Maisie Irvine is a third-year medical student at Norwich Medical School. Having been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during her first year, she has developed insight of the neurodiverse traits that drew her to medicine and are shaping the doctor she aspires to become.
Pattern recognition, detailed recall of previous clinical experiences and inventing solutions to complex problems are just some of these traits that enable Maisie to excel during her primary care placements; making general practice her career ambition.
It is in her position as an autistic medic that Maisie is also able to understand the challenges of working and receiving care in a healthcare system designed for the non-autistic majority. Maisie’s focus has now shifted from self-acceptance to spreading awareness of the autistic experience throughout our institutions, so that our autistic doctors and patients have better outcomes.
