This blog is late. I make no apologies for that as last night was Eurovision, one of the highlights of my year. It’s been one hell of a week and so, in an attempt to find some work life balance, I had the evening off. Malta and Iceland were robbed (in my personal opinion), and I now firmly believe that all teams should have jumpers with the faces of the team upon them #bonding. Well, now that’s over with, onto the other thing that was on my mind this week.
I recorded a podcast with the wonderful Martin Kiernan for the Infection Matters podcast just over a week ago. The podcast series is on Spotify and definitely worth checking out if you have a moment (link below to the 1st episode). We had a chat about the role of Healthcare Scientists within Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) teams: a subject you may have noticed I’m pretty passionate about. Just being asked to have that conversation felt like an enormous step forward, in terms of recognition of the role and the benefits we can bring.
So, imagine my disappointment when last week I received a grant review which reminded me of just how far we have left to go…
The grant was about the detection of bioaerosols in hospitals to support rapid IPC interventions and changes to patient management in regard to their infection/colonisation. The reviewer, a respiratory consultant, responded to the proposal to say that, as there was no medic on the proposal, the team could not possibly have an understanding of the risks associated with respiratory infection, and that one was needed for the grant to be funded. I must admit to being more than a little peeved by the response.
For context about what Healthcare Scientist career pathways look like in IPC, I have previously written a blog for the Healthcare Infection Society which might be useful. The main take away points for me are these:
I have the same post graduate qualifications as my medical colleagues (MSc Clinical Microbiology, Medical Microbiology part 1 and Medical Microbiology Part 2 by examination leading to Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists)..
In addition to the qualification required for my medical colleagues, Healthcare Scientists require a PhD (usually) to attain a consultant post. Mine is in the ‘Role of the Environment in Transmission of Healthcare Associated Infection.’
Healthcare Scientists are required to be engaged in research as part of their state registration (needed to practice within the role). I currently hold ยฃ21 million+ of grant funding.
My point, therefore, is this. I am not a wannabe medic who became a scientist because she couldn’t get into medical school. Neither I am a second class medic, where the Trust hired a scientist because they didn’t have the money to hire a doctor instead. I am a proud scientist who chose this career path, knowing what being a scientist can bring to the conversation. I add to the team, not subtract from it. I bring something different, and that something different is not only important for where we are now, but crucial for what we can achieve moving forward.
Infection control is a highly complex discipline requiring complex thinking in order to address the problems we face. The strength of a multidisciplinary approach is that we bring all of the advantages of our different approaches to the table, whist compensating for each other’s weaknesses. As a scientist I can be focussed on standardisation, consistency and evidence evaluation. This is useful, but can sometimes be limiting. My colleagues push me to be more flexible in my thinking, thus helping me innovate. They ask questions and then push me to see what solutions could be used. I can also sometimes be too engaged in the ‘vision piece’, which enables us to acquire grant funding to support changes in practice. My team ground me and keep me focussed on impact by asking ‘so what’. We learn from each other and crucially appreciate what one another add to the mix.
I feel we’ve made headway in achieving this recognition within individual teams and, more recently, across the IPC professional landscape. What the reviewer’s response has shown me is that we have a hell of a lot to do to get the same recognition for our contribution across the healthcare system. Moving away from the traditional structure is going to be key, however, if we are going to make the changes that need to happen to ensure the quality of NHS care.
I normally finish my blogs with advice or actions. This time I feel its more of a call to action, along with some questions:
What can we do together to change this?
How do we reach out more widely to show the improvements and the impact made by this approach?
I’d really value any thoughts. I would also value us all challenging opinions, when we hear them, that suggest we are not all equal within our teams. Maybe the main thing is to start the conversation. By doing so, we may bring these attitudes into the open, engage with discussion about them, and talk about how they impact individuals, teams and systems. This may, perhaps, stop them being voiced in anonymous reviews where the reader cannot engage with the source, in order for us to learn and move forward.
It’s just gone 6am on a Saturday morning and I need to get some writing done this weekend for a project that is overdue and has a final final deadline on Monday. It’s been a really long week and I don’t have much in the tank. To be honest, all I want to do is sit on the sofa with a pot of tea and spend the weekend watching Netflix with my hubby. I think we all have moments like this, and, to get me into the right head space, I’m starting my morning by writing this blog. I hope this might help some of you who are in the same place.
Know When Procrastination is Part of the Process and When You Are Just Wasting Time
When I was writing papers and my PhD thesis, I used to get really angry at myself for wasting time.I would spend the first three days wandering around and doing anything but putting words to paper. When I did sit down, I would just get words out. In general it takes me about two days to write a paper. I would then be even madder at myself for not getting to it earlier as I felt that I could achieve so much more if I just focussed.
Over the years I’ve discovered that the reason the words come easily when I sit down at a laptop is precisely because I’ve spent three days prevaricating. During that period of wandering around I’m thinking. Thinking about the story I want to tell with my results. Thinking about my top points. Finally, thinking about structure. It is all of this thinking, not all of it active, that enables me to hit the ground running when I come to actually write.
This isn’t to say that I’m not guilty of procrastination. There’s a reason this book chapter is late. I’m tired and finding it difficult to concentrate, which means that everything just makes my mind wander. It is really important to know yourself enough to know when you are in ‘preparation phase’ vs ‘procrastination’: one is useful to you and the other isn’t.
The Fear of a Blank Page
I find blank pages intimidating. I do. I know that I should see them as full of possibility and exciting, but I see them as a physical representation of how far I have to go. One of the first things I have to do, therefore, is get stuff onto that page in the least stressful way possible. How to do this depends on what the project is. For papers, I often just start by getting headers down. If I’m lucky enough to have some previous text on the subject I will copy and paste bits in as reminders. Usually I keep these highlighted so I know they are old text that needs re-working/replacing. If it’s something completely new, I will populate with lines from papers that I’m going to build reference structure around.
When I was writing my thesis, I wouldn’t even start chapter writing until I’d done a reading phase to help avoid the ‘blank page fear’. I would spend a week reading all the papers linked to the chapter I was about to write. During that reading phase, I would write the key points and linked references down in a Word document. I’d then shuffle them by topic. When I got to the week allocated for writing I would then have lots of text to import into my structure so I could avoid the blank page terror.
Structure is King
I’ve spent quite a lot of time writing different types of documents and I’ve discovered that there are only so many types of underlying structure, even though they often look different. Papers are a great example of this. One main advantage to them is that you can clearly see what that structure is, and you have access to all the information you need to help you.
When writing papers (and I’ve blogged about this before) you can look and see how many paragraphs that journal tends to have under discussion vs methods vs results. This helps you know where you need to focus the majority of your words. The same is true for grant applications: if you look at a section’s word count, it gives you a clue about what the readers will want to see. For less formal writing, I still tend to look at other pieces of content that have come out and decide if any of them fit what I want to write. It saves re-drafting and focusses the mind.
Structure will help you write. I will use bullet points under headers to show what my structure is, i.e. a bullet point per paragraph. If there are three paragraphs (such as tends to be used for an introduction) I will use them as follows:
Paragraph 1 – What’s the setting/problem?
Paragraph 2 – What are the knowns and what are the unknowns?
Paragraph 3 – What am I going to do? what’s the plan of action?
By planning my paragraph structure I try to avoid falling down too many rabbit holes and maintain the story of what I’m telling. I am then able to do the same with each of the paragraphs:
Line 1 – State what I’m going to tell you.
Line 2 – Tell you what I’m telling you with all the detail.
Line 3 – Reinforce my key point and link to the paragraph that will follow.
Doing this means that I’m not worrying about what comes next when I’m writing. I’m just hanging words off a structure that helps me as well as leading the reader.
