Student Roll: Louise Melvin, Sushma Modi & Hazel Milligan

Louise, Sushma and Hazel

Louise, Hazel and Sushma

Louise Melvin's story (From FB July'21):

Hi guys, I’m a bit late to the party. I drafted a post when I joined the group and have at last found time to put it on.

Many thanks to Hazel Barton for setting up the reunion. It’s brought back so many happy memories, and it’s fantastic to see all the interesting and diverse paths that the ‘guinea pigs’ have taken. The tribute to Janice brought a tear to my eye. She was such a beautiful person inside and out. It’s tragic that her life and career were cut short.

I have possibly gone the most off piste since my pre-reg at the Southern General (now QEUH/Death Star) and Controlled Therapeutics in East Kilbride. I then went to Aberdeen to study medicine, funded by pharmacy locum work anywhere from Inverness to Port Glasgow. After 7 years in Aberdeen, I worked in Dundee briefly, then moved to Edinburgh where I trained in obs&gyn. I met my hubby Mark at the Edinburgh Festival and had my first son Murray (now 14).

Apart from Dundee, I never felt at home in the east so I was really lucky to get a consultant post in Glasgow, working in sexual & reproductive health at the Sandyford Clinic. I’ve really enjoyed being back in Glasgow, living in Newton Mearns which I always admired when commuting on the old A77 from Galston to Strathclyde Uni. My youngest son Finn, age 10, was born in Glasgow at my old haunt the QEUH.

My job at Sandyford went really off piste a few years ago when I started working in the Gender Identity Service. I still do medical gynaecology and some sexual assault work but gender medicine is the most challenging because of the increasing demand and controversy. There’s never a dull day!

I’m planning to retire as soon as possible to spend more time in the garden and allotment and keep fit, or get fit again would be more accurate. I’m the first aider for Murray’s football team and hope to get qualified as a coach. I’d love to get more girls into the game.

Despite being a doctor for 25 years, I still feel like a pharmacist first. The pharmacy degree was more intellectually challenging than medicine and I really value the depth of understanding it’s given me. I still subscribe to the Pharmaceutical Journal, I always prescribe the cheapest product, I never write a generic name with a capital, and I love to bamboozle my colleagues with the pharmacokinetics of Nebido!

Great to see you all again - hopefully in person one day xxx

Hazel Milligan's story ( from FB April '21):

"Hard to believe that so many years have gone by! Have stayed in hospital pharmacy - from Preregistration at Crosshouse went to Newcastle for a few years then to Edinburgh, Kirkcaldy and back to Edinburgh for good in 1998. Fell into working in clinical trials 2004 and now am the Lead Pharmacist for trials in NHS Lothian.

No ex-husbands or babies of either the 2 or 4 legged varieties to report. However do have many nieces and nephews who I treat like my own - making sure one of them take me on, in my dotage.

Been with Graham for the last 7 years and our main hobby is travelling. Like everyone can’t wait to get back out into the world.

Still love chocolate but my taste in wine has improved considerably since uni days.

No perms for many years.

Lovely to see how you are all doing. Thanks, Hazel for setting this up."

Hazel Milligan

Sushma's story (from FB April '21):

This is an amazing idea Hazel - thank you! Did my pre-reg with Boots and worked in Leicester until 2003 when we moved to Canada to a small town in Northwest Ontario. Married almost 30 years to Sarju and have a beautiful daughter Vaneesha and son Jai ( soon to be Dr Jai ) and a daughter in law Priya as well as 2 cats. Moved 2 hours north of Toronto almost 2 years ago so we could travel more easily . Had the good fortune to travel back to Scotland twice and see some friends. Work for Wal-Mart in a town called Parry Sound - the best thing is it takes 4 minutes to get to work but just like the old days no matter how early I set out I’m always running in just before we open . I’m a little in awe of everyone’s accomplishments!

Sushma Mashru and her family