- Sam Sussmes, foundation year three doctor/senior house officer
- Hampshire Hospitals NHS FoundationTrust, Hampshire, UK
- Correspondence to: S Sussmes sam.sussmes{at}doctors.org.uk
Increasingly, many medics are considering stepping away from traditional training pathways whether that is building a portfolio career or moving into another role completely. Practising medicine does not have to confine you to the four walls of a hospital, and medical school is an opportunity to explore potential jobs that many don’t realise exist. One of these is to work at sea, as a doctor on a cruise ship.
What does the role involve?
A cruise ship doctor provides healthcare to the crew and guests on board ships. You are there as the first port of call in an acute or emergency situation, as well as managing the long term health conditions of passengers and crew for the duration of their trip.
A working day might require a combination of seeing guests in the daily outpatient-like clinics, alongside attending to and managing acutely unwell passengers or crew in the onboard inpatient environment.
The range of conditions seen varies depending on the healthcare needs of guests on board. Some cruises attract younger adults, where traumatic injuries may occur from the surf pools, trampolines, ice skating, skydiving, or roller coaster experiences passengers take part in on board ship and in port. Other cruises might attract an older demographic, where trips and falls, cardiovascular events, and management of chronic conditions are more often encountered.
The locations ships can take you to require you to become more aware of relevant tropical diseases. Equally the diversity of the crew, often made up of a range of nationalities, can necessitate thinking more broadly regarding pathologies and infectious organisms. …
