RCP Resident Doctor Committee
Our Resident Doctor Committee (RDC) reflects the RCP’s commitment to supporting and empowering early career physicians to take an active role in influencing the future of medicine.
The RDC has been heavily involved in shaping the new physician training pathway. We have given a resident doctor voice to the changes from CMT to IMT. We have also lobbied for the alternative certificate, so that no doctor gets left behind.
Areas of work and projects
Resident Doctor Committee working groups focus on a variety of issues, including improving communication between doctors, improving working lives and challenging educational dogma.
The committee has also contributed to a number of projects, including:
- events including Call the medical registrar and Med+
- an online presence in the next gen series of the RCP Player
- curriculum development and implementation
- physician recruitment.
Meetings and membership
The RDC contains seats for 35 members: 33 regional representatives, co-chairs and a deputy chair. Members meet three times a year and conduct discussions among themselves, with senior RCP officers (the president, vice presidents and registrar).
Many of the Resident Doctor Committee's discussions take place outside these meetings, via email. The committee often produces position statements and other documents based on these discussions.
Resident Doctor Committee representatives
Representatives for each deanery are elected by and represent the resident doctors, both within the RCP on Council and in committees, and outside the RCP at the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC), the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board (JRCPTB).
Representatives also act on your behalf at the local level of each deanery on the Local Education and Training Board (LETB).
Contact us
If you would like to contact the RDC, please email RDC@rcp.ac.uk.
Meet your representatives
Dr Stephen Joseph
Resident Doctor Committee co-chair
Stephen joined the Resident Doctor Committee in 2024 as a representative for North Central and East London and was elected co-chair in 2025. He currently works as a registrar in respiratory and general internal medicine in East London.
Stephen graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2015, and has represented doctors locally and regionally throughout his postgraduate training in Hertfordshire and London. He has a keen interest in education and training, having completed a master’s in clinical education and spent a year as an education fellow at NHS England. Stephen is committed to applying his academic and professional experience to ensure that policies and training initiatives are made with the needs of resident doctors in mind.
Stephen is always happy to hear from doctors about their suggestions or concerns regarding postgraduate training.
Dr Ricia Gwenter
Resident Doctor Committee co-chair
Dr Ricia Gwenter is a gastroenterology and general internal medicine (GIM) registrar in the Wessex deanery. Ricia has been co-chair of the RDC since September 2026, having joined as a regional representative in 2022.
She graduated from the Swansea Graduate Entry Medical Programme before completing foundation and core medical training in north Wales, and subsequently moved to the Wessex deanery to pursue specialty training.
Ricia has previously been the chair of the British Society of Gastroenterology Trainee Section, as well as a member of both the Gastroenterology and GIM Specialty Advisory Committees. These experiences provided insight into postgraduate training and the challenges facing resident doctors and the medical workforce.
In 2024, Ricia was selected for the National Medical Director’s Clinical Fellowship, undertaking secondments to the Care Quality Commission and the Maternity and Newborn Investigation team. This experience offered a unique perspective beyond frontline clinical practice, deepening her understanding of healthcare regulation, patient safety and system level leadership.
As co-chair, Ricia hopes to help revitalise local and regional physician networks, ensuring they are visible and responsive. She believes this is a vital step towards building a stronger more connected and representative RCP, where resident physicians have a meaningful voice in shaping its future priorities. She also hopes to champion resident doctors’ experiences and ensure their voices are heard by organisations and decision makers that influence the NHS and medical profession. Drawing on her experiences across training, leadership and healthcare regulation, Ricia hopes to help bridge the gap between policy and practice and contribute to sustainable and meaningful change.
Dr Max Thoburn
Resident Doctor Committee deputy chair and West Midlands representative
Dr Max Thoburn is a registrar in infectious diseases and general internal medicine, based in the West Midlands.
His interests are focused on health policy and its effect on both working conditions and healthcare inequalities at a local and national level.
Dr Angharad Chilton
Resident Doctor Committee secretary and Wessex representative
Dr Angharad Chilton is a single accreditation general internal medicine registrar in Southampton. She joined the RCP Resident Doctor Committee in 2024. Her postgraduate training was in West Yorkshire and within Wessex. She is a member of the general internal medicine pilot steering group and has spent time representing medical registrars and doctors of all grades at a trust level.
She has a passion for education both undergraduate and postgraduate and wants to improve the quality of training provided for all doctors undertaking postgraduate training, with a special interest in how general medicine training is delivered. Dr Chilton currently works less than full time and is interested in representing the interests of doctors who are undertaking less than full time training.
Dr Sara Abou Sherif
Resident Doctor Committee representative – London North West
Dr Sara Abou Sherif is a cardiology NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow (ACF) and ST4 registrar in the North west London Deanery, having completed internal medicine training across Harefield, Royal Brompton, and Chelsea and Westminster Hospitals.
