Living History: Janet Lefroy

My defining moment at Trinity

I loved being one of the first women at Trinity and would like to say my defining moment was one of so many happy memories – the supervisions we took for granted – sunsets in Neville’s Court – or getting oars in the May Bumps 1981. But as so often in life it is the difficulties which really move us, and my defining moment was failing two first year medical tripos papers. Having never before failed anything other than a driving test it was a reality check – I was now a small fish in a big pond, and my learning style wasn’t working. I phoned home, dreading parental disappointment. “First year readjustments” my father said cheerfully. That was the beginning of a new discovery of self-directed learning.

I matriculated at Trinity in 1978. After training as a GP in London I headed to Tanzania for a couple of years which turned into eleven with the Public Health Education programme of the Lutheran church in Kilimanjaro region. I am now a GP in Stoke-on-Trent and Senior Lecturer in Medical Education at Keele University School of Medicine.