-
A-Level selection
Under pressure to do medicine, selected biology, chemistry, physics and maths. Lacked confidence in physics and maths but did not feel I could challenge the expectations of the school. -
A - levels and Further education
Struggling with A-Levels and MH, didn't feel able to tell anyone I wanted to make different choices. Difficulties at home mean't moving out at 17 and pursuing nursing qualifications. Mediocre outcomes relative to predicted and took a gap year. Difficulties at home mean't moving out at 17 and pursuing nursing qualifications while working in care homes and achieving a good set of competencies and client-facing skills -
Did role in special needs nursing
Enjoyed empowering success in any forms, from helping a child to control a rage or learning to feed themselves due to the range of presentations. Developed nursing and support skill set further and also took up agency nursing roles do maximise earning. Still thinking about university. -
Made degree choice
Uninformed due to lack of parental and school guidance. Applied for Pharmacy, Musical Theatre, Cosmology... Chose pharmacy due to locality to home and romantic relationship at that time. -
Unwell, struggling with course requirements
Suffered CNS infection with subsequent impact on studies and ability to earn income (was financially self supporting and worked 20-30 hour weeks alongside studies). Applied for ECs for university work for the first time. Was a hard blow to independence but also created relatively extreme poverty. Support of university to retake exams if needed first time I had asked for a change of rules and understood that it was not typical to be 110% at all times. -
Clinical training part of degree started
Absolutely flew. Able to integrate complex information quickly and lead in clinical skills classes thanks to nursing background and ability to assimilate big data sets and make judgement calls. Culturally competent, contextually aware. Felt for the first time like I was on a realistic career pathway. -
Prestigious pre-reg
Awarded place at teaching hospital for pre-reg studies. Helped me to believe that I was a worthy candidate and motivated me through remainder of degree. -
Extreme poverty
Due to taking time off work to concentrate on finals, found self in extreme poverty and unable to make rent payments. Increased nursing working hours at the end of finals and took multiple shifts in a day, moving from ward to ward and frequently napping between shifts, walking miles to work to save bus fare and skipping meals. It was an extremely tough 4 weeks and I do remember hunger and desperation. -
Ongoing financial concerns
Had accrued a lot (or so it seemed to me, hindsight reveals that it wasn't the big worry I thought it was!) so worked part time in Ladbrokes in the evenings after finishing at the hospital to earn extra money. Helped me to develop my organisational skill on the surface but added to the expectation that a 60 hour working week was normal. -
Career progression
Found myself to be more advanced in training than the pre-regs at the Royal Surrey and progressed to B7 job within 7 months. -
First rotational job
Offered rotation job at same institute as pre-reg but declined it in order to progress relationship and moved to different county. Then struggled to get a job as most places employed their own pre-regs preferentially. Remember thinking I had made a terrible mistake and then was offered rotational post at Royal Surrey in Guildford. -
Post graduate diploma
Lack of support from employer to fund post-grad training meant I had to be self-directed and self-funding. Found that I was highly motivated by adversity and apparent inequity and strove to improve the educational opportunities for me and my colleagues. -
Locum to earn house deposit
Learned how to locum in community pharmacy to save money for house deposit. Started working every Sunday that wasn't on call, and an evening each week at a regular local pharmacy. -
Offered PhD
Contacted about a funded PhD opportunity in my old university lab. Felt stagnant at work in the hospital and no idea how I wanted to progress, no real projects or opportunities so felt like the right time. -
Delayed closure to PhD
A fire in my office at the university meant that I hadn't finished writing my thesis by the time of my start date at Addenbrooke's. I needed another 2 weeks of full time writing and communicated this to the hospital expecting them to be understanding. The hiring manager refused to move my start date due to the inconvenience of rearranging my induction and so my PhD took a further year to submit. The induction planned wasn't complex and a delay would have been entirely feasible. -
Split post with Addenbrookes and UEA (Clin Pharm/PGDip)
Started Clinical Academic post. Stealthily moved into course director role despite applying for module leader but did not feel able to challenge this and actually, I was perfectly capably in the leadership role so it turned out ok. -
Modernising Pharmacy Careers 2 programme report
Undertook first major academic review as part of this national workstream. At the time it completely changed UEAs approach to training and now, on reflection, I can see the pervasiveness of it's language and message more broadly which has been really gratifying. The replacement of COMPETENCY with CAPABILITY, for example, is a result of that report. Great opportunity to flex and stretch. -
Gave up locuming
Demands of split post too much and gave up locuming role. Expectations of UEA management misaligned with FTE but culture of excessive hours and my own background means I stepped into their mold and continued the pattern -
Clinical trainer for Kamson's group
Took over calc and clin pharm training from university manager for this pharmacy group. Immensely enjoyed and this was the start of my consulting activities. I maintain this role still.
First experience of consulting work and being individually sought and compensated. -
First mat leave
Struggled to disconnect from work as no cover organised for my leave. Started to feel ill at ease with the school leadership and questioned value of post if not covered in my absence. Started a person inventory of credentials to ensure a firm, objective grounding in education and workforce development -
CertClinEd and FHEA
Formalised educational credentials while on maternity leave as no time to study while at work -
Second maternity leave
Took full period and disconnected from work entirely - really therapeutic time, 14 months out -
Return from Mat leave, difficult meeting with hospital line manager
Returned from mat leave. Policies that I had completed before maternity leave had low adherence due to rewriting and poor implementation. Took grant ideas to SLT and national priorities such as IETS and post 2026 to discuss trust response and was told that these were not my concerns as a part time staff member. My line manager could not articulate what the purpose of my split role was if not to bridge the gap between evidence, innovation and practice and give them an advantage. -
Decide to complete clinical training in absence of clear vision for me from HEI and trust
HEI and trust agree to support IP training so that I was 'clinically complete'. -
Bad appraisal
Received feedback from HEI appraiser that I was not a valued team member and was difficult to work with, and lazy because I questioned the capacity we had to undertake a major change project. No evidence given, no follow up, not supported through triangulation and 360 feedback. Should have gone to HR about conduct of appraiser but didn't. Confidence badly affected -
Trust refuses to fund IP training so go it alone
Despite listing in my appraisal, when the time came I was told I wasn't a priority relative to other hospital staff members because I was part time and therefore would prescribe less. Became reflective about the consistent message that I was not of value to my hospital. Impact on esteem but also motivation in that part of my role. But galvanising - decided to act independently and secured 40% funding from the university, a great DPP and paid for the rest myself. -
University reshuffle following high level resignations
Able to move into a more autonomous role with control of budgeting, course management, staff management and national leadership. -
Directory of Postgraduate Professional Programmes
Title and responsibilities commensurate with experience and capabilities. Autonomy to grow and nurture team. Led to nationally relevant projects, innovations and leadership. Lack of traditional academic recognition at university level still but daily personal recognition and job satisfaction.