Meet the Resident Doctor Committee Co-chairs An interview with Dr Catherine Rowan and Dr Anthony Martinelli
Dr Anthony Martinelli (AM) and Dr Catherine Rowan (CR) took up their roles as RCP RDC co-chairs in 2024, having been RDC representatives for the East of England and Yorkshire and Humber deaneries respectively. They are both passionate about advocating for resident doctors about training issues and medical education. Anthony stepped down as co-chair in September 2025.
Dr Nicola Maddox, RDC member and Commentary guest editor, speaks to them about their work as RDC co-chairs.
Read Nicola’s companion article on the RDC’s extensive work, speaking to fellow members of the committee.
What inspired you to take on the role as co-chairs of the RDC?
CR: I've always been invested in medical training and education. I saw this position as a critical opportunity to make a significant impact and represent resident doctors at a time when their voice was needed most.
It's important to me that the RCP reflects what it's like to be a doctor today. I work less than full time, juggle two on-call acute rotas with my husband and have a busy home life with two children. While my situation isn't unique, it gives me a solid grasp of the challenges that many doctors face in managing their working lives.
AM: I stepped up because it felt like a critical moment. The college was facing some really tough challenges, and I believed that the voice of resident doctors was central to finding a way forward. On issues like physician assistants (PAs), we needed a strong, clear direction from our committee to shape college policy. I wanted to be part of making that happen.
How can this role and the RDC help resident doctors?
CR: A key challenge for me on the RDC has been bridging the gap between our work and the resident doctors we serve. The RDC advocates for resident doctors on a wide range of committees, from the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board (JRCPTB) to groups focused on curriculum implementation, recruitment and general internal medicine specialty advisory groups. We contribute to educational initiatives such as RCP conferences and podcast series.
Regional RDC representatives connect us to local issues, build networks and ensure that representation is diverse. Our focus is to provide the resident doctor perspective on vital issues in medical training, shaping a better future for the next generation of physicians.
Ultimately, our job is to bring the reality of being a resident doctor into the rooms where decisions are made and to speak truth to power.
AM: We fight to make sure that changes to training, recruitment and assessment help us, rather than hinder us. We can't win every battle, but I'm convinced that without the RDC, things would be much tougher. We can also champion specific causes. For example, I have been focused on setting up work to improve general medicine training, tackle the internal medicine training (IMT) recruitment crisis and ensure that academic medicine has a future. It’s all about making our working lives better and securing the future of our profession.
There have been challenges during your time as co-chairs, how did you tackle these?
CR: Since taking on this role in September 2024, it feels like we have navigated one challenge after another, from the ongoing discussions around physician assistants to the systemic issues of internal medicine training (IMT) recruitment and training bottlenecks. We also had to respond quickly to urgent situations, such as the MRCP(UK) part 2 exam error.
Throughout it all, my priority has been to ensure that we respond with openness, honesty and clear communication. For example, I advocated directly with statutory education bodies on behalf of the doctors affected by the exam error. The strength of our committee comes from capturing the collective voice of resident doctors and using our different skills to support them when it matters most.
AM: By being persistent and united. We have resident doctor representatives on countless committees but have only started to see real impact when everyone repeats the same clear messages. That's where our wider RDC has been absolutely fantastic – having such an engaged and proactive committee means that we know we're speaking for the majority, not just for ourselves. We’ve also had great support from senior figures at the RCP, who have always been willing to listen and engage, even when we’re not in agreement.
What are you each most proud of as a co-chair and a representative for your region?
CR: We've been lobbying to raise the profile of the IMT recruitment crisis and training bottlenecks, and have met directly with key leaders such as the chief medical officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, and former NHS national medical director, Professor Sir Steve Powis. By writing to the government and speaking to the Financial Times, we've amplified these critical issues, which continue to create uncertainty for current resident doctors.
Our efforts have extended across many other vital areas. We influenced the JRCPTB’s guidance on self-development time and contributed to the national Medical Training Review via the ‘Next Gen’ committee. Anthony's dedication to the PA oversight group was crucial in shaping recommendations for scope of practice and name change. Each of these issues is hugely important and this experience has reinforced how valuable a dedicated voice can be.
AM: I'm really proud of the work we did to get self-development time for higher specialty doctors in training formally recommended. There's still a way to go on implementation but seeing it adopted in trusts, and making a real difference to people's working weeks, is very rewarding. More recently, helping to shape the first phase of the medical training review has been a huge focus. This is a once-in-a-generation chance to fix things for the long term, and we need every resident doctor to get involved and have their say on what the future of our training should look like.