Sometimes The Only Way Is Through
There are times that, no matter how much research I’ve done, no matter how prepped I am, I just can’t make the writing work. I’m lucky. it doesn’t happen to me very often but the pandemic has made it a more frequent event. Normally I hate working in silence. I’m not good at doing one thing at a time. I need music or TV when I work to actually help me focus. I know this may sound odd to many people. When I hit a particular wall, however, I’ve learnt that I have to shift from the way working normally works for me. In these circumstances I call upon my husband, Jon. I tell him what I need, i.e. I must work for 3 hours to break the back of this document. I tell him the night before and let him know the timeline. The next day he banishes me to the office, frequently supplying me with tea. On these occasions I work in silence and need enough dedicated time to get into ‘the zone’. Because I don’t want to do it, anything that can make me distracted, will make me distracted. I therefore retreat to a space where all the things that usually help me aren’t present. This shift allows me to trick my brain enough to make progress. Finding your Jon to push you when you can’t push yourself is super helpful.
The other thing I do is make deals with myself and – most importantly – stick to them ,i.e. I am allowed to go and bake that cake I want to if I’ve done three hours. I am not allowed to do it if I do less than that. There’s no letting me off for good behaviour. This is a Yoda moment ‘Do or do not, there is no try!’. Being honest with yourself is key: after all, there is a good chance you’ll know when you’re lying. Make the reward proportional to the effort, i.e. when I run a half marathon successfully I buy myself a nice dress, for 3 hours work I get a new pot of tea.
Know When to Walk Away
Some days, be aware that writing is just not going to happen. This can happen for a bunch of reasons: tiredness, illness, last minute invitations to a cocktail bar. It is only possible to enjoy the freedom of walking away if it’s a) not a project that has to happen or b) you’ve left yourself enough deadline time so that you can come back to it later. If either a or b are true then sometimes it is better to just not punish yourself and return to it later. That’s completely OK. You may need more thinking time; you may be having a super bad day. Lets not punish ourselves more than we already do. Embrace the fact that you have project-managed well enough to let it go for a bit. Also, be aware that you only have so many free passes before you are sitting here early on a Saturday morning and there are no more to take. Use them wisely!
Top Tips:
Let the frustration with yourself go as it doesn’t get you anywhere. Work out the source and find a way through or around.
If you do the research on structures beforehand you may find the writing process easier and more efficient.
Know when you have time to defer and when you need to push through. Make an active choice rather than defaulting to the last minute.
All opinions on this blog are my own
If you would like more tips and advice linked to your PhD journey then the first every Girlymicrobiologist book is here to help!
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Maintain a healthy work-life balance by prioritizing self-care and avoiding burnout.
Embrace the unexpected and view setbacks as opportunities for growth and innovation.
Navigate the complexities of academia with confidence and build a strong professional network
This book starts at the very beginning, with why you might want to do a PhD, how you might decide what route to PhD is right for you, and what a successful application might look like.
It then takes you through your PhD journey, year by year, with tips about how to approach and succeed during significant moments, such as attending your first conference, or writing your first academic paper.
Finally, you will discover what other skills you need to develop during your PhD to give you the best route to success after your viva. All of this supported by links to activities on The Girlymicrobiologist blog, to help you with practical exercises in order to apply what you have learned.
I’ve just come off a Sunday morning Zoom call for Rise of the Resistance, a digital festival I’m involved in that will be happening on the 4th and 5th June 2021 about Antimicrobial Resistance. It’s been a long week and this blog is late because I’m super tired, but what struck me when I came off the call is that whilst on it (and for a while after) I’ve actually felt energised and enthusiastic. That’s not to say I don’t love my work and I never feel like this about my job. I do. But I’ve noticed that, after a year plus of the pandemic, I don’t feel it as much as I used to. This made me reflect on why that is, and what feeds my energy and enthusiasm and where I feel drained.
Now, I’m not the biggest fan of Myers-Briggs but I do think that it can be a useful start in terms of reflecting what energises and what drains you. I flip between ENFP and ENFJ, depending on the test and how stressed out I am. Where I never vary is on the feeling dynamic: I need to feel connected to people in order to feel inspired, creative and like ‘me’.
One of the issues I’ve experienced during the pandemic is the ‘feeling connected’ part. I get this through being creative, working collaboratively with others and spending time with people who enable me to feel secure and support free thinking. I find routine to be draining. It seems weird to describe the pandemic as routine, but in many ways it’s been the worst combination for me. There’s been no time, thinking space, or resources for true creativity and innovation. Whilst at the same time everything has been constantly changing and so most of my available intellectual and physical resource has been focussed on administration and reacting to change, rather than driving it.
True change and innovation require time for self reflection and the establishing of partnerships. This has definitely been something that has been resource-limited.
If you use DISC profiling I’m about as strongly DI as it’s possible to be, with an additional focus on collaboration. A lot of my team are much more C (see below) and so react to the challenges faced by this change in working structure very differently to me. For them, they haven’t enjoyed the ever-changing guidance but for a different reason, as they prefer routine and structure. Interestingly, no matter who you are, this way of working has probably been draining for us all, rather than energising us.
It feels to me that all of us are therefore coming out of the last 12 months plus in a drained rather than energised state, both as individuals and as teams. If we are able to continue for the next 12 months, we probably need to take some time that we don’t have to reflect on what our working lives are like right now and how we can change them to build in some of the activities that energise rather than drain us. For me I’ve found things like Myers-Briggs and DISC a useful starting point. But they are just that: a starting point.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about where my passion lies over the last 12 months. I have the best job in the world but there’s no getting away from the fact that it has been hard and frequently draining lately. Not just that, but it is likely to continue to be so for some time. I’m incredibly lucky to have projects like Nosocomial and to be involved in teaching, which enables me to visualise and see impact and change, as well as to build connections and networks that are super important to me. A lot of these projects have been on hold for some time, but – as the things that energise rather than drain – now is the time to dust these off and make the deliberate choice to re-engage.
My thoughts on what energises me:
One to one or small group chats in non-hierarchical settings (like tea and cake catch ups) where connections are developed/sustained.
Making plans for the future.
Having time to throw around ideas and discuss concepts.
Time spent with people where I don’t fear judgement.
Creation – whether a project or idea.
Passion projects about communicating science.
Teaching/educational activities where you can engage and see the impact on those involved.
Time and resources are no less limited now than last year.But, if we are going to survive to the end of this marathon,now is the time to invest in what makes us better at all we do. So for yourselves and your teams, find what it is that energises you and support each other in making the room to make it happen.
(Apologies. This is a long one. Turned out I had quite a lot to say!)
This post has been languishing in my list of drafts for ages. After a difficult week, though, it felt like the right time to actually take it out of the ‘to do’ pile and finally finish it. The main driver for this is seeing how excited people are for June. The plans being made. The jubilance seen on social media. Weirdly combined with seeing yet more protests about the inhumanity of what has been done to society by lockdowns and mask-wearing requirement. All the time getting updates from India, Peru, Brazil about the realities of a virus that is out of control and still killing people globally.
I have previously posted about the dangers of looking at the situation and some of these responses from my position of privilege (Science Communication: Reflections from an Ivory Tower | girlymicro (girlymicrobiologist.com). I do, therefore, acknowledge that this is a complex topic and that people will write PhD thesis on the confluence of science, human behaviour and policy. I’m not that smart and so this post is just my personal tale of being an Infection Prevention and Control scientist surviving in the midst of a global pandemic, and why some healthcare workers may not be keen to re-engage with life as normal.
On the 31st January 2020 I posted on my personal Facebook about the fact that I thought the spread of SARS CoV2 was going to cause real issues along with some commentary and guidance. Some of what happened over the last 14 months I could have predicted. So much of the non-science and emotional/relationship impacts I could never have seen coming.
What Is This Work Life Balance You Speak Of?
I work in IPC because I enjoy the responsiveness of it. I love a challenge as I discussed in a previous post. The difference with this vs normal infection control is that it hasn’t been high adrenaline and intense for three days, or three weeks. This has been life for over a year. No matter how much you love your job, no matter how much you know the difference it makes, that brings with it a weight and a burden that no amount of resilience or wellness seminars are going to dissipate.
