Instagram story viewer> @allthingsellenx> Posts

Dr Ellen Nelson-Rowe

@allthingsellenx

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

A pretty cool photo dump from 17-07-23 - title album: Dr Ellen Nelson-Rowe's graduation 📷🩺

We give thanks to God, family, friends and everyone who has supported me. Thank you for all your kind words❤️ taken in Cardiff University by @allthingsellenx

448

25

3 years ago

Hello 2026! 2025 was a tough year for me personally and if I’m honest I ended the year feeling uncertain of my core passions. I took a brave leap to step down from my leadership roles and enter this year with no responsibility and purely looking after myself. I’m praying into figuring out what my next steps look like and clarity on goals but for now I’m taking each day as it comes. I’m loving my job with great feedback so far I’m thankful and aspire to be the best surgical trainee I can be! I know everything else will fall into place, plus importantly I hope to pick up my violin a bit more often! I’m wishing you all a wonderful 2026 going to be taking a break from updating my page whilst I go and enjoy life but I look forward to returning soon x by @allthingsellenx

37

0

10 months ago

Survived my first week of CT1 as an ENT SHO! ✅👂🏽

We had 1.5 days of induction which was great overview of common conditions we will see on-call and learning procedural skills including FNE - flexible nasoendoscopy = the bread and butter of ENT (passing a tube with a camera at end down the nose into the throat up to level of vocal cords) which I’m getting the hang of!

Then I went straight into weekend nights which I was feeling pretty nervous about as the hospital, the systems ,everything is new to me so a big adjustment, even the blood bottles were completely different to what I’m usually used to which threw me!

Similar to Ortho in F2, it’s quite an independent specialty on nights with registrar being off site so I’ve had to pick things up quickly but knowing when to escalate and call for help has been critical particularly for airway complications which I have limited experience in. All in all, it’s been a busier first set of nights than expected but I’ve learnt a lot with lots to read up on and I have a lot of anatomy to review!

Now I need to get into a good rhythm of keeping portfolio up to date whilst balancing revision and continuing work for publications that I would like to submit from F2 and PGCert to wrap up! Lots to do but I’m really enjoying myself - change can be overwhelming but I’m learning to take each day in my stride and remember I can’t do everything at once! 🧸
#reflection #personalblog #surgicaltraining by @allthingsellenx

28

0

a year ago

It’s here!✨

I’m so excited to share a little passion project I’ve been working on… I’ve officially launched my very own Etsy store – All Things Ellen x!

Throughout my foundation training, Notion has genuinely been a lifesaver in helping me stay on top of everything — from rota planning to ARCP prep. So I decided to create and share the tools I’ve personally used to stay organised.

💻 My first product is now live!
Introducing the Foundation Training Notion Planner Template – made specifically for UK foundation doctors. Whether you’re starting F1 or navigating F2, this digital planner is designed to help you stay in control.

🔧 What’s Included:
📅 Step-by-step guide to embed your rota via Google Calendar
🌴 Leave tracker – for annual, study, sick & unauthorised leave
🔁 Rotation templates – space to log key contacts, ward tips & notes
🏠 F1/F2 sub-homepages – keep all your general info in one spot
✅ ARCP curriculum tracker – easily track your progress for portfolio

Everything is fully editable in Notion with easy-to-follow instructions, so you can tailor it to your own workflow.

👉 PURCHASE: (LINK IN BIO)

🛠️ Coming soon: a Portfolio & Project Tracker to complement the planner!

Thank you so much for reading – I’d be so grateful if you could share with any foundation doctors who might find this helpful. Please do leave me a review!💛

All Things Ellen x by @allthingsellenx

23

5

a year ago

F2? COMPLETED IT ✅

2 years, 6 rotations = Gen surg, Geris, Paeds, SFP =teaching, A&E and T&O - each very unique and learnt different skills with my confidence growing in a cycles 📈

In medical education theories we talk about experiential learning and I truly do believe the time and experience helps you to grow and adapt to different environments and people. It’s not been easy I can attest to many times having teary moments mainly at the start of F1 when I was adjusting!

I’m so glad I started my insta blog to track my medicine journey it’s really interesting looking back at my reflections and comparing to where I am now and thanks to those who have been following and reading my journey!

It’s been lovely to stay with the parents whilst finishing these last night shifts as I had to move out my house last week! I’ve got a lovely 10 day break now due to strikes and annual leave before my next job starts which gives me time to settle in properly to my new place, relax (and ofc catch up on life admin 😆) by @allthingsellenx

43

8

a year ago

I’ve been holding onto this news until I passed my ARCP so I could 100% be confident in sharing that I’ll be starting Core Surgical Training in ENT this August on the locally recruited CST programme at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust 😍

F2 has been a journey for me - I didn’t achieve the MSRA score I’d hoped for, unexpectedly navigating a difficult time with my family but despite not getting a national interview, I didn’t give up hope. I applied to loads of F3 jobs - had never felt so anxious in my life it was so frustrating when roles were closing early.

