We hope that you enjoyed our blog series for Volunteers’ Week 2024 (3–9 June), in which we celebrated our wonderful volunteer members and the diverse ways that they support the College’s work. Although Volunteers’ Week has concluded for another year, we want to continue to highlight our volunteer members’ valuable work through the form of a Volunteer Spotlight. These will showcase more volunteer members, how they support the College and what they gain from getting involved in College activities.  

Here, we interviewed Dr Stephanie Thomas, a Consultant Medical Microbiologist and the College’s Country Advisor for Oman. Stephanie told us about her role, why she enjoys it and her hopes for the future of pathology from an international perspective. 

Can you tell us a bit about your background? What drew you to pathology as a profession? 

I have been a Consultant Medical Microbiologist since 2010, and work at the Manchester University Foundation Trust (MFT). I am currently Head of Service for the Manchester Medical Microbiology Partnership (MMMP). This is a longstanding partnership between the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the NHS, which provides the clinical, laboratory and public health service to the Northwest region. We are a large tertiary centre with lots of complex specialties such as heart and lung transplant, adult and paediatric cystic fibrosis, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, burns and haematology.

The mix of clinical and laboratory work always keeps me interested and busy! I also enjoy the fact that as infection doctors, we cover such a wide range of clinical specialties. This means that I get to discuss cases with colleagues from many disciplines of medicine, both in the hospital and the wider community. 

You’re currently the Country Advisor to Oman at RCPath. How did you come to volunteer in this position, and what does the role entail? 

I have had a longstanding interest in global health, particularly global public health. I hold an adjunct position at the Institute of Public Health (IPH) in Abu Dhabi, which is part of the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU). I travel to the region a couple of times a year as part of this role. In 2023, the College appointed Country Advisors for the MENA region, which now has a dedicated team of 17 Country Advisors supporting numerous countries, including Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Kurdistan, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates. I was keen to get involved as a volunteer and was selected to support Oman. 

The primary role of the Country Advisor is to collaborate with the International Regional Advisor in implementing regional priorities at the country level. This involves identifying opportunities for engagement, fostering project collaboration and facilitating membership development for College fellows based outside the UK, and potential College members. 

How does this work benefit/bring value to members? 

My engagement with The Sultanate of Oman began in February of this year with a visit to the capital, Muscat. I visited 3 hospitals in Muscat and met with fellows to understand how the College can strengthen links and collaborate with them and explore how we can enhance the College’s support for fellows working in this region.  

As the RCPath Country Advisor, I anticipate leveraging these strengths to foster opportunities for research collaboration and to facilitate the exchange of clinical experiences. The prospect of closer collaboration holds promise for enhancing healthcare practices in the Sultanate of Oman. 

What do you enjoy about volunteering with the College, and how has it benefited your professional practice? 

I thoroughly enjoy working with the College’s International team who are an inclusive, friendly and hard-working group. I particularly enjoy having the global perspective to my work. I have met many new colleagues across the MENA region who I now also call friends. 

What advice do you have for other members who are interested in volunteering with the College, and why do you think it’s important to get involved? 

Definitely get involved! Working with the RCPath International team adds another dimension to your daily work, it broadens horizons (literally!) and presents opportunities to meet new colleagues from across the globe. You can also gain valuable insights into solutions for what are often similar problems both home and away. 

What are your hopes for the pathology profession over the next 5 years, and how can the College support in this? 

I hope that we can continue to build a strong and resilient infection service and, therefore, recruit and retain our excellent workforce of the future.  

I hope that by working with the International team at the College, we can develop regular correspondence in relation to international affairs, as well as ensure access to virtual conferences for CPD so that our fellows outside of the UK don’t miss out on valuable opportunities. I hope that we can continue to connect with each other to share experiences, challenges and, most importantly, solutions. 

Anything else you'd like to add? 

The COVID-19 pandemic taught us that infection does not respect borders and therefore maintaining and strengthening international ties with our College fellows is an important way to ensure future preparedness. 

After all … Pathology is Global! 

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We hope that you enjoyed reading about Stephanie’s experience as a Country Advisor. Perhaps she has even inspired you to get involved in the College’s work? If you’d like to find out more about the volunteer roles available, please take a look at the volunteer vacancy page. 

You may also like to find out more about the College’s 2023–2026 international strategy, Pathology is Global. This strategy sets out our vision for promoting and advancing excellence in pathology internationally.