I’ve been thinking about a metaphor for it for a while and this is what I’ve landed on. I love a blanket. I always have one to snuggle under when on the sofa. On cold days, or when I’m feeling particularly challenged, I may even layer up with two, for that extra level of comfort. There are some parallels with the parts of my job I find comfortable, such as how I feel about responding to the crisis management part of IPC. It’s what keeps the job interesting and never dull. Right now, though, I feel like I’m lying on my sofa and the blankets just keep on being added. At first I moved from comfortable and snuggled to overly warm and uncomfortable. Now, with the constant piling of new ones, I feel like I’ve moved to suffocating and trapped. At some point you wonder how many can be added before you’ll never be able to escape from under the pile.
I think one of the reasons for this is not just the work but that, suddenly, life outside of work is now also work. Every conversation you have is about SARS CoV2. Conversations with friends, Facebook posts, taxi rides. When you have a bad day at work normally, at some point, you can walk away from it. There’s been no walking away from this: it’s everywhere and so there’s no space in which to recover.
The Clear and Present Danger
One of the other layers to this is the fear. It’s not something I dwell upon. It’s something I try to actively not think about, but there’s no denying it’s been an ever present feature of the last year. I posted about the fact that my sister passed away some years ago, so my parents and family have already been faced with losing someone. This is something that families don’t get over. What I haven’t posted about is that viruses and I have a rather turbulent past. I’ve been ventilated when I was younger due to acute respiratory distress brought on by viral infections. Viral infections also exacerbate my angio oedema, which makes my face and hands swell and impacts on my ability to eat and sleep. There has been understandable concern from friends and family about me needing to travel on public transport and attend work, whereas they would have loved for me to be able to stay home and build walls of protection around myself. Seeing that anxiety has not been easy. It has also not been easy ignoring that nagging fear at the back of my own mind. The ‘what happens if’. I’ve had to put faith in my ability to be super-compliant and in the guidelines I was issuing to keep both myself and others safe. This is always the case, but there’s no doubt that this has been a high consequences event if I got it wrong. Normally, when you are managing an outbreak, you are not also part of the outbreak.
This has been brought home by the deaths of colleagues and family. My family, like many others, have lost people as has my Trust. So you don’t have to hypothesise about how others are feeling. I’m feeling it too. The grief, the loss, the fear. There’s no walking away. The only thing you can do is acknowledge it, then straighten your shoulders and, as they say, ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’.
Everyone’s an Expert
One of the things I’ve found personally frustrating, no matter how understandable, is that everyone is now an expert. They appear to all have an in depth understanding of diagnostics, of virology, of infection control and of public health policy. I completely understand the drivers for this: it helps people feel in control, but even so it’s still super frustrating. The worst ones for me are the people who are definitely on the Top of Mount Stupid in terms of levels of knowledge. There was a lot of social media commentary on every action taken. Especially by people who others look to as being informed due to them having good levels of general knowledge. People who others will then take advice from without fact-checking or understanding that this is a complex situation with a lot of moving parts. As much as these people are often certain they are correct, it is also a certainty that they definitely don’t have access to all the facts, as even working within the system I couldn’t claim to have access to everything. At the start, I spent a lot of time trying to counter this misinformation but, as time goes on, I must admit I’ve struggled to have the energy. I think this has not helped in getting scientific messages out there and good communication, as many people involved are also maxed out on other actions. This guilt adds another blanket to my pile.
Real Science vs Movie Science
Although people normally smile and ask polite questions about what it is I do, I’ve never felt it has been in any way mainstream.ย It has been fascinating to me seeing decisions and things I’m doing in real time playing out in the media aย day or two later. Early on, guidance and diagnostics were changing every few days or weeks.ย The speed at which everyone needed to flex and respond to changing demands and new information is something I have never experienced before.ย For me, on the ground, this was an amazing feat. But the criticism of speed and response does make me think of scenes from Star Trek, where you can get more just by saying how urgent it is: the implication being that we just aren’t working hard enough.ย The same can be said of individual sample requests. Sometimes when you get a call and someone explains how urgent a result is and the only response you can give is that the process is limited in speed by the underlying chemistry, it therefore cannot go faster no matter how much I want it to. There are certainly speed savings in workflow but these require workflows not to be changing every other day for you to truly understand where speed can be gained without impacting quality.
Reality Strikes and It’s Not Pretty
This all brings me to the thing that I have found most difficult.ย Seeing the response to the science.ย Not only in terms of protests in the streets from people who believe that the virus that has killed their family and colleagues doesn’t exist, but seeing the non-compliance with measures to save lives.ย The living reality of seeing how ‘the needs of the many outweighs the needs of the few’ plays out in the behaviour of both strangers and friends.ย The reality is that the scientific conspiracy theories have been present everywhere. What would, in other scenarios, have been chats that caused me to roll my eyes about data manipulation, vaccine hesitancy, and refusal to take personal actions lead to a different level of impact when it is all you are living and breathing.ย It’s not discussing hypotheticals when you are exhausted and dealing with sick people every day and experiencing personal loss.
I’ve found this super hard when these conversations and behaviours are displayed by not just strangers on the internet but by friends and family who you would otherwise have thought of as being part of your ‘tribe’.ย Part of the discomfort in this is that you are constantly faced with the failure to get sound information out there, and of your personal lack of energy to engage. I’ve also, on occasion, been attacked for being the bearer of bad news when trying to expectation manage on my personal social media. It means that, as of right now, I feel I will come out of this with some permanently altered relationships as it’s just not that easy to forget and move on. This will be a personal legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic that I will be dealing with for some time.
So Why Am I Telling You This?
A good friend, when I was talking some of these thoughts through, suggested I share some of this. Not just to talk it through, although that has been useful, but also to explain why I’m not excited about the so called ‘return to normal’.
Everyone’s journey and experiences over the last year have been different. Mine, like many people, has been one of exhaustion and stress, but not for the same reasons. A lot of stress discussed with me by others has come from feeling isolated and scared about personal well-being. Due to that some people, now they are vaccinated, are feeling less at risk. They are also understandably energised by the thought of seeing friends and family.
I on the other hand am in a much worse physical place than I was pre-pandemic as the stress has exacerbated everything somewhat. I’m also really tired and feel like I’ve been running non-stop for over a year. All I want now is to hide away and recover, see no one, and sleep until I am more like me again.
So please understand, if you invite me to things post-lockdown end, or if you phone and I don’t answer, it’s not because I don’t value our connection. It’s because I value it enough to want to engage again when I can be fully present. Until then forgive me for retreating back to my sofa and trying to get back to having one blanket that brings me comfort, rather than 150 which make it hard to breath. See you in 2022.
Dream asked for a review of a favourite book with actual science in it.ย Iโve been a writer all my life, and Iโd always thought that the process of writing was more of an emotional process, rather than a logical one, and that there couldnโt be any actual science attributed to it, particularly when so much of what we read in fiction drives our emotions.
This was the book that changed my mind on the subject.
The Science of Storytelling presents a compelling case for there being a formula for which all successful stories come to be successful. This formula isnโt based on the number of acts that the book comes in, the setting in which it takes place, the length of the story, whether the story is crime, fantasy, or space opera, or any part of the background to the novel.ย It doesnโt matter.
What it relies on are the characters that inhabit the story.
This isnโt the first time that Iโve heard this, but never presented so clearly as it has been here.ย Written as a dual study of both literature and psychology, this contains a wealth of annotated references to other books, direct links to the social studies and psychology reports, and unlike many other books on storytelling, no mention of the authors own preferences regarding writing.
The book covers four parts of the storytelling process: Creating a World, The Flawed Self, The Dramatic Question, and Plots, Endings, and Meanings.ย
Creating a world makes reference to the way in which the world is put together, making it clear that if youโre writing mass market fiction, the world you present is likely to be very different to the world that you would present for literary fiction, but the realism of the world should be relevant to the context of the characters journey.
The Flawed Self presents the characters and what makes them interesting, how the balance of the character is central, neither too flawed nor too perfect, like any real person, is what makes them interesting.
The Dramatic Question is posed as what the characters in the book want. If they are real, then they have real desires, whether unrealistic or not, they have needs and wants, and in the end, not all of those are likely to be fulfilled.ย What matters is how the character deals with each part of their journey through the book.
