'People in London seem to be finding really creative ways to hurt themselves and each other'
Rhys Scully, from Carlow, is determined to experience Britain’s busiest emergency medicine departments for himself.
Assisting with the surgery of a man who had suffered “an unfortunate chainsaw attack” is just the sort of medical drama aspiring doctor Rhys Scully thrives on.
“Luckily, the story had a happy ending,” he tells the
The 23-year-old has spent the last three weeks in London shadowing some of Britain's leading trauma surgeons.
It’s been a life-changing experience for the UCD student who says it would not have been possible without the support of his community who fundraised to make the dream a reality.
Ever since childhood, Rhys says he has loved nothing more than watching Channel 4 show . So taken was he with the reality show, he was determined to experience Britain’s busiest emergency medicine departments for himself.
However, it almost didn’t happen for Rhys after a shortfall of personal funds threatened to scupper his chances of accepting the offer of a placement in hospitals under the umbrella of the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.
But when his mother Lynsey told her friends about Rhys's predicament, they came to the rescue.
Lynsey started a GoFundMe campaign, raising a total of €6,555 for Rhys's flights, accommodation, and living costs during his placement.
The medical student said he was extremely touched by the generosity of those who donated after he applied for the initiative through King's College Hospital in London.
“Some of these people have never even met me,” Rhys said.
“I am so grateful to them for giving me this opportunity. I really hope that none of them have to avail of my services in the future, but at least if they do it can be my way of giving back.”
Rhys, who grew up in Carlow, said he has learned so much from the cases he has assisted with.
"I saw a very unfortunate chainsaw attack which required a lot of work. It reaches a point where aesthetics isn't the goal anymore. The priority is survival and, after that, function. Some people come out fine, but other injuries are life-changing.
"The team that I’m under specialises in plastic surgery, so they deal with putting people back together again.
"I’ve seen some incredible surgeries including nerve repairs. These are people who, if they were anywhere else, would have to undergo amputations. You get lots of people who get into brawls and break bones as a result. The doctors don’t ask questions.
“When people throw punches, they tend to fracture their hand in a specific way so doctors know what to look for. People punching walls out of anger is far more common than you think.
"There have been people who have punched doors, windows, and walls, among other things. You see things that you never thought were possible.
"To put it bluntly: People in London seem to be finding really creative ways to hurt themselves and each other. This is unfortunate, obviously, but it's also really important to see from a learning point of view.
"Unfortunately, this is how medicine works because you can’t know how to treat somebody if you haven’t see the injury before."
Rhys says that, after his placement, he is going to have a "wealth of knowledge about different injuries and creative ways of treating them when I’m back in Ireland".
He also praised the team he is working under for their support and generosity.
“The same consultant who can be harsh and will lay down the law in the theatre, only to buy you lunch afterwards because this is the type of person they are. They have the patients' interests at heart in the theatre, and yours when it’s all finished.
"One of the best parts for me was being asked to select the music to play in the theatre for one of the procedures. That was such a big deal for me and a real honour.”
He also enjoys the atmosphere of camaraderie.
And, he says, the most rewarding part of his experience was seeing the difference treatments can make to lives.
“One of the most positive things I have seen from plastic surgery is what it can do for women with breast cancer. There’s something called a Diep flap, which is a type of breast reconstruction surgery that uses the patient's own tissue to rebuild the breast after a mastectomy," he says.
"These are the kind of positive things I’ve seen from plastic surgery for breast cancer. In the past, people would have gone for a mastectomy and that would be it. Some are okay with this but, for others, it can have a huge impact on their self-esteem.
"This is a very personal thing for people to lose, and they suffer a lot as a result. They can reconstruct the breasts now, so they basically look like they did beforehand. It reduces a lot of psychological distress that can come with a mastectomy.
"This is a new option that wasn’t there before. Of course, there is also the option of implants — but it’s nice to be able to use your own natural tissue as well.”
Rhys said his mum Lynsey has been a huge support to him throughout his placement.
“Mum has always been an inspiration to me. She was the reason I went into medicine in the first place.
"We often watched together. She has supported me every step of the way. When I was younger, she gave me books and memoirs about doctors to read.
"She wanted to make sure that I was 100% committed and was aware of the life that comes with medicine. The year I was born, she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. It meant that I was constantly coming with her to doctors appointments as a child.
"I was always asking the doctors questions and watching what they were doing. I saw how they helped people bounce back. Even though I have no aspirations to be a gastroenterologist, I had that same desire to help people.”
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