Blogs

SAS Week 2024 - Dr Chris Yates

My name is Chris and I’m currently an anaesthetics specialty doctor in Northumbria. I studied medicine at Newcastle University and initially completed ACCS Anaesthetics in the Northern deanery before taking some time away from training, at first as an anaesthetics teaching fellow, before moving to the specialty role last year.

My day-to-day roles cover both anaesthetics and intensive care medicine and I have also been involved with both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching throughout my career. This has included taking on the lead for undergraduate examinations within the trust, as well as instructing on numerous courses within the trust and around the region.

I have a special interest in simulation, education, human factors and pre-hospital medicine as well as a busy home life with a young family. I’m also an Army Reservist, so being able to combine all these interests has only been possible through an SAS job plan. Northumbria has been instrumental in supporting my various roles and allowed me to develop a hot debrief project which has now been widely accepted throughout the trust.

Taking time away from rotational training in an SAS role has been both challenging and rewarding, but has allowed me to focus on the things I enjoy about my job as well as improving my work-life balance.