Meet the team: GNAAS doctor Dion Arbid

Doctor Dion from Durham has been with the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) for a whopping 18 years.

We chatted with him to find out about his journey with the charity and his life outside of the organisation:

Where do you work outside of GNAAS and what is your role?

Outside of the charity, I work as a consultant in A&E at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle.

How long have you worked there?

13 years.

Talk me through your medical career from the beginning up to now?

I studied medicine at Newcastle University and did my junior doctor training at various hospitals around the region.

I then went on to do my HEMS training and surgical training as well as anaesthetics before choosing to go back to working in A&E.

Did you always know you wanted to become a doctor?

Yes, I did actually. I was fairly academic through school and a career in medicine always appealed to me.

Why did you choose your field of speciailty?

I’d say because working in A&E offers the most variety and is the most exciting.

What would you have become if you weren’t a doctor?

I knew that is what I always wanted to do.

What do you enjoy most about your role outside of GNAAS?

I love the unpredictability of it and not knowing what to expect or what can happen in a shift.

Hardest thing about your role?

The paperwork and the admin side.

How do you cope with difficult jobs?

To be honest, it hasn’t ever really phased me.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I am a big film buff and I also love the outdoors and biking and walking.

What kickstarts your day but not coffee?

Chocolate milk!

A big glass of Yazoo.

If you could live anywhere, where would you be?

 Where I live now – in the middle of nowhere with no people or traffic.