What extra skills or knowledge have you had to pick up?

This is a job which requires you to be a self-starter – you need to make a schedule and stick to it. It's also a job for someone who likes their own company. As we work from home, there are fewer 'water cooler moments' than you'll have working in an office.

What's the most important part of the job for you?

Being an MLA allows me to consider the broader issues raised within medical practice. I deal with a huge variety of concerns relating to ethics, regulatory body proceedings, complaints, statements for adverse incidents and reports for the coroner, to name just a few.

I get great job satisfaction from helping medical professionals find a way forward in situations where there may be tension or uncertainty between the position of the professional and the patient.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I like discussing ethical or legal issues or practical concerns around relevant topics like consent, capacity and confidentiality, and helping people solve sometimes seemingly intractable dilemmas. I find it immensely rewarding to help fellow professionals who may be upset, frustrated or distressed and provide guidance or assistance that may make their jobs somewhat easier.

Being an MLA is a great job, and one that provides great opportunities and rewards for someone interested in examining the larger questions and overarching principles that guide medical practice.

What skills does a great MLA need?

On a practical level, it is of course important to have experience within the UK healthcare system. It's also vital to have excellent written and verbal communication skills, as the issues you are dealing with can sometimes be quite emotive and subtle. So it's important to listen well to the information you are being given and the concerns being expressed, and to convey your thoughts clearly.

As some of your time is involved in teaching others – whether in written form responding to queries, answering questions on the telephone, liaising informally with individuals or more formally in providing presentations, it's important to present your thoughts in a clear, concise and coherent manner.

The role is a busy one, so it’s important to be well organised and able to prioritise effectively.

Most important, however, is a sense of empathy; an ability to appreciate and to some extent share in someone’s feelings, to put yourself in their position and understand their frame of reference.

Career alternatives: medico-legal adviser

Career alternatives: medico-legal adviser