Her academic background includes a MSc in cardiovascular research, clinical teaching fellowship at Charing Cross Hospital, a PGCert in medical education and an academic foundation programme at Imperial. She has a strong interest in advancing academic training and medical education, alongside leadership and policy, having completed leadership training and received national prizes for research, innovation, and quality improvement.
Sara has held trainee representative roles focusing on communication, sustainable teaching programmes and trainee wellbeing. She joined the Royal College of Physicians’ RDC in 2025 and is committed to representing the trainee voice, advocating for equitable and flexible training, and bridging clinical service with high-quality academic training to empower doctors to combine patient care with impactful scholarship.
Dr Laura Bannon
Resident Doctor Committee representative – Kent, Surrey & Sussex
Dr Laura Bannon qualified from University College London and completed foundation training in Sussex. Subsequently, she undertook a clinical fellow in medical education. Completing a post-graduate certificate in medical education and establishing a wellbeing working committee locally.
Having completed internal medical training in the North West, she is moving back to Kent, Surrey & Sussex to begin respiratory & GIM ST4 later in 2025. Laura hopes to bring experience from previous roles to this position, having represented resident doctors at both local & regional levels, advocating for improved rest facilities and educational opportunities.
She is passionate about improving training opportunities and wellbeing for resident doctors, and would love to hear any suggestions or concerns you have.
Dr Frederica Betteridge
Resident Doctor Committee representative – Severn
Frederica has worked in Severn since graduating from Norwich Medical School in 2013. She is currently a specialty registrar (ST6) in gastroenterology and general internal medicine and obtained MRCP in 2016 and European Specialty Examination in Gastroenterology and Hepatology (ESEGH) in 2020. Dr Betteridge has a particular interest in luminal gastroenterology and endoscopy.
Frederica is enthusiastic about medical education having previously had roles as an associate specialty tutor and lead registrar in the PACES examinations.
She currently works less than full time to balance work with raising two young children and is excited to get involved with the work of the RCP to improve trainee experience.
Dr Joyce Cheng
Resident Doctor Committee representative – Eastern
Joyce graduated from Norwich Medical School in 2018. She completed foundation and internal medicine training across the Eastern deanery experiencing first-hand what the region has to offer. She is now an ST6 specialty registrar in respiratory and general internal medicine in Cambridge.
Outside of respiratory medicine, her interests lie in medical education and she holds an associate fellowship of the higher education academy. Through her previous roles representing trainees locally and on the regional specialty training committee for internal medicine training, she has worked on improving access to exam preparation, exposure to less accessible sub-specialties and fostering meaningful mentorships. Most importantly, she advocates for civility in the workplace and better working relationships.
Alongside her work with the RCP, she is also the current general internal medicine higher specialty trainees representative in the Eastern deanery.
Dr Áine Corry
Resident Doctor Committee representative – Northern Ireland
Dr Corry graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 2020, completing placements in Ruprect-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Germany as part of Erasmus, and undertook her foundation training in Northern Ireland.
During her foundation training she was a regional trainee representative on the NIMDTA Foundation and Trainee Forums, and was involved with undergraduate medical teaching including developing a local teaching programme for medical students.
After foundation training, she spent a few months locuming before leaving the UK to gain experience working in Perth, Western Australia. This provided great insight into a different healthcare system including better working conditions and work-life balance.
She is now an Internal Medical Trainee in Northern Ireland and is passionate about improving working conditions working in Northern Ireland and across the UK.
She joined the RCP Resident Doctors Committee at the end of 2024 and is keen to advocate for resident doctors to improve working conditions, education and training opportunities.
Dr Charlie Finlow
Resident Doctor Committee representative – Wales
Dr Charlie Finlow is a palliative medicine registrar in North Wales. She graduated from Norwich medical school in 2016 and undertook her foundation training at Noble's Hospital, Isle of Man. She completed IMT training in Wrexham before commencing palliative medicine registrar training across North Wales.
She was an ACT for Wrexham and has an interest in postgraduate medical education. She is currently completing an MSc in medical education at Swansea University. She won the Turner-Warwick prize for Wales in 2024.
Dr Samuel Hey
Resident Doctor Committee representative – Northern
Dr Samuel Hey graduated from the University of Manchester in 2018 before completing foundation and internal medical training across the hospitals of Manchester. In 2024 Sam moved to the North East of England to undertake higher specialty training in infectious diseases and general medicine.
Sam is keen to advocate for better conditions and access to opportunities for resident doctors and completed a project as an RCP chief registrar in Manchester Foundation Trust to improve conditions for doctors working on the acute medical take. He has also worked with the NIHR North West Regional Research Delivery Network to improve resident doctors’ access to clinical research.
