BSMS > About BSMS > Alumni > Alumni in focus Dr Smruti Sinmyee

Alumni in Focus - Dr Smruti Sinmyee

Dr Smruti Sinmyee (BM BS 2015)

Dr Smruti Sinmyee graduated from BSMS in 2015 with a BM BS and an MSc in Global Health. She tells us what it's like working in the public health sector during a global pandemic, why it's always okay to change your mind about your career choice and why her mum is her biggest inspiration.

Where are you now?

I’ve just started working as a Public Health Registrar in North West London which I’m really enjoying. It really is an incredible time to be involved in the world of public health. My path into public health was a little different – I completed core training in anaesthetics and intensive care medicine (ICM) and worked on ICU during the first wave of the pandemic. It’s been very interesting to have worked on COVID-19 from completely different ends of the healthcare system. My current work within public health includes interpreting latest guidelines and advising the local community, working on the flu and COVID-19 local vaccination campaigns and completing health needs assessments for children and young people. I’m also the London Kent Surrey and Sussex Public Health programme ST1 representative and sit on the British Medical Association's Public Health Medicine Registars’ Subcommittee, which allows me to advocate for the wellbeing, training and employment concerns of my registrar colleagues.

Where would you like your career to take you next?

Next year, I will be completing an MSc in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and will then proceed to complete my training. After CCT, I hope to work within the field of healthcare public health, and focus on developing healthcare policies, commissioning of services and possibly work as part of an independent public health think tank.

What are your favourite memories of BSMS?

Definitely one of our many themed nights out. Medic Mayhem and D-RAG spring to mind…

What or who has inspired you most in life?

My mum! My superwoman, able to tackle anything thrown at her! Ruth Bader Ginsburg – A ‘super diva’ who had the courage to fight for what she believed in and dissent with conviction.

What has been your proudest moment?

Graduating from BSMS after having a very tough year due to family bereavement. A close second would be receiving confirmation that I had been accepted onto my first choice Public Health training programme – which I really wasn’t expecting!

What is the skill that you would most like to have?

Being able to influence with integrity.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

It’s okay to change your mind!

My Anaesthetics/ ICM training was a brilliant opportunity to develop my clinical abilities, confidence and leadership skills. However after two years of training, I felt that my passion ultimately lay within public health. I was always interested in health policy and systems (having completed an MSc in Global Health at BSMS) and I found myself drawn to this field of work again, and ultimately feel much more fulfilled. Your ambitions and motivations often develop and adapt as you work, and sometimes this leads you down a different path from what you initially envisioned.

What advice would you give to a first year medical student?

Get involved with as many different aspects of student life and extra-curricular activities as you can. It’s a great way to make new friends and get to know the amazing city of Brighton and Hove.

What do you feel was the best thing about studying at BSMS?

The student community! Honestly I found it one of the of the friendliest and most supportive environments I’ve ever studied or worked in. The faculty were fantastic at looking after you and I truly felt that I was respected and appreciated as an individual.

Describe BSMS in 3 words

Visionary, supportive and fun!