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January 23, 2025On 1 August 2024, Dr Celestine Weegenaar joined Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) as our newest Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine (PHEM) Trainee.
Dr Celestine, who is originally from Amsterdam, moved to Bristol in 2009 for medical school and has stayed in the area since. She completed her foundation years in Yeovil followed by a year as a Teaching Fellow teaching students at Southmead Hospital. She then embarked on her emergency medicine training, working in a range of hospitals across our region including the Great Western Hospital in Swindon, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Southmead Hospital in Bristol, the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI) and Bristol Children’s Hospital, Musgrove Hospital in Taunton, and Cheltenham General Hospital.
In 2022, Dr Celestine took a year out to work with the Australian helicopter medical service, LifeFlight. She currently splits her time between two weeks at GWAAC and two weeks in hospital (firstly the BRI, then a switch to Southmead Hospital).
Dr Celestine’s goal is to qualify as a Critical Care Doctor at GWAAC and achieve a consultant role at either the BRI or Southmead Hospital.
When asked why she wanted to work for GWAAC, Dr Celestine said, “I always knew I wanted to specialise in emergency medicine, and when I first found out about pre-hospital emergency medicine (I was in my first year working as a doctor), I thought—yes, that’s for me! I already knew some consultants who worked at GWAAC from my hospital work in the region and I heard so many good things about it. I decided I wanted to be the first female trainee at GWAAC.”
After a few months in the role, Dr Celestine has just completed her first initial sign-off and is working towards further sign-offs to enable her to work independently (of other GWAAC Critical Care Doctors) on a shift.
She is just as excited as when she started: “All the people are great. Super knowledgeable and keen to train me. When I’m not on a job, I’m in the training room gaining from the knowledge of GWAAC’s Critical Care Doctors and Specialist Paramedics. I’ve really enjoyed that; they just have so much knowledge — it’s a privilege to have that one-on-one training with them. I feel lucky that I haven’t had to move to a different side of the country for my PHEM training. I’m very grateful to stay in my area with my social networks and bring patients into the hospitals that I work in.”
Dr Celestine is looking forward to, “more learning and working towards being fully signed-off at GWAAC.” She says, “I’m enjoying the training and the one-on-one time so I want to make the most of all that.”
A typical day at GWAAC for Dr Celestine is similar to the other crew but she makes the most of the learning opportunities whenever she can.
She says her biggest achievement to date is getting her PHEM Trainee role at GWAAC and as she looks to the future, she’s hoping to encourage more women into PHEM. She says, “I’m inspired by successful women both in my career and outside of my career. I’ve just become the chair of PHEMTA (the Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine Trainees’ Association). I’d like to help make things more equal for females in PHEM and break down barriers.”
When Dr Celestine isn’t working, she’s playing volleyball for Bristol. She trains a couple of times a week and has games at the weekends. To relax and wind down she likes to spend time with her boyfriend who is currently living in Birmingham. During the COVID-19 lockdown, Dr Celestine dedicated herself to renovating a camper van and she loved doing trips in it, but then it got stolen. She says, “I’m still a bit heartbroken about my van, I’m just about getting over it.”
If Dr Celestine wasn’t a doctor, she would like to be a houseplant consultant advising people on which houseplants would be best suited to which environments and how they should be looked after, or perhaps an interior designer.
Dr Celestine’s three favourite things?
“I like working in teams – it’s why I like PHEM, because you have to form teams quickly. I also like being warm and I love autumn because you can wear lots of layers. Learning and developing new skills is up there too.”
Her three most hated things?
“I don’t like raw onions, party balloons (if they’re near me) and people being unkind or obstructive.”
Tea or coffee?
“Coffee. My favourite is a nice oat flat white from my coffee machine that my friends bought me recently for my birthday.”
One word to describe yourself?
“Happy.”
Welcome to the GWAAC family, Dr Celestine!
Want to learn more about the newest recruits to GWAAC's Critical Care Team? Why not read Lily's, James' or Waldo's bio next?
I always knew I wanted to specialise in emergency medicine, and when I first found out about pre-hospital emergency medicine (I was in my first year working as a doctor), I thought—yes, that’s for me! I already knew some consultants who worked at GWAAC from my hospital work in the region and I heard so many good things about it. I decided I wanted to be the first female trainee at GWAAC.
I’m inspired by successful women both in my career and outside of my career. I’ve just become the chair of PHEMTA (the Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine Trainees’ Association). I’d like to help make things more equal for females in PHEM and break down barriers.