Finally, Plots, Endings, and Meanings presents how and if a story should end, acknowledging that some stories do not end, and that, in itself, is more than acceptable as long as it works for the story.
While not specifically a book to assist in the figuring out of the plot or the world in which the characters live in, it nonetheless presents a fascinating insight into how and why people read stories, and more importantly how and why people write stories.ย There is a propensity regarding books on how to write stories to believe that the books must come from a best-selling author. After all, if the person writing the book hasnโt been a best seller, how can they advise you how to be one?
Many of those books will tell you more about the person who wrote the book, less about their process for writing, and even less about how they themselves became a bestseller. In the Science of Storytelling, we have a book thatโs purely about the science behind stories, and thatโs something that all writers can benefit from.
NB from Girlymicro. If you’d like to submit a guest book review or guest blog drop me a line on the links on the right of the page
I know I normally post about science and science adjacent topics, but in the interest of practicing what I preach and bringing my full authentic self, I wanted to post about a topic that I don’t think gets discussed. This is partly prompted by the time of year, but also by quite a few posts I’ve seen this week on twitter from people who have felt alone in similar scenarios. I also wanted to to give a view of how this feels 11 years on to those who are going through this now, to let them know that you will find a new normal. It will never be the same, it can’t be. It doesn’t however devalue what your life is worth, you will find a new way, one that is uniquely your own. This is all from my perspective: if your journey has been different I am in no way devaluing your experience, just sharing my own. Feel free to not read this post if you don’t want to hear me overshare.
So now the disclaimers are done, a little history which you may or may not wish to skip if you want to miss the details.
I’m 41 and 11 years ago, this weekend, my sister Claire died. She died when she was 5 1/2 months pregnant with my niece Morgan. Her pregnancy was normal, although there were concerns on the ultrasound from the start in terms of whether Morgan had an underlying condition that would mean the course of the pregnancy might not be successful. We were all super excited when she reached five months, as that had been the milestone beyond which we all thought a positive outcome more likely. Two weeks later my sister had a headache on a Friday night. I was away at a hen do for my best friend. She phoned my mum when she started vomiting. She called 111, who told her that it was likely to be a stomach bug and to remain hydrated. At 3 that morning she awoke partially paralysed. An ambulance was called. She seized on the way to the hospital and was brain dead when she arrived. This was confirmed 48 hours later when we turned off her ventilator and donated her organs. Morgan survived 24 hours and then also died. She was two weeks too early to be considered legally a person and for a C-section to be attempted. I got a call asking me to get from Leeds to the hospital in Cambridge at 7am, whilst horribly hungover, and in the way of these things the information handed over didn’t really cover the clinical picture. When I arrived and saw her chart (she was in surgery to see if anything could be done) I knew it was over. I was 30 and she was 32. She died of early onset pre-eclampsia and I was told they couldn’t rule out a genetic component and that I should consider not having children as we had a family history of difficult pregnancies. I’d been married 6 months.
So, I’m newly married. Children were the next thing on the cards. I was so so excited that I was going to be an auntie. In fact the first issue of the gift subscription to Mother and Baby magazine arrived at Claire’s the day she died and was there to greet me as I picked out her outfit to lay her out in. Suddenly, everywhere I go I’m faced with the question that every newly married woman gets…. are you having a baby? I get it from cab drivers, colleagues at work who don’t know what’s going on, from reps and other people who you see infrequently, and strangers who’ve you’ve never even met before. It’s a knife that gets stuck in your heart. Even now, all these years later, I dread these questions. “How many kids do you have?” None. Then the look as people decide where to go next: do they go for the super intrusive question or the platitude about the fact that you’ll enjoy them when you have them. It’s not like I don’t get it and, on a 1:1 basis, you shrug it off rather than scream back, because it’s not the individuals fault. It’s the fault of a society that bases my value on the Darwinian concept of my reproductive legacy. No one asks my husband these questions, at least not with the regularity with which I am. Certainly not strangers or cab drivers who notice his wedding ring. (NB when he read this he pointed out he does get asked, not so frequently, but it does happen).
I started my NIHR Doctoral Fellowship 4 weeks after my sisters death and, to be honest, I threw myself into it in order to see something concrete come out of the period. My sister had been planning on starting a PhD after she came back to work from maternity leave and I felt very much I was doing it for both of us. As people don’t talk about this stuff it was a hard time. There was no one who had been through a similar thing. Talking about not being able to have children makes people so uncomfortable as no one really knows what to say. My friends and I had all just got married and non of us had had kids, so I was the first one to face the issue. Although, now, I have a number of friends who for different reasons are in the same boat. In many ways, I wish the medical guidance had been ‘you can’t have children’. I found that you could try and have a termination as soon as there’s any rise in blood pressure or change in markers detected tortuous. The idea of walking into a hospital every week wondering if that was the week I’d have to abort was more than I could face. Even now it makes me feel sick. My husband and I agreed to keep talking about it. We have a wonderful and fulfilling life together. Although it is my body, for me it very much needed to be our decision. He has been a godsend throughout and always said that I was the most important thing in his world. He wasn’t prepared to risk me. Nevertheless, having the ‘will we won’t we’ decision hanging over our heads was an indescribable weight. Especially when our friends went on to get pregnant and raise wonderful children.
Close friends were great about the pregnancy piece. I had some friends who were too scared to speak about it too much as they knew how much it hurt. I had other people in my world who just threw baby pictures in my face without even thinking about it. The best ones knew how incredibly happy I was for them, even if some days I couldn’t face the detail. These friends checked in with whether I wanted to see that picture or hear that story so depending on how resilient I was feeling so I could still be part of their story. These ones would also message Jon before they phoned to tell me their great news so that I could have a glass of something treaty and get myself into the right headspace. I know it’s so tricky for people that I both want to be there and can’t fully always engage and, therefore, the rules change day by day. My plea is: if you aren’t in this particular boat, that you ask the question about whether I’d like to see/know/hold and not just assume consent. As time goes by, you’d probably never know that when you share without asking it hurts me. But it still does some days none the less.
So here we are 11 years on. One day, a couple of years ago, my husband and I spontaneously turned to each, with no preparation and said almost simultaneously ‘that ship has sailed’. We cried and, in all honestly, we drank champagne to celebrate. It was only in that moment that I realised the weight of ‘do i risk my life for this?’ and ‘am I a bad person for not wanting it at whatever the cost?’ and ‘am I letting my husband down by not just trying?’ I realised that he had been carrying exactly the same weight. It took a long long time to get here. I’d be lying if I said that there were not still some days, like the ones coming over the weekend, where it isn’t hard. Partly it’s hard because I can’t separate the grief for the children I never had from the grief over the sister I did.
I’m doing pretty great these days. We are the adopted aunt and uncle of a few of our friends children and we delight in spoiling them. On the 18th of August every year which was Morgan’,s due to date we send ‘Morgans gifts’ to children in our social circle in her honour and remembrance. Just because we can’t spoil her doesn’t mean we can’t spoil others in her name.
Here are some thoughts that might help if you are on the outside looking in (these are not all issues I feel in my setting but they are ones over the last 11 years I’ve come across):
Please understand that my life has meaning even if I don’t have kids. Please, therefore, don’t devalue my plans and life by always expecting me to be the one to work late/cover the weekend because everyone else has children. You don’t mean the way it comes across or the way it sometimes makes me feel. I know that. I also know you need to be there for your family, and that’s completely right, but I have family too.
Please consider altering slightly those questions you ask strangers who have life paths they may not be willing to share.
Take a couple of seconds to think about consent before you give me your baby to hold. Neither of us want me to flinch and drop your precious parcel and sometimes my physical reaction is to back away before my brain kicks in.
If you have a friend on IVF, please don’t ask if they are pregnant yet (this also goes for PhD students and their thesis being finished).
For the people who are still experiencing the panic attacks, the society doesn’t value my life depression, the what will my legacy be thought cycle. Know this. Your value does not depend on whether you can produce a child. Your value does not depend on what reproductive legacy you leave. Your value lies in who you are and whether you can have a child is nothing to do with it. Know also that it will get better. That the knives in the heart of well-meaning questions start to hurt a little less. You will find a new normal, you will form a new version of you of which this is a part, but not the dominant self-defining part. Know, also, that if you ever want to talk it through over tea and cake I am here for you.