What is your favourite aspect of being a co-chair?
CR: I always look forward to our annual July face-to-face meetings with the entire RDC. It's a genuine privilege to work with such an enthusiastic, hardworking and inspiring group. When we meet, I'm always left feeling more optimistic about the future of the profession, as it is clear that there will always be doctors committed to improving it for everyone.
AM: For me, it’s meeting the next generation of physicians. Representing the RDC at the MRCP(UK) graduation ceremony and working with the Student and Foundation Doctor Network (SFDN) have been real highlights. You meet so many brilliant, motivated people who are passionate about medicine – and it's a powerful reminder of why we do this. It’s our duty to make sure that the career pathways for them are as good as they can possibly be.
How do you think being part of the RDC has helped you develop professionally, with your career and aspirations?
CR: It's a huge privilege to be able to represent resident doctors on a national level. I've always been passionate, but this experience has given me greater understanding of the strategic steps needed to influence policy and create lasting change. I've learned a lot about leadership, recognising that the best approach can vary greatly depending on the situation, and the importance of listening and recognising the strength of others.
AM: The biggest thing has been getting to hear so many different perspectives. You learn so much about how training works (or doesn't) in different parts of the country. It’s given me a much clearer sense of how vital good local and regional leadership is for making things better on the ground. I hope that’s something I can take with me into my future career as a consultant.
If there are resident doctors interested in being involved with the RCP, what advice would you have for them?
CR: We'd love you to get involved! The RCP offers many opportunities to participate, including annual applications for the RDC and the role of associate college tutor. For those approaching the consultant level, you can also apply to join the New Consultant Committee. We strongly encourage all doctors to look out for these opportunities on the RCP website and in your emails, to get involved whenever you can.
AM: When we’ve been assessing applications to RDC, the key criteria we have been looking for are enthusiasm to do the job and a track record of advocating for fellow residents. It is good to take opportunities to do the latter wherever possible – whether through RCP roles or not. We were never worried about people being critical of the RCP or their training experience in their personal statements; as long as it could be directed towards making a positive change. We felt that such passion could actually be helpful.
Is there anyone who has inspired you with regards to leadership?
CR: I've really enjoyed working with our current president, Professor Mumtaz Patel. She's a great example of kindness and compassion in leadership, and makes people feel valued. You also can't underestimate the smaller, day-to-day interactions with role models during our medical training. They're the people who inspire us along the way.
AM: Seeing Professor Chris Whitty lead meetings up close has been a real education. You see him on TV, but in person his ability to steer a discussion is even more impressive. We don't always land on the same page when it comes to training, but his thinking is always so clear and long term. I’ve learned a lot from watching how he identifies the key pressure points to make change happen, while still making sure that everyone feels they've been heard.
Any other comments?
CR: A huge thank you to everyone on the RDC. This important work would not be possible without our dedicated and hardworking group of doctors who volunteer their time. A special thank you to Anthony, who has recently stepped down as co-chair – he has made an huge impact this year and will be massively missed.
It's been an incredible opportunity to serve in this position, and I'm really thankful for it. We're committed to continuing our work for all resident doctors, and we welcome any ideas you have to help us be more effective.
AM: Yes – a really important one. Following the annual general meeting that took place on 25 September 2025, fellows are voting on whether to extend voting rights for the RCP president, and other college roles, to members like us – not just fellows. It is not only clearly right that paying members should be able to elect their leaders, but it will also ensure that the resident doctor voice will be central to the college’s future direction. It is crucial that this vote passes: so please do talk to your consultants and encourage them to support this reform!
Anthony stepped down from RDC co-chair in September 2025, as he is due to complete training in November 2025. He has been an excellent co-chair and we thank him for his endless hard work and all he has done to support resident doctors. Dr Stephen Joseph (ST5 respiratory medicine and RDC representative for London (Central and North East) has been elected as the new co-chair to work alongside Catherine.
‘I am honoured to take over from Anthony as co-chair of the RCP RDC. With the NHS England Medical Training Review ongoing and the development of higher speciality training quality criteria soon to come, we have an excellent opportunity to influence the future of medical training. I look forward to working with the rest of the committee to ensure what comes next is evidence-based, and directly addresses the current disconnect between what's intended for medical training and what actually happens in practice.’
This article was produced for the October 2025 edition of Commentary magazine.