Sam joined the RCP Resident Doctor Committee in 2024 and hopes to improve the experiences of all doctors who work in medicine.
Dr Edward Lau
Resident Doctor Committee representative – East Midlands
Dr Lau is an alumni of Barts and The London School of Medicine, completing his foundation training in Cornwall. He then moved to the East Midlands to take on an Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF) training position in cardiology and GIM.
Dr Lau has experience representing trainees and medical students within the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) union on a national level.
He believes education and teaching are vital clinical skills; accordingly, he has taken on both voluntary and formal teaching roles to further his experience and has consolidated his practised abilities by obtaining a post-graduate certificate in medical education.
He has a strong interest in research and improving patient outcomes. He studied for an MSc in regenerative medicine, and currently works within the electrophysiology research team at the Glenfield Hospital, focusing on studies of arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death.
Dr Aimée Leadbetter
Resident Doctor Committee representative – Severn
Dr Aimée Leadbetter has worked in the Severn region since graduating from Cardiff University in 2015 (with an 18 month spell working in Northern Queensland, Australia). She is currently a registrar (st5) in respiratory and general internal medicine, having gained MRCP in 2020.
She enjoyed her role as associate college tutor for the RCP for two years during Internal Medicine Training, where she had a keen interest in improving trainee procedural and SIM experience.
She is excited to work with the RDC to advocate for her peers and to help improve training experience.
Dr Kristina Millar
Resident Doctor Committee representative – Kent, Surrey & Sussex
Kristina completed the graduate entry medicine programme at Southampton medical school in 2019 after an undergraduate degree in biomedical science.
She completed her foundation programme in KSS and chose to stay on for internal medicine training in the same area alongside balancing her time raising her toddler. Currently completing her IMT2 year she is passionate about palliative medicine and plans to pursue a career in the specialty.
Kristina has previously held roles as junior doctor representative and freedom to speak up champion. She is passionate about being a voice for her peers and improving the medical training experience. She joined the RDC in 2024 and is looking forward to working with the RCP to improve trainee experience.
Dr Sacha Moore
Resident Doctor Committee representative – Wales
Dr Sacha Moore is a specialty registrar in nephrology and general internal medicine on the Wales clinical academic training pathway. Following medical school in Southampton, Sacha worked in North Wales for his foundation years before moving south, where his training has given him exposure to hospitals and health boards across the region.
Sacha has worked with RCP Cymru over a number of years to support resident doctor colleagues; he is passionate about ensuring everyone has a good training experience and can access wide-ranging opportunities in a supportive workplace.
Outside of RCP work, Sacha undertakes discovery science research work alongside chairing the UK Kidney Association trainee-led audit and research network, ‘NEPHwork’. His fervent enthusiasm for all things research drives his desire to support academic clinicians across the country.
Dr Rachel Openshaw
Resident Doctor Committee representative – Mersey
This biography will be added shortly.
Dr Alexandra Pain
Resident Doctor Committee representative – Oxford and Thames Valley
Dr Alexandra Pain is an ST4 registrar in geriatric and general medicine at Buckinghamshire NHS Healthcare Trust. She graduated from University College London in 2016 and worked in London for three years before returning to the home counties where she grew up. She is actively involved in the British Geriatric Society and also holds roles within her trust on the trainee leadership board and clinical ethics advisory committee.
Alexandra previously served as an RCP associate college tutor and a representative on the Student Foundation Doctor Committee as an foundation year representative. She joined the Resident Doctors committee in 2024 and hopes to represent the voice of resident doctors and focus on improving and shaping medical training programmes to build a robust, supported, and happier workforce.
Dr Jemima Sellicks
Resident Doctor Committee representative – East Midlands
Dr Sellicks is a core medical doctor. She graduated from Nottingham Medical School in 2022 and has worked in the East Midlands since then. She joined the RDC in 2024 and is keen to be actively involved in improving training opportunities for resident doctors.
Jemima was a student representative during her undergraduate degree. She has also represented doctors throughout her foundation years and has been chair and co-chair of local junior doctors forums. She has also held roles on local teaching committees and enjoys teaching medical students.
Aside from this, she enjoys staying active and participates in a local netball club in the East Midlands.
Dr Muzammil A. Nahaboo Solim
Resident Doctor Committee representative – Northern
Dr Muzammil A. Nahaboo Solim is an internal medicine and gastroenterology registrar working in the North East of England. He has worked in the region since graduating with a medical degree from Newcastle University in 2018. He also has an interest in public health and bowel cancer screening.
He joined the RCP Resident Doctor Committee as the representative for the Northern Region in 2024. He is passionate about representing trainees views and working to improve training opportunities.
