Originally from Birmingham, England - Consultant Cardiologist Majd, stated that working and training in Wales meets all his needs - academic, clinical and personal. He plans to stay in Wales and progress his career in clinical-academic cardiology.
Majd says:
“I originally grew up in Birmingham and stayed there to do my medical training as it was familiar, and I liked being in a big city. However, after I finished medical school in 2013, I moved to Wales because it has an attractive academic foundation programme and catered for my interests in cardiology.
“I decided to stay on in Wales after my foundation years, because it offers an outstanding run-through academic clinical specialty programme - the WCAT scheme. This programme is unique to Wales in that it carries trainees through core and specialty training and provides funding for a PhD to combine both academic and clinical activities. This was really appealing to me because of my desire to progress to be a leader in academic medicine.
“I gained my PHD in 2021 and completed my cardiology training in early 2025 after rotating widely across South Wales. When a post at the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) was advertised, it aligned perfectly with my goals and support my clinical activities. My familiarity with the Welsh healthcare system strengthened my application, and I was appointed Consultant Interventional Cardiologist in March 2025.
“UHW is a large regional surgical centre that serves up to 1.5 million people in Southeast Wales, a region with some of the UK’s highest heart disease rates. My work involves a mix of outpatient clinics, inpatient care, and general cardiology, but my main focus is treating heart attack patients requiring urgent coronary intervention. When on call, I provide 24-hour cover across a wide catchment area. Each year, our team performs around 1,600 procedures, ranging from simple balloon dilatations to complex multi-vessel interventions.
“With my academic background, I aim to expand our research portfolio and strengthen national and international collaborations to bring new treatments to Wales to develop services to meet the populations’ increasingly complex needs. The supportive and close-knit clinical community makes it much easier to collaborate with other centres, enabling seamless collaboration across all Welsh hospitals and ensuring seamless patient care.
“Giving back is central to me. Having trained in Wales for many years, I am now an educational supervisor, which lets me supervise trainees, teach medical students, and mentor healthcare professionals. Wales invested heavily in my development, and teaching allows me to contribute in return.
“I have found the opportunities in Wales endless, and the support is second to none and have always felt supported by both clinical and academic colleagues, as well as the HEIW Medical Deanery, which helped tailor my training to my needs and goals. The ‘Train, Work, Live’ Wales pathway has offered me not only a fulfilling interventional career in a major city, but also an excellent quality of life.
“Outside work, I feel there is so much to do as Wales offers an ideal balance of city life and nature. I often take my family to Tenby, the Gower, or the Brecon Beacons. There really is something for everyone in Wales. I have been able to explore life and spend more time with my growing children. The excellent connections from Cardiff and Bristol airports also make it incredibly easy to travel, whether for international medical meetings or family holidays.”