'Meet the member' series
Find out more about the work of some of our members.
Click below to hear from Dr Daniela Borges.
ST4 General Adult Psychiatry, PTC WM Trainee Representative and PTC Secretary
Biography
Daniela is the current Secretary of the Psychiatric Trainees’ Committee. She is an international medical graduate and a speciality registrar in General Adult Psychiatry in the West Midlands.
Daniela completed an Integrated MSc in Medicine at the University of Coimbra (Portugal), graduating in 2015. After moving to the UK in 2018, she completed Core Psychiatry Training in the Thames Valley region. She has been involved in trainee representation and medical education throughout her career. Last year, she completed a 12-month part-time role as a Wellbeing Trainee Improvement Fellow with HEE Thames Valley working with the regional Professional Support and Wellbeing Service, as well as developing the Trainees4Trainees (T4T) project which provided peer support groups for doctors in postgraduate training.
What made you choose psychiatry?
I had the experience of seeing loved ones struggling with mental health problems from an early age. I struggled with panic disorder at university and have experienced first-hand the power of psychological interventions such as CBT. I became interested in the power of the mind, but also how our circumstances and background can influence it. In school, I was interested in Biochemistry, Philosophy and Psychology. Having decided to complete a medical degree, I identified I wanted to help people with mental health problems and completed my master's thesis in Psychological Medicine. One way or another, Psychiatry has been intertwined with my life, and I was curious about how we can intervene and help people with mental illness. I felt it was meant to be.
Tell us about your current professional role?
I am a speciality registrar in General Adult Psychiatry and currently work in a CMHT in Coventry focusing on supporting people with a psychosis diagnosis. I am also involved in research for patients with Postpartum psychosis.
What would you say to someone considering a career in psychiatry?
Psychiatry can provide you with a very fulfilling career with multiple opportunities and ways of working with people with mental illness. It comes with challenges due to workforce shortages and increasing population need. However, you can work with other professions, develop skills in medicine, psychological approaches, and social interventions, and deliver care that can change people’s lives. You will also learn a lot about yourself and develop some transversal skills along the way. What I love the most about my work is the opportunities to hear about people’s life stories and try to formulate a coherent narrative in which they feel identified and seen. Beyond all our evidence-based interventions, the act of active listening can be very powerful and therapeutic. It is a cornerstone of psychiatric work – bearing witness to people’s difficulties and strengths.
What does your role as PTC Trainee Representative at the College involve?
My role as the PTC WM trainee representative and PTC Secretary means that I can contribute and bring trainees’ views to the college. At the same time, I collaborate and develop projects which can help the college address any issues or improve trainees' experience in psychiatry. For instance, I have organised with other PTC representatives the Study Leave national survey to provide data to the college about trainees’ experience and how to improve it.
What do you enjoy most about being involved in the work of the College?
By working with the PTC, I feel I am more aware of what is happening all around the UK in Psychiatry as well as in different areas of the College. I was also able to be involved in inspiring projects which allowed me to help in very practical ways as learning more about Sustainability and how we can help future psychiatrists develop these skills during training.