What I've learnt… with Prof James Drife

This is an edited and abridged transcript of the TOG podcast episode ‘What I've learnt… with Prof James Drife’, available on RCOG Learning at: https://learning.rcog.org.uk/d2l/le/lessons/7685/topics/46194 TOG Deputy Editor-in-Chief Wai Yoong spoke to Prof James (Jim) Drife to gain an insight into some of the valuable lessons Prof Drife has learnt throughout his career and the advice he would now give to trainees in our specialty. So Jim, can I just ask you, why did you choose O&G? The other mistake, much later in life, was when I gave someone too good a reference, and I got seriously into trouble for that. I guess the lesson was ‘be very careful’. But there had been little signs, like my secretary's raised eyebrows when I dictated the reference, which I should have cottoned onto. So there are tough experiences, but I realised from both of those that my colleagues were not as hard on me as I was on myself. You've got to allow yourself to be supported. But it was not what Professors were ‘supposed to do’. There was more and more of the atmosphere that a Professor was supposed to build up a big research portfolio and bring lots of money into the department. But when I look back, it was a more worthwhile thing to do.