It’s Easter Monday and tomorrow I get to start a post which in many ways I had never thought would become a reality.. I get to start as a Consultant Clinical Scientist in Infection Prevention and Control! For 16 years I’ve been training towards this. John, my Consultant, and I have been actively aiming for this moment since I started my NIHR Doctoral Fellowship in 2010, but there have been a lot of bumps along the way. The past two years I had really begun to question if it would ever happen.
I am over the moon but I wanted to mark the occasion by acknowledging some of the barriers that have existed, so others know they are not alone in facing them. I also want to talk about some of my hopes and fears in starting such a big phase of my career.
Acknowledging the Barriers
I started my training in October 2004. when I started I was told I was on an 11 year journey to consultant practice. As it transpired, it really wasn’t that straightforward. Although there are now great training schemes for post registration Clinical Scientists to take them through FRCPath and a PhD, they didn’t exist at the time. I am grateful and fortunate to have been able to become an NIHR Doctoral Fellow, which gave me the time and money to undertake both a PhD and achieve FRCPath by examination over 5 years. In the end I was able to get around the barriers by taking a novel route that enabled me to gain equivalent qualifications to those on the current structured schemes. Speaking of equivalence, getting this novel route acknowledged was also not possible for a number of years after I passed my exams in 2015/2016. Last year, however, I was able to get these formally acknowledged due to the existence of the Academy of Healthcare Science equivalence route, so now I sit on the same register as those now qualifying through the National School of Healthcare Science route.
For me the biggest barrier is that I always wanted to be a Consultant Clinical Scientist in Infection Prevention and Control, as this was the field I had specialised in since 2007. Over the last few years, however, I had begun to doubt that this would be possible. I am qualified to apply for Consultant roles in Medical Microbiology and although these used to be rare they are becoming much more common place. These roles are great but they didn’t represent the dream job that I had been working towards. As these roles don’t really exist, and certainly didn’t exist in my current organisation, I agonised whether I should go for the standard route or continue to fight for a dream that may or may not ever happen. Needless to say, I fought. This is nothing new as, when I started in IPC, I was the only person I knew fulfilling that role and change doesn’t happen unless someone creates that new pathway. It has not been easy but, boy, is it worth it now the moment is here! So for all of you doubting (like I did!), continue to fight the good fight, follow your dreams: the pay off will be even better than you think!
Lets Start with the Fears
As I’ve covered above, this is my dream job and I’m so excited about it. Like many scientists, however, I have a tendency towards perfectionism and, as it means so much to me, I really don’t want to mess it up. I am embarking on something new and part of the fear is that I don’t know how much of it is new and how much change there will be. As with all things new there’s is always some level of adjustment required.
My new job description actually consists of bits that I mostly already do, although there will be expansion into new areas like surgical site infections. It will require me to develop new networks and new relationships, to build up credibility and to become comfortable with being the final point of clinical escalation.
This means I will inevitably make mistakes, both in terms of individual acts but also in relationships as I get to know people in a new context. I have a tendency to enter a shame loop even with very minor errors, which leads to fear in terms of making errors and impacts on my stress levels. I want myself and the team to understand that we will support each other through those mistakes and make deliberate, thoughtful choices in relation to the below to support reflection, learning and moving forward.
There is also a tendency when we step up to a new role to worry about what others think of us and whether we are capable of performing. This can drive me to over-question myself and to obsess about details. Working in healthcare, I think it’s key to not let this get in the way of constantly questioning ‘why?’ To be flexible in our thinking and learning from every interaction. I can’t go into this new post thinking I know it all, as much as I want to arrive at work tomorrow in a super-hero outfit fully formed, the reality is there will be a period of transition. I am going to need to grow into this and, therefore, I need to enter the role with a growth mindset:
So What are My Hopes?
My hope has and will always be the same: to make a difference. It doesn’t have to revolutionise mankind but I want to make a difference, one moment, one interaction at a time. That could be making someone smile, it could be getting that result out faster, it could be changing national guidance to make patients safer. I am fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to make that difference. To have a job that means that my passion for change and my profession aligns with the post I have been offered. I don’t want to waste that opportunity, not for one single minute!
On a professional basis I want to continue to ensure that progress is made by improving patient pathways linked to bringing evidence based practice on line, and advancing what we do with the research I undertake in my academic world. I also want to continue to raise the profile of what Healthcare Scientists can bring. I am a passionate believer in how much my profession can benefit healthcare and Infection Prevention and Control/Microbiology in particular. Healthcare systems are changing, becoming more complex The impact of science is greater than ever before. I intend to continue to advocate and shout about the benefits of HCS, so those coming behind me won’t have to fight the same fights that I have fought. They will get to fight different ones for the ones that follow them!
Finally, I want to continue to learn. I want to rise to the challenge and not be stopped by fear. I want to remain brave and unafraid to ask the stupid questions. To take onboard the wealth of knowledge and experience that others have and to become better because of it.
So, yes it has been a long road, but every step has been worth it. I’ve learned so much by encountering barriers and I’m stronger in my commitment to the role because of it. Whatever journey you are on I hope that the same can be said by you when you reach the finishing line.
This week Panorama aired an episode about how testing is undertaken in some community testing laboratories. They didn’t really cover the differences in testing between hospital and community testing streams.and I’m concerned, as others are, that this programme will create the impression that all testing is done in the way it was portrayed in this episode.
Mention is made in passing to the high quality NHS system that existed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and is still providing world class care. It doesn’t go into the difference between the 2 parallel lab systems in any way that would be clear to the audience, or reassuring to those not being treated by the so called ‘mega labs’. They also only really refer to academics vs the recent science graduates running laboratories. No mention is made of the army of highly trained, highly qualified Healthcare Scientists who have spent years providing high quality, rapid, advanced testing who have been the backbone of scientific testing in healthcare for decades. No Healthcare Scientists were even featured to comment on the practice.This is such an upsetting oversight that it I felt like I needed to put something out there in order to raise awareness of how all of this works in practice.
This hidden profession deserves to be seen and recognised for the amazing work they do, and not conflated with the bad practice seen in this programme
Before I go any further, I need to be clear that this post isn’t talking about point of care testing (POCT) i.e. the lateral flow testing which I am going to cover in another post; nor is it looking at the technical aspects such as how PCR works as I’ve already covered this in another post. This post is about the different testing streams and why the service and quality they offer may not be the same in all circumstances. This is clearly only my view of the situation and others may see it differently.
How Did We Get Here and How Does the Testing System Work?
When the pandemic started, the government released a document called Coronavirus (COVID-19): scaling up our testing programmes. This document was last updated in April 2020, basically setting out how we were going to enable the country to go from testing a few hundred virus samples a day in each local hospital for patient management to 700,000 plus swabs per day: from both hospitals and the community for: patient management (pillar 1) and epidemiology and surveillance (pillar 2).
The decision was made not to scale up the local hospital and public health networks that already existed (pillar 1), but to bring on line a second parallel system for community testing which would be called pillar 2.
Tests in the UK are carried out through a number of different routes:
pillar 1: swab testing in Public Health England (PHE) labs and NHS hospitals for those with a clinical need, and health and care workers.
pillar 2: swab testing for the wider population, as set out in government guidance.
pillar 3: serology testing to show if people have antibodies from having had COVID-19.
pillar 4: blood and swab testing for national surveillance supported by PHE, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), and research, academic, and scientific partners to learn more about the prevalence and spread of the virus and for other testing research purposes, such as the accuracy and ease of use of home testing.
The decision to scale up using multiple pillars was made to improve capacity and was supposed to be designed with the following in mind:
Accuracy and reliability of tests.
Getting the right supply of people, lab space, equipment and chemicals.
Logistics.
What Points Did the Panorama Programme Make?
