Dr Vanisha Parekh
Vanisha studied Medicine at King’s College London and holds an intercalated BSc (Hons) degree in International Health from the University of Leeds. After Foundation Training with South Thames Foundation School she worked as an editor for Nature Publishing Group focusing on two of their clinical Nature Reviews journals, and as Managing Editor for Medikidz, a company producing graphic novels to explain medical information to children. Vanisha went on to complete Core Anaesthetics Training in Oxford Deanery and is a Member of the Royal College of Anaesthetists. She has since gained experience working within undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, most recently at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. She has a Postgraduate Certificate in Education for Clinical Contexts from Queen Mary University of London, and was awarded the title of Honorary Clinical Lecturer at University College London Medical School.
Vanisha has led numerous quality improvement and service transformation projects and has contributed to national research as a Local Investigator. She has published and presented her work and received a Certificate of Merit for completing an outstanding audit.
Travelling and expeditions have taken Vanisha across the globe, recently to Antarctica. Her clinical attachment with the University of the West Indies in Jamaica and medical elective in India provided exposure to healthcare infrastructure and delivery abroad. She has also undertaken primary research relating to HIV in Swaziland and acute mountain sickness in the Himalayas, and was appointed as a writer for the International Anesthesia Research Society Annual Meeting in Chicago, USA.
Reason for applying for the scheme
Vanisha has assumed a variety of leadership and management roles including her time as Anaesthetic Trainee Representative, and in contributing to the COVID-19 Taskforce at the Royal Free Hospital. She recognises the value high quality leadership can bring in driving clinical excellence and raising the standard of patient care, as well as influencing the vision and goals of an organisation. Vanisha is delighted to have been appointed to the National Medical Director’s Clinical Fellow Scheme and to be joining Health Education England where she hopes to further her leadership and management capabilities. She looks forward to learning from senior leaders and developing a comprehensive understanding of the wider healthcare landscape. Vanisha enjoys a creative approach to solving challenges and welcomes opportunities for innovation. She is particularly interested in policy and strategy development, system reform and implementing change, and is keen to engage with this at a national scale.
