The life of a junior doctor isn't generally known for its glamour but that's certainly not the case for Bhasha Mukherjee. She started her first day in hospital as a doctor just hours after being crowned Miss England. The 23-year-old from Derby did her first shift at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston in Lincolnshire only 24 hours after winning the beauty pageant. 'Nerve Wracking' She told Medscape News UK: "I think it was a nerve wracking week as a whole. I was more anxious that the finals and my first day at work were mere hours apart and felt worried what the aftermath of the pageant would be and how it may impact my first day at work. I was equally anxious about winning and losing and then starting a new job I had worked 5 years to get!" It's Dr Mukherjee's first job since graduating from the University of Nottingham. She has a degree in medical sciences and a second degree in medicine and surgery. She speaks five languages and has an IQ of 146. It's not a classic pairing of interests but Dr Mukherjee thinks she'll be able to balance the two roles perfectly well. Glam/De-glam Balance "I think the essence of life is balance. I never wanted to become one of those unhappy grumbling people that hate their job because it's boring 9-5 and thankless hard work. Being too busy or having no time are just excuses to me. For me working at the hospital, being completely 'de-glam' and focusing on my patients keeps me grounded. It's also very therapeutic to be focused on a task at hand and be away from distraction on my phone and social media. Equally, my title gives me that inner confidence and self-esteem that I have an escape. On my days off I get to be someone totally different and make my country proud!" She says she's still under the radar for most people but that may change. "I had my first patient recognise me today. I work in the busiest ward in the hospital, the patients that come to our ward are often too ill to breathe let alone recognise who's who. But I like being a nobody at work and just being able to get on with it. My fellow staff members know about my title and there's always some playful banter between our jobs lists." Global Ambitions Dr Mukherjee was scouted to compete in a pageant in 2016 which aimed to increase diversity in beauty contests in the UK, and it took a bit of convincing for her to do it. She is now preparing for the global Miss World pageant in London in December. There's a Miss World sport round which tests fitness levels and Dr Mukherjee is training by boxing at a gym in Derby. Another round is the 'Beauty with a Purpose' project. She has chosen to work with Diabetes UK on this and plans to go into schools to talk to children about diabetes and how to prevent it. She says: "Whether I win Miss World or not, my aim would always be to be grounded and be a person of the people, for the people." Source
