Iraqi doctor completes MRI cardiac imaging training in Nottingham
Dr Shaween Al-Talabany, from the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, has completed a month-long clinical observation at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) as part of her ambition to gain formal recognition from the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI).
Shaween is the first female general cardiologist doctor to have subspecialised in cardiac imaging in northern Iraq. However, to further her speciality in the field of cardiac MRI scanning, she needed to work with a supervisor accredited by the EACVI. There is currently no accredited trainer working in Iraq or an equivalent qualification.
Shaween contacted the EACVI board and was put in contact with NUH Consultant Cardiologist Dr Mike Sosin, who is an experienced cardiac MRI trainer and has been a member of the board since 2023.
Dr Sosin said: “We're a training centre for people who want to study cardiac MRI scanning, so it just made sense for Shaween to complete her studies here and it's been an absolute joy to have her here.
“She works extremely hard. We were able to accommodate Shaween without any negative effect on our clinical service or training for our local team.”
Shaween said: “Medicine has always been my passion since I was a child, I’ve always enjoyed taking care of others. I was drawn to cardiology and cardiac imaging through my enjoyment of music and rhythms which aligns with the heart as it has a unique rhythm.
“I have really enjoyed being back in the UK after doing my Masters and PhD here. It has been a pleasure working with the team, I have gained so much invaluable experience.
“I am looking forward to taking all this new knowledge back to my local hospital, and hopefully increasing the number of patients we see through the new approaches I’ve learnt.”
Shaween has now gone back to Iraq to continue building the cardiac MRI service there and hopes to be able to train others once she has achieved her certification.
Background
Through an MRI the team can create pictures which measure the blood flow through the heart. This allows them to assess almost any heart condition, such patients born with congenital heart disease, those with holes in the heart or even very unusual conditions, like tumours of the heart. Around 2000 scans a year are completed by the NUH Cardiac Imaging Team.