But then I came across a local CST program in Yorkshire which I had never heard of before. The application was lengthy I wrote over 7000 words for it but I had the opportunity to prove myself for all the work I’ve put into my dream of being a surgeon in the last 7 years. I was delighted to get an interview but I thought I had blown it — I cried afterwards and convinced myself I hadn’t performed well. So when I found out I’d ranked 4th overall, I was shocked… and deeply grateful 🥹🙏🏾

Providing I pass my next ARCP I will be there for 2 years and intend to apply directly for ST3 afterwards godwilling. There’s so much more I can say but God was on my side every step of the way and personally being able to go from 90m to 15m distance from my partner I could not have imagined 🥹🧸

I wanted to share this full story because as medics we don’t often talk about failures and it’s important to show resilience and share lessons from it. I’m so proud of myself and despite it not being the original path I had planned, no journey is linear and I get to finally be part of the next generation of future Black female surgeons 💪🏾❤️🙏🏾 by @allthingsellenx

120

38

a year ago

All things conferences - 2 conferences in 2 weeks!

✨Yesterday I had a fantastic time at AOT Conference where I had the opportunity to present a poster on a project I designed in my SFP academic block - a simulation for Year 4 medical students on their ENT block on upper airway obstruction with specific focus on croup.

It was wonderful to network with a range of foundation doctors to senior ENT trainees and incredibly useful to meet trainees in Yorkshire region to get tips and advice in my next stages! (Full story in next post!) I was particularly inspired by @earsurgeonjoe who did a talk on social media in surgery who I’ve followed for ages on other page and has got me motivated to keep up with being present on social media. It was refreshing to hear how humble he spoke about his social media with the joys and potential pitfalls but all in all it inspired me to keep up posting and exploring instagram more as an avenue for my reflections ☺️

✨Last week I presented my work at the ASME Conference in Edinburgh — showcasing the leadership course I led and designed last year with BABS for Future Black surgeons, supported by HLA and Melanin Medics hosted at RCS Edinburgh - Birmingham regional centre

All in all, lots of travelling lots of networking but lots of fun! by @allthingsellenx

28

2

a year ago

✨MAY highlights ✨
Ft Running Bristol 10K, travelling up and down to see friends, theatre trip, hen do, eats lots of food as always, and a pop into House of Lords by @allthingsellenx

18

0

a year ago

✨JUNE highlights ✨

It has been a busy month with work but had some cool opportunities and times of celebrations for birthdays too! Some highlights to mention was getting Invited to No.10 Downing Street for Windrush Celebration, spontaneous Spa day following a long set of on-calls and nights and getting back into playing violin 🎻 plus starting the process to move house for my next job 🏠✨ by @allthingsellenx

32

0

a year ago

I’m back! I deleted socials for Lent and since then I’ve used Instagram less and less so took a break from updating this page but now is a great time to return to post a few updates and photo dumps - much apologies for spam!

First up end of F2!! Full circle moment - 2 years have flown by been a great range of rotations which I’ve learnt so much, there’s been highs and lows but all in all I wouldn’t change it if I had to start all over again! ✨✨ by @allthingsellenx

33

0

a year ago

Cannot believe only 4 weeks left of ED! This rotation has flown! Thought I’d share a reflection now of what I’ve been up to over the past 2 months as I’ll be deleting Instagram for Lent 🙏🏾

⭐️ Work life balance is tough on ED- all our shifts are 10 hrs with shift patterns all over the place( worse one for me is 4pm to 2am 🤮) but somehow I’ve managed to:
✅ present a poster at a national foundation doctors day
✅ organise a conference for future black doctors = we had 50 students show up 🥹and was so rewarding to support them

⭐️Taster week in facial plastics/ ENT = I had a lovely week break from ED and reignited my love for surgery with theatre and clinics - was great to experience a different subspecialty in ENT and had a fantastic time assisting on a variety of cases

⭐️Birthday month🧸 managed to have a lovely few days of celebration with my friends and family❤️ candlelight string quartet concert was amazing 😍

So what’s next? From April I will be doing my last foundation rotation in trauma &orthopaedics ! 🦴 just can’t believe it’s coming up to 2 years as a doctor ! moving into my final module of my PGcert on technology enhanced learning too

Despite all this I’ve been taking a step back from some of my responsibilities to give me space to rest as I’ve been feeling burnout sometimes just grateful to have a supportive community around me ❤️ by @allthingsellenx

42

0

2 years ago

Can’t believe 2024 is coming to an end. It’s been a whirlwind transition from academic life back into clinical life. A&E has been exhausting the rota is crazy 🤣🤣 but the money is great 🤣😍 I’m learning so much and seeing my confidence grow in my decisions. I’m so lucky to have such a wonderful team from consultants to nurses to HCAs - there is such an atmosphere of teamwork and helping each other out. It gets stressful and tears have been shed already but i think that’s mostly down to feeling like I’m not able to do everything for my patients . It’s something I felt before when I had 3 weeks for ED I wish I had the time to deal with the layers of social issues but you only have time to deal with the key reason why they have walked through that door and decide quickly if they’re being treated and going home or admitted to free up the bed spaces which I’m getting used to but I realised I do struggle not having that continuity with my patients I love building a rapport. It’s been so lovely to get card and chocolates already from patient I only spend less than an hour with which makes me feel I’m doing something right to make their day ❤️🥹now the Xmas week is over it’s time to get my head down for this final push for MSRA so will be disappearing until then I’ll quickly make my new year goals before I do!
#reflection #doctor #personal blog by @allthingsellenx

48

1

2 years ago