The Panorama programme asked the question, ‘Can we trust testing to keep people safe’. As mentioned , it focussed on pillar 2 testing in one of the ‘mega labs’, a not for profit lab in Milton Keynes set up to process 70,000 samples a day. The 7 lighthouse labs should between them be able to process 700,000 tests a day. To put this in context my lab in pillar 1 processes up to 600 SARS CoV2 tests a day at maximum capacity, but it is a comparatively small lab. I know other centres are running 10,000 tests, but still the numbers are smaller: mostly due to the context in which we are running, i.e. patient management and staff testing.
The woman who investigated worked 18 shifts over the course of the programme and was a life science graduate given 4 and 1/2 days of training before she started on the job (bear this in mind when we talk staffing and training later).
The programme showed a large number of quality and technical issues (I needed a glass of gin afterwards), such as failing to check sample details so samples needed to be discarded, safety failings in the way they were using hoods and dealing with leaking samples and substantial issues with quality controlling results prior to release. This last point meant that the reliability of the result given could be questioned, with a number of potentially false positives being sent out.
Many of these issues are linked to what we call quality assurance, so here’s the CDC definition:
Laboratory Quality Assurance (QA) encompasses a range of activities that enable laboratories to achieve and maintain high levels of accuracy and proficiency despite changes in test methods and the volume of specimens tested. A good QA system does these four things:
establishes standard operating procedures (SOPs) for each step of the laboratory testing process, ranging from specimen handling to instrument performance validation.
defines administrative requirements, such as mandatory recordkeeping, data evaluation, and internal audits to monitor adherence to SOPs.
specifies corrective actions, documentation, and the persons responsible for carrying out corrective actions when problems are identified.
sustains high-quality employee performance.
In summary, it’s how we feel sure that the result we give you is the right one, is accurate, and is given within an acceptable time frame that means it is useful to you.
The issues shown were mostly therefore linked with the pillar 2 lab failing at being able to undertake the quality assurance that meant that you got the right result on the right person at the right time. This links back to the stated aims in the government document linked to the need for ‘Accuracy and reliability of tests‘. So why did this happen and why is this quality assurance different in pillar 1 testing?
Why are There Differences Between the Labs in Pillar 1 Testing and the Labs in Pillar 2?
It is worth stating here that (my understanding) the aims of pillar 1 and pillar 2 testing are different. I am in no way excusing the poor practice as discussed in the episode but it is worth remembering that. Pillar 1 testing requires highly accurate repeatable results on an individual level as we are using it to monitor and make clinical decisions such as treatment options for the individual. The level of accuracy and repeatability required is therefore extremely high. Pillar 2 testing feels, to me, to have different aims. Although individual results are processed through the community system, in many ways it feels like it is there to get national and regional data to inform policy decision making on a large scale, such as containment choices. This is much more of an epidemiological approach where individual results matter less, as the data input into the system reaches hundreds of thousands. The focus on each tube being a patient therefore feels like it gets lost.
Staffing and Training
Pillar 1 testing is run and managed by Healthcare Scientists. To become a Healthcare Scientist requires at least degree level qualification and most of my staff have masters degrees. Healthcare Scientists in laboratories also need to be registered in a similar way to nurses and doctors on a professional register where their fitness to practice is monitored. This register is called the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) register and you can either be on it as a Biomedical Scientist or a Clinical Scientist, depending on how much clinical advice you give, but both groups are Healthcare Scientists. Registration take a minimum of a year post degree (and for some routes 6 years plus) with completion of training competencies. Then as part of this professional registration you have to maintain your training, but also fulfil scientific and professional standards. This would mean that some of the things seen in the programme could result in professional sanction and possibly loss of license to practice.
Pillar 2 testing was initially mainly run by academics who were able to be seconded over or volunteer due to university closures. As a Clinical Academic I live in both worlds and my academic colleagues are amazing. However, they are used to working in very different environments without the same standardization and quality assurance checks that are utilised in a clinical laboratories. Most of these highly-skilled academics have now returned to working at their universities as courses have re-opened and so it appears much less experienced graduates have taken their place. This means that despite best intentions and good will they are unlikely to have the experience and training required to fulfil the complex and high standards of laboratory practice required in clinical settings.
This is why the ‘getting the right supply of people‘ piece in the document is so key. Healthcare Scientists like medical staff, however, require years of training prior to independent practice and so I acknowledge that within the timescales we have faced this has been a challenge and is a strategic issue that needs addressing in the years to come.
Quality Monitoring
In theory there should be no difference in the quality monitoring or quality assurance between pillar 1 and pillar 2 testing. It was stated in the documentary that the lab featured has been recommended for accreditation, but what does this mean?
Within England labs are assessed against a set of standards known as ISO 15189 Medical laboratories. These standards set out a list of requirements for quality and competence and were developed by the International Organisation for Standardization’s Technical Committee. If a lab demonstrates they meet these standards they are known as accredited labs, meaning that they are able to provide high quality accurate results. The accreditation body is called UKAS and it works in a similar way to the CQC for hospitals and OFSTED for schools.
All pillar 1 clinical laboratories are required to have UKAS accreditation to run. The process of getting accreditation is highly time-consuming, requires specialist knowledge, and a LOT of paperwork. Most labs have at least one full-time quality lead in order to keep on top of it, and to undertake crucial monitoring like auditing to provide the assurance part of quality assurance.
To set up the monitoring systems and get accreditation, even for one test, is not fast and it seemed to me that this is where the lab featured was failing. It is almost impossible to do high quality work when it is undertaken in a factory setting with hourly targets and when the staff present aren’t trained to a high enough level (4 and 1/2 days). Obviously, this is just a view from a set of data given through the lens of a specific piece of reporting. Having been through the accreditation process numerous times myself, it is of no surprise to me that centres set up so quickly with limited staff training are struggling to comply or even to truly understand the issues.
So Where Does that Leave Us?
Firstly I want to clearly state that this post is not an attack on the people working in the mega labs, they are doing their best under tremendous strain with what they have available.It isn’t even an attack on the mega labs themselves as I understand how we have gotten to where we are with them. This is a post to explain what we already had in place and how we might in the immediate and longer term look to do things differently.
These labs have been created at pace and utilising what resource could be sourced to set up a completely separate stream. In many ways I understand this, as just the logistics of getting 70,000 specimens a day into a building in terms of vehicle access are huge. Healthcare Scientists also cannot be magicked out of thin air. The problem is that this is being treated as a factory, without (it feels) acknowledging that the work we do is highly-skilled and technical: that this needs to be acknowledged in order to achieve high quality outputs.
As stated in the programme: ‘If we’d spent the money supporting the existing system we would have been better off’
That may not have been possible for reasons of speed and logistics at the start, but it is certainly possible now. The answer to the question in the programme ‘Can we trust testing to keep people safe?’ is yes, but maybe not in the situation we’re in right now. So let’s acknowledge the workforce that have the expertise in this, who can deliver the quality required and build the infrastructure to ensure that no matter where you are tested, for whatever reason a sample is taken, you are acknowledged as the patient behind the tube!
As to whether you should care about testing and where your sample is processed. We should all care: results and quality should not depend upon testing site. We should also care about the plans for how this is done in the future, as this will be a key legacy that the pandemic leaves behind.
The set up is this. I was asked by Agata at Life Drawing+ if I would be interested in posing for her life drawing class where they were drawing images of key workers. She was after a virologist but I thought I might do ๐ (she was given my name by an SfAM committee member – the importance of networks!) I had to decide on a pose and a song that summed up the pandemic, and then login to a Zoom call where we would chat and the artists (of all abilities) who were in the class would have 15 minutes to sketch.
I’ts now 7:30 Sunday night and I need to log into the zoom. I’ve been working all weekend trying to answer enough emails in order to keep my head above water. So why in the words of my sage and constantly supportive husband are we setting up lights and computers when I’m too tired to eat in order to pose for a life drawing class?
Why do I continue to say yes when I could say no?
Now don’t get me wrong. When I’m feeling as tired as I am, I often also ask myself that question and so I want to take you through some of the reasons that I continue to say yes.