Dr Cleodie Swire
Resident Doctor Committee representative – South London
Dr Cleodie Swire is a registrar in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics and general internal medicine, based in London. Her particular areas of interest are medical education and obstetric medicine.
Cleodie has previously held role as an RCP associate college tutor and regional IMT3 committee member. Through these roles she has advocated for resident doctors and introduced new educational initiatives. She looks forward to continuing to contribute in these areas, as well as working on policy development.
Dr Laura Tregidgo
Resident Doctor Committee representative – South London
Dr Laura Tregidgo graduated from Oxford University in 2020. She is at IMT2 level currently working at St George's Hospital, London. Laura is passionate about medical education and improving the overall training experience for resident doctors within the NHS.
Dr Sophie Goodrum
Observer – Peninsula
Dr Sophie Goodrum is a specialist registrar in respiratory and general internal medicine. She is currently undertaking an NIHR academic clinical fellowship based in Exeter.
Having graduated from the University of Exeter with an intercalated degree in Medical Humanities with Ethics, she continued her training in the South West. Sophie undertook an academic foundation programme and completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Management, Leadership and Innovation. She is currently working towards an MSc in Health Research Methods.
Sophie greatly enjoys her RCP associate college tutor role. She co-organised a South West regional IMT recruitment event, regional IMT teaching, and PACES course and exam. She is enthusiastic about enhancing medical trainees’ experience of internal and specialist medical training.
Dr Giada Azzopardi
Resident Doctor Committee representative – Observer
Dr Giada Azzopardi is a renal and intensive care medicine trainee in London.
Dr Giada Azzopardi is a renal and intensive care medicine trainee in London. She is the ICM/medicine trainee representative for the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine StR Sub-Committee and sits as an observer on the RCP Resident Doctor Committee.
Dr Luke Swithenbank
Defence Deanery representative – Observer
Dr. Luke Swithenbank is a Royal Air Force specialty registrar in infectious diseases and general internal medicine, currently based at the rare and imported pathogens laboratory at Porton Down.
He graduated from the University of Leeds in 2016, completing his foundation training in Birmingham, and subsequently served as a general duties medical officer with the RAF. Most of his specialty training has been in Liverpool, with regular deployments for aeromedical evacuations on behalf of Defence.
He joined the resident doctors’ committee in 2026 for the Defence Deanery with the aim of ensuring the physicians of our armed forces maintain the highest quality of training, and that their unique career pathways are considered in decision-making processes.
Dr Vasiliki Thanopoulou
RCP clinical education fellow
Dr Vasiliki Thanopoulou graduated from Medical School of Athens in 2015. She is an ST6 in rheumatology and general medicine based in London. She was RCP Chief registrar for the Royal Free Hospital in London from 2023-2024 where she was responsible for designing postgraduate teaching sessions, regional leadership workshops, and promoting peer mentoring.
Vasiliki is currently out of programme working for the RCP as a clinical education fellow and has joined the RDC committee as an observer. She is interested in medical education as well as the impact on health inequalities at a local and national level and has used her position at the RCP to participate in projects related to these themes.
Dr Shruthi Konda
RCP Linacre fellow
Dr Shruthi Konda is the RCP’s Linacre fellow, a role focused on the development and leadership of the RCP’s network of college tutors and associate college tutors.
She is responsible for linking their work to that of other regional roles, the RCP’s Resident Doctor Committee and New Consultants Committee representatives, and advocates and champions college tutors’ work within the wider medical workforce.
Shruthi is a consultant respiratory physician at the Royal Brompton Hospital. She graduated from Imperial College London in 2007 and continued with her postgraduate training in respiratory and general medicine at Imperial College, St George’s and the Royal Brompton hospitals. She also has a bachelor’s degree with honours in management and medical sciences from Imperial College Business School, and a postgraduate certificate in medical education.
Alongside her role as a consultant physician, Shruthi is an MRCP PACES examiner and has hosted examinations herself on behalf of the RCP. A dedicated educator, she has worked as foundation training programme director and as an RCP tutor, overseeing around 130 postgraduate medical trainees at a time.
Shruthi is committed to getting the foundations of training right, so that we can produce competent, engaged and enthusiastic doctors who can meet the challenges of tomorrow. Dr Konda is also passionate about issues surrounding diversity and inclusion.
Have you heard of RCP Launchpad?
Senior resident doctors may benefit from visiting RCP Launchpad, our online resource hub dedicated to supporting your early career.
You'll find guidance on applying for your first consultant post, information on the importance of arranging a pre-interview visit, and some top tips to help you hold your interview nerves.
This resource is a membership benefit for RCP subscribing members and fellows.
