in it.

Dr Sarah Bowater
December 21, 2021
Flexible Working
The Amazing Benefits Of LTFT Training Are Often Overlooked

At the end of a career as a cardiologist, I won’t look back at missed clinics.

Dr Joshua Wilcox
March 14, 2022
All Articles