If the Past Few Years Have Shown Me Anything, It’s That I’ve Only Got One Shot
Some of you may know that in my family this generation we’ve had a number of us not make it to 40. If anything, the pandemic has crystallised for me that we never know what’s around the corner and no matter how much we plan the next steps, fundamentally a lot of things are outside of our control.
For me, this means that I want to be able to seize new experiences and the learning they bring, rather than assume that there will always be another opportunity around the corner.
A one off event where I said yes to a public engagement event led to me meeting Nicola Baldwin and gave birth to a partnership that is now in its third year, has won national awards, and involved thousands of patients and members of the public. Building networks is done one interaction at a time So without saying yes you will miss out on further opportunities you didn’t even imagine were possible.
I appreciate this sounds like FOMO (fear of missing out) and if you take it too far it could break you, and that’s not what I’m encouraging. Its about really evaluating each opportunity offered to you and reflecting on the uniqueness of the opportunity, the possible outcomes and the reasons for saying yes or no.
I Want to Do Things that Scare Me
This leads me onto item no.2. I want to do things that scare me. Not ‘horror movie’scares me, but stepping out of my comfort zone. I really do believe that the best learning occurs when we are comfortable, when we are in the zone just outside of comfortable, where we are pushing ourselves. I’m naturally a pretty lazy person. If I could live my life as a Jane Austin character, drinking tea and reading books all day, I would. I’m super aware of this so, I make active choices to try and push myself.
Although I’m mostly hoping to have finalised the period of formal education in life, I really do want to still develop as an individual and each time I do something new and challenging I learn a little bit more about myself, be that stand-up comedy or modelling for a life drawing. If I hadn’t taken part last week, I wouldn’t have reflected on the question why and I wouldn’t therefore be writing this blog.
I Want to Raise the Profile of My Profession
One of my constant reasons for saying yes is that I work in one of the best professions in the world, and no one seems to know that it exists! I am very aware that if we do not get out of our bubbles and talk to people then everyone will continue to believe that the NHS consists solely of doctors and nurses. We won’t inspire the wonderful future workforce to become Healthcare Scientists rather than taking the more traditional route of entering medicine. After all, you can’t be what you can’t see.
For me, one of the things that I get asked about most is swabbing, how to do it, what it means. It’s one of the things I’ve done most of, both myself and being part of strategic planning. So when it came to deciding on a pose I went with using lateral flow equipment and (the top half) of my scrubs.
I made a very deliberate decision not to pose in a white coat with a pipette as I wanted to encourage conversations that show that so many Healthcare Scientists don’t work in a laboratory and to talk about the amazing work my colleagues have done during the pandemic. We spoke about ventilator technicians and biomedical engineers, cardiac physiologists and lung function. As well as pathology and the importance of diagnostic stewardship.
I Want to Talk About Science with People Who I May Never Encounter Normally
You may have a really wide social circle normally, but no matter how wide our circles we still tend to be limited in the people we interact with. Most of my friends work in IT, law, finance, medicine or science. I have a few writer friends but my artistic creative circle is most limited to the lovely creatives I’ve met through working with Nicola Baldwin on projects like Nosocomial. Right now it doesn’t even really matter how wide your social circle normally is, if you’re like me it’s currently focussed on a few really key people in your life. Lockdown and exhaustion from work make it hard to have the energy to be truly social. I think we have to understand therefore that our understanding of the world and of the challenges are coloured by those interactions. Something really brought home to me by recent elections and the way that COVID-19 conspiracy theories spread. If we really want to have an impact and understand the barriers to undertaking science, and how science is perceived, we need to have conversations outside of our echo chambers. We need to engage in true dialogue that will often challenge us and sometimes scare us.
It is both invigorating and eye opening to see your profession through the lens of people that do not necessary have access to scientists. It makes you realise that some of the things you take for granted, for me children ending up in ITU due to SARS CoV2, is not something that is necessarily in the general circulating knowledge.The perception that children don’t get SARS CoV2 is strongly pushed both in the media and political statements, even if what they actually say is more nuanced. Being open and willing to truly discuss, answer questions and embark in creative thinking about topics both normalises science, and also benefits me by supporting me to see challenges in a new light.
Finally, look at all the amazing one of a kind mementoes I got out of it: items I would never have otherwise. So next time you get offered that unique opportunity remember to think yes, rather than automatically saying no.
Paid-up member of the Dream Team since 2013, token immunologist and occasional defector from the Immunology Mafia. Registered clinical scientist in immunology with a background in genetics (PhD), microbiology and immunology (MSc), biological sciences (mBiolSci) and indecisiveness (everything else). Now a senior lecturer in immunology at University of Lincoln.
A clinical immunologist and part-time geneticistsโ thoughts on Oryx and Crake by Margret Atwood.
This is Atwoodโs vision of a dystopian future told across a trilogy of books. Each provides more detail on how we failed to avoid disaster despite multiple opportunities โ art imitating life in 2021? A mad scientist bioengineers a humanity-ending virus and replaces humans with his genetically engineered vision of perfection, then leaves them in the hands of his old best mate. The protagonist struggles to survive in the dystopian future whilst recounting the tale of his pre-apocalypse life, and his role in the oncoming catastrophe. Well, we are all old hat at the viral apocalypse these days so letโs talk about something else; genetic engineering.
Atwoodโs writing is speculative rather than science fiction. This slight bend of the genre bases its roots in technologies that exist today, and their potential consequences. Here, Atwood imagines profit as the sole motivator of advancements in genetic manipulation technologies with our ethical committees cast aside. Oryx and Crake was penned back in 2003 so whilst we may have had our suspicions about the tech back then, these days much of what Atwood discusses is inching closer to scientific fact.
Margaret Atwood
Letโs start with ChickieNobs, the nightmarish endpoint of laboratory grown meat. A bulblike object comprised of chicken parts with a head in the middle. Today’, laboratory grown meat is in its infancy and is hailed as an environmental wonder: the โno killโ solution for vegetarians hankering for a burger. Just donโt ask about where those meat stem cells come from, or the nutrients required to grow laboratory meat.
Pigoons, or Sus multiorganifer to give them their Latin name, are described as a method of producing human organs in pigs. Sounds like a perfect solution to our growing shortage of organs for transplant. To see this reflected in reality, one only need look to the work of Juan Belmonte. His team uses CRISPR technologies to turn off genes that make pig organs and replaces them with those to make humans. In her dystopian vision, Atwood considers the ultimate consequence of this, the development of human-like intelligence in these animals to go along with their human genetic material.
With my word count rapidly diminishing weโll consider the Crakers, the bioengineered quasi-humans. These gentle creatures epitomise the pinnacle of genetic modification: humans that donโt harm each other or their environment. Not quite the X-men we comic book geeks would like. Today, the application of CRISPR technologies seems to know no bounds. We are living through a time of unprecedented genetic developments at a startling pace. Each day science fiction merges a little more with scientific fact but thanks to our rigorous ethical approval process, one hopes we can avoid living in an Atwoodian nightmare for at least a little while longer.
TLDR: The epitome of biopeversity, edging into a little too close for comfort. So many lessons could be learnt from Atwood, but humans are rarely good at learning our lessons. After all, as the old saying goes, the bioengineered-quasi human species will inherit the earth.
Last week I had a rather momentous interview. It felt and was rather high stakes. On the morning whilst I was waiting for it to occur I asked twitter for their advice on interview practice. The aim being to collate a list to help others preparing for similar high stakes situations. Below are the wonderful words of advice that twitter provide, I have cluster them into topics but the words are their own.
