Sarah Moore, 2004

Sarah Moore read Medical Sciences at Clare and is now a GP and is currently researching improving cancer diagnosis in primary care.

Who was your greatest Clare influence and why?

Dr Celia Duff was my Director of Clinical Studies and as one of the first female medical students at Clare had blazed a trail for others to follow. She was one of my first role models: a strong woman who did not feel the need to hide either her intelligence or compassion.

Sarah's Story

Sometimes it feels like forever and other times like no time at all since I arrived through the autumn leaves and hauled my possessions up M staircase into my attic room in Memorial Court. My undergraduate days sped by in a blur of midnight football on the backs, carrying friends over the bridge from hall and early mornings rowing through the mist on the Cam. I loved the access we had to all sorts of sports, stand out Clare moments were winning promotion with the women’s football team and the Lent headship with the women’s VIII. I also enjoyed coxing at Henley Royal Regatta – perhaps enhanced by that boat containing my now-husband rowing at stroke – another reason to be grateful to Clare!

When I talk to people about my research I’m told my eyes light up and I talk even faster than usual, which is not slow! My time at Clare certainly fed into my career as a clinical academic; not only through the scientific rigour of the medicine we learnt and the small group interrogations (aka supervisions), but also in opportunities to access a whole new intellectual world of humanities, through a Part II in History and Philosophy of Science.

I chose Academic General Practice for the challenge and the excitement of never knowing what will come through the door. You need a broad and useful base of knowledge paired with the adaptability and confidence to deal with uncertainty. You have the privilege of developing trust and rapport with patients and their families, and you work in a small team that is flexible and open to change. I’ve discovered a (surprising!) passion for quantitative analysis in very large datasets and my research now focuses on improving early cancer diagnosis in primary care. This is a topic that I care about on both a personal and professional level and I’m proud that my research has already had impact on health policy. 

Academic skills were only one part of the equation and Clare also taught me the value of pursuing interests far beyond your day job. In the past few years I rekindled my love for the visual arts and took a year out of my training to complete a foundation art degree. Since then I have been running workshops with my sister (a full time artist) and had a book published by Macmillan Start Painting Now which focuses on helping others to find joy in the creative process.

If I were to give advice to my younger self it would be to make the most of every opportunity and have the confidence to be yourself. Above all, however, I would want her to understand the importance of being as kind to yourself as you are to others.