Maha Al-Sarraji

• I worked in health centres and outpatient clinics in Baghdad's peripheral and rural areas, providing primary health care services to several nearby villages and towns.
  
  The work involved routine weekday clinics, late clinics, and responding to emergency calls. The role is similar to that of a UK GP, including managing common illnesses, minor injuries, chronic disease follow-up, and initial assessment of acute cases requiring referral to the DGH. I was also involved in national screening programs and vaccination campaigns.
  
  Duties Brief Description:
  1. Managing common illnesses such as chest and urinary tract infections.
  2. Managing minor injuries such as superficial burns, superficial cuts that require suturing and immunisation, joint injuries and sprains (such as ankle, knee, and wrist), and utilising agreed-upon guidelines such as the Ottawa Rules.
  3. Assessing patients and referring them appropriately to secondary care when needed.
  4. Delivering continued medical education sessions covering medical aspects and updated guidelines. I also worked on raising awareness in the community, in particular, to help prevent the spread of communicable diseases and encourage early recognition of serious conditions to ensure timely intervention and appropriate referral.
  5. Holding weekly team meetings at the health centre to improve teamwork, organise workload priorities, and strengthen communication between staff and patients. These meetings also allowed us to gather feedback to improve service delivery and deal with challenges.
  6. Follow-up patients with chronic conditions (checking whether their treatment plans were effective, whether they were taking medications correctly, and ensuring no side effects or complications).
  7. Training allied healthcare staff to manage minor injuries and common health issues in the local community, to build their confidence, improve response times, and strengthen local trust in the health services.
  8. Coordinating with other local and regional medical and governmental teams to help organise vaccination and public health campaigns.
  9. Attending to emergency calls, providing initial treatment and stabilisation before conveying patients to the DGH.

- Managed a broad spectrum of acute and undifferentiated cases in high-volume emergency settings, often as the initial point of contact for critically unwell patients across medical, surgical, trauma, and obstetric presentations.

- Developed strong clinical judgment and decision-making under pressure, routinely involved in rapid triage, stabilisation, and initial management of patients with complex and time-sensitive conditions.

- Experience working in an emergency environment comparable in pace and unpredictability to a UK major trauma centre such as UHW Emergency Unit, including management of multi-trauma cases, acute coronary syndromes, sepsis, and respiratory failure.

- Rotated through a Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) as part of acute medical placements, regularly managing cases such as myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, decompensated heart failure, and cardiac arrest, with exposure to advanced life support protocols and early post-arrest care.

- Assumed frontline responsibilities in resource-limited settings, which enhanced my adaptability, problem-solving, and ability to prioritise interventions where diagnostics or immediate senior input were not always available.

- Performed and assisted in emergency procedures, including ECG interpretation, arterial blood gas analysis, venepuncture, urinary catheterisation, nasogastric tube insertion, and paracentesis, often during high-pressure scenarios requiring clear communication and composure.

- Provided patient-centred care across varied departments, with an emphasis on safe handover, accurate documentation, and multidisciplinary collaboration – values that closely mirror the clinical ethos in the NHS.

- Participated in emergency department rotas, managing acute surgical and medical emergencies – including gastrointestinal bleeding, diabetic ketoacidosis, hypertensive crises, asthma exacerbations, and acute abdomen cases.

- Integrated clinical learning with patient care by engaging in daily ward rounds, acute take shifts, and case-based teaching – developing a holistic view of emergency care that aligns with UK Foundation and Core-level competencies.

- Took an active part in the early recognition and escalation of deteriorating patients using structured approaches similar to NEWS2, ensuring timely referrals and safe care transitions.

- Managed several obstetric emergencies during on-call shifts, including pre-eclampsia, antepartum haemorrhage, and resuscitation of newborns, supporting maternal-fetal safety in acute obstetric settings.

- Developed effective communication and teamwork skills while working under pressure with allied healthcare staff, junior colleagues, senior registrars and specialists (i.e. consultants) – qualities directly transferrable to a UK Emergency Unit's fast-paced, multidisciplinary environment.

- Embraced a duty of care that extends beyond immediate interventions, including providing psychological reassurance to patients and families during acute health crises. This practice builds trust and enhances care delivery.

- This broad exposure to high-acuity clinical presentations has built a strong foundation in emergency medicine, preparing me to contribute confidently and safely within a UK emergency department like UHW.

Completed a foundation-level clinical post as part of my rotation at Dr. Saad Al-Witry Neuroscience Hospital, a leading tertiary centre for neurology and neurosurgery in Iraq.
- Worked under the supervision of senior registrars and consultants, managing acute neurological admissions and urgent referrals.
- Provided care for post-operative neurosurgical patients, including regular monitoring for early signs of complications and neurological deterioration.
- Conducted focused neurological assessments to evaluate patients' clinical progress.
- Took part in post-operative ward reviews, ensuring the prompt escalation of concerns to the senior team when necessary.
- Gained exposure to a wide range of critical neurological conditions, such as traumatic brain injury, intracranial haemorrhage, and acute stroke.
- Assisted in ward-based procedures, including lumbar puncture and wound care, under the supervision of senior registrars.
- Participated actively in consultant-led ward rounds, contributing to patient assessments, updating management plans, and maintaining accurate clinical documentation.
- Engaged in multidisciplinary team discussions involving neurosurgeons, neurologists, and ICU specialists to optimise patient outcomes.
- Assisted in managing acutely deteriorating patients, collaborating with intensive care teams when escalation and advanced interventions were required.
- Early recognition of red flag signs requiring urgent neurosurgical intervention and gained an understanding of neurocritical care principles.
- Demonstrated strong teamwork, clear communication, and patient-centred care throughout the placement, strengthening my ability to manage complex and acute cases in a high-pressure tertiary hospital.

- Completed a foundation-level equivalent post at Al-Alwiyah Hospital for Obstetrics & Gynaecology, one of the leading tertiary centres for women's health and neonatal care in Al-Rusafa, Baghdad.

- Worked under the supervision of senior registrars and neonatology consultants, contributing to assessing and managing obstetric emergencies and newborn assessment.

- Assisted in managing some acute obstetric presentations, such as pre-eclampsia.

- Participated in the initial assessment and stabilisation of emergency cases in antenatal and postnatal wards, ensuring appropriate and timely escalation to senior staff when needed.

- Conducted newborn assessments in the delivery suite and postnatal wards, identifying urgent neonatal conditions requiring early intervention or NICU referral.

- Supported safe deliveries by monitoring maternal and foetal wellbeing during labour and recognising warning signs.

- Gained hands-on experience in the immediate post-delivery care of both mother and baby, contributing to a safe transition from labour to postnatal wards.

- I participated in ward rounds and handovers, contributing to clinical planning, documentation, and discharge processes.

- Collaborated closely with midwives, neonatal nurses, and paediatricians as part of a multidisciplinary team approach to optimise maternal and neonatal outcomes.

- Rotated through a General Medicine as part of acute medical placements, managing long-term cases such as COPD and diabetes.

- Provided patient-centred care across varied departments, with an emphasis on safe handover, accurate documentation, and multidisciplinary collaboration – values that closely mirror the clinical ethos in the NHS.

- Integrated clinical learning with patient care by engaging in daily ward rounds, acute take shifts, and case-based teaching – developing a holistic view of surgical, paediatric and general medicine care that aligns foundation-level competencies.

(mostly the same as in the above post from December 2018 to September 2019 at Al-Numan Teaching Hospital)