A day in the life of Dr Jessica Kinder, Consultant Psychiatrist in private practice

Dr Jessica Kinder is a Consultant Psychiatrist at Ponti Health.

I am a consultant psychiatrist with advanced training in consultation-liaison psychiatry. I currently work in private practice, although until a recent relocation, I also worked in the public sector in neuropsychiatry. I also undertake a small amount of medicolegal work, which adds another dimension to my week.

In private practice, my days are generally structured around scheduled appointments, which provides some predictability. However, the variety of presentations means that no two days are quite the same. I have particular interests in neuropsychiatry, somatic presentations and women’s mental health, but I see people aged 17 and over to maintain a broad mix of general psychiatry. A typical day involves one or two new assessments alongside several follow-up appointments.

It is a privilege in my private work to really get to understand people over time and work with them collaboratively to make sense of their predicament and find a path forward. Over time you see the ebbs and flows as people make meaningful progress, recover, going through milestones or life events. I do enjoy the complexity and academic stimulation with my work as well. Even after years of training there is always something new to learn and case-based learning truly never ends. 

There is also substantial work behind the scenes, including reviewing correspondence and results, communicating with GPs and other clinicians, clinical documentation and administrative tasks. Whilst not the joy of my day, it is important, and the pros of the job are worth it. It can be hard to be truly off the clock, but I do set my days and hours. 

My medicolegal work is more ad hoc and flexible.  Typically, this involves reviewing files, conducting an assessment, and then writing and editing a report that addresses the relevant questions. I enjoy the analytical aspect, although it requires a different type of concentration from clinical practice.

I am fortunate to work in a collegiate practice alongside GPs, psychiatrists, other specialists and allied health professionals. We have regular multidisciplinary meetings, and I have my own peer review which helps to be able to share perspectives and stay connected.

Overall, I love my job.