I am a Lecturer in Biomedical Science at Staffordshire University, where I coordinate clinical placements and lead our new healthcare science programme. I am also a Fitness to Practise Registrant Panel Member with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
My first task when I arrive… is to check email and diary. Every day is different, so it’s important that teaching, meetings and tutorials are all scheduled in. Next I scan through the news and social media – diagnostic stories quite often make the headlines, and it’s great to feed these directly into teaching or debates to show how current and relevant the subject is.
One of the biggest challenges I face is… fitness-to-practise cases, especially when harm has been caused to patients. A lot of focus is needed to make sure that our decisions provide the necessary public protection but are also proportionate, and we acknowledge that mistakes happen.
My favourite thing about my job is… watching students grow, academically and personally, as they move from year to year. Graduation day is fast approaching – my favourite day of the academic year.
The thing that makes my job unique is… the ability to make wide connections between biomedical scientists, academics and students. One day I might be in London sitting on an HCPC panel, the next visiting a student on placement, the next discussing research opportunities.
My route into the role involved… being a biomedical scientist in the NHS for 20 years. I then undertook a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education and started a teaching secondment in 2008. While working as a senior biomedical scientist and acting operational manger, I took part in the Clinical Academic Internship Programme, which prompted the move to a full time academic role.
My typical lunch is… liquid (well, coffee anyway).
My job fits into the wider healthcare context… as biomedical scientists make a huge contribution to healthcare. By
developing graduates with the correct knowledge and skills and encouraging innovation and development among experienced staff, the value of biomedical scientists to healthcare and to patients can be maximised.
If I get a few spare minutes then I… catch up on things. I scribble down ideas and collect references to follow up when there’s a pause in teaching. With summer approaching, there will be time to develop some of these into plans for the next academic year.
I feel like I’ve had a good day when… the dots join up. Seeing one of those scribbles develop into a teaching session, new course or a potential project.
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