Comments About General Preparation
Ware your comfy smart shoes! Don’t go fancy because they look nice, comfort is more important in stressful situations (speaking from experience – https://twitter.com/bethanyrosemoss
Make sure you know what job you are being interviewed for. I have had candidates turn up without no idea what the post involved. Clearly hadn’t even read the job description. – https://twitter.com/ESHT_Pathology
Be confident. If you find this hard to do then reach out to someone you trust & prepare. Practice your elevator pitch & prep answers to situational judgement tests. Helps you think fast. Also, have an โexternalโ mindset for internal jobs! – https://twitter.com/PhillipaBurns
Try to know your panel in advance; ask who is on it, make an educated guess based on dpt.. then know what interests them. Can help think of topics they might ask on or nuggets to drop into your answers that make them feel you are like minded- helps build rapport. – https://twitter.com/KatyHeaney
Always make contact before applying. Ring up, speak to them, ask questions about the role&department. So important. No doubt this gives you a foot in the door for interviews. Shows you are keen, interested& knowing a panel member in advance can really lesson nerves. – https://twitter.com/KatyHeaney
Sit down and actually talk through your answers from start to finish. Itโs easy to know what your main points are but you may not have practiced phrasing it coherently. Maybe record it and play it back if you donโt have someone to practice it on – https://twitter.com/purcelle12
Read the job description carefully, everybody being interviewed has the essentials and deserves the opportunity. Concentrate on the desirables and make yourself stand out in these areas. – https://twitter.com/MCRImaging
I was once told this: interviewers only ever ask 3 Qs: 1- can you do the job? 2- Will you do the job? 3 – will you fit in? Theyโre asked in many different and creative ways – but thatโs what they boil down too. So prepare for those 3 Qs and youโre good to go! – https://twitter.com/nat_echo
Make sure you have an example of how you meet each of the essential requirements on the person spec. Research the lab/trust- see if they have any big projects pending- how could you contribute?? – https://twitter.com/Samjjw
Know what you want to put across, says 3 or 4 things and practise different ways of saying, for instance, a)I am competent, b)I have practical skills, c)I am good at understanding how to apply procedures, so whatever the question you should still be able to answer it. 1/2 – https://twitter.com/SueLeeLondon
Always have an example of something you’re not very good at/confident with, and a plan of how you’re going to get better/feel more confident about it. Alongside all the things you’re good at, of course. – https://twitter.com/JesstheBMS
If going for a technical job, be prepared for a test even if they don’t tell you in advance. Also don’t worry about questioning the test answers certainly in software there is more than one way to skin a cat as long as you can justify it it’ll be fine. – https://twitter.com/curdnick
Before any interview, think about the three key points you want to communicate and, if you can, distill them down to three key words (eg. experienced, enthusiastic, friendly). Then, no matter what question you’re asked, you’ll know the sort of answer you want to give. 1/3 – https://twitter.com/readthewriter
Pre prepare some specific examples to common questions so you are ready (trouble shooting, team work, communication to non-micro people). Always give an example where possible. Emphasise the skills you utilised and what you learned with each example. – https://twitter.com/ClinSciGeek
Don’t always expect technical questions. When asked what their interests are outside work. It sometimes really throws people! – https://twitter.com/duckydoos
Values & behaviours of the trust and the nhs. This seems to have replaced hcpc standards type questions, but good professional behaviours. Know the words, but be able to give examples. If itโs a management role – research compassionate management, and how you can deliver this. – https://twitter.com/PhillipaBurns
Donโt forget the values questions! Look up the trust/ department values and think of an example for each – https://twitter.com/MT_marshlands
I know a dept that asks โhow will you react if you donโt get this jobโ when it is a hotly contested internal job. And I love it! Itโs your chance to talk your professionalism & values up – but also a contract with your team. You need to be gracious, even when disappointed. – https://twitter.com/PhillipaBurns
Things to be Aware of Once You Get into the Room
Show, don’t tell. Anyone can say they’re friendly, or committed to continuing education, or they’re innovative, or, or, or… So concentrate instead on *showing* those things. That might just be through your demeanour, but it could also be through project examples. – https://twitter.com/readthewriter
This may sound mad, if asked for a drink always ask for water. I once had a Tea made of full-fat milk instead of semi-skimmed and couldn’t drink it and mouth was very dry towards the end of the interview – https://twitter.com/curdnick
Lastly, your main aim is build a rapport with interviewer/s if you haven’t lied on your CV (don’t do that) all the other candidates are likely equally qualified and the point of difference will be if they think you’ll fit in the culture of the company. – https://twitter.com/curdnick
Remember that, in any job interview, you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. They want you to be a fit, to solve the problem they have of needing someone. But, equally, you can decide if they are a good fit for you; if they solve something for you. – https://twitter.com/readthewriter
Pause before answering, look like you are thinking about your answer, or it looks like you are rushing to get your side in. Or say a start phrase like ” That’s a good question” to show you are thinking. Pause during your answer, don’t let the headlong rush of words trip you up. – https://twitter.com/Pwareingfsltd
Always say why you want THIS job THIS role in THIS hospital etc make sure they know you have done your homework into the post – https://twitter.com/liz7262
Thoughts on How To Structure Your Answers
What was the Situation Task Action Result (STAR). This is the best advice anyone ever gave me. Interview questions are so much easier to answer with this structure. – https://twitter.com/LLaurajwalsh
If you start your answer with the most relevant points, the interviewer can always ask for further details if they want them. – https://twitter.com/MicroTanner
What Kind of Content in My Answers Will They Be Looking For?
Don’t forget to explain outcomes! It’s great you arranged an event for 1000 people but what was the outcome of this? – https://twitter.com/Sci_Game_Girl
On top this I have more than once been asked to give a detailed explanation of a role I played on a project. If you can mix this with the kind of job you’ll be doing for them. For my current job a project I had done 7 years prior helped far more than I had most recently worked on – https://twitter.com/curdnick
Show transferable skills by knowing how to answer behavioural questions appropriately and donโt be afraid to give examples of when things didnโt work because itโs how you can demonstrate what you learnt and how you will implement change in the future that matters – https://twitter.com/theartofhearing
Keep answers to the point. Weโve ended up marking people down who give the โrightโ answer, but bundle it in with so much irrelevant stuff weโre left wondering if they really do understand or are just saying everything they can think of, hoping that some of it is whatโs wanted. – https://twitter.com/MicroTanner
Reflections on What Questions You Might Ask
If u don’t think well on the hoof. Go prepared with question to ask; makes you look interested in the role and keen, and you can use it to bring up something u have done well somewhere else – can use it to your advantage. – https://twitter.com/KatyHeaney
They should also be selling the job to you. If they are interviewing you your CV implies you have the requirements. Ask questions about culture etc. Never tell the interviewer you think they are lying. – https://twitter.com/SueLeeLondon
Iโve been asked by a candidate โwhy did the previous post holder leave?โ Which is an excellent question. – https://twitter.com/ClinSciGeek
Finally one from me. I’ve posted the below TED talk link before. I know that it may sound bonkers but I do find the Power Posing useful, if nothing else than for 2 minutes I take a few minutes to calmly centre myself before the high stakes episode. I was too nervous to selfie but there was definitely a ‘Pride’ pose that was held in the moment prior to my interview.
I was fortunate enough to get the post. I hope the collective wisdom of twitter will support you in getting your dream opportunity also. Huge thank you to all the wonderful contributors who have share their experience for the benefit of others.
All opinions on this blog are my own
If you would like more tips and advice linked to your PhD journey then the first every Girlymicrobiologist book is here to help!
This book goes beyond the typical academic handbook, acknowledging the unique challenges and triumphs faced by PhD students and offering relatable, real-world advice to help you:
Master the art of effective research and time management to stay organized and on track.
Build a supportive network of peers, mentors, and supervisors to overcome challenges and foster collaboration.
Maintain a healthy work-life balance by prioritizing self-care and avoiding burnout.
Embrace the unexpected and view setbacks as opportunities for growth and innovation.
Navigate the complexities of academia with confidence and build a strong professional network
This book starts at the very beginning, with why you might want to do a PhD, how you might decide what route to PhD is right for you, and what a successful application might look like.
It then takes you through your PhD journey, year by year, with tips about how to approach and succeed during significant moments, such as attending your first conference, or writing your first academic paper.
Finally, you will discover what other skills you need to develop during your PhD to give you the best route to success after your viva. All of this supported by links to activities on The Girlymicrobiologist blog, to help you with practical exercises in order to apply what you have learned.
I talk a lot in this blog about raising each other up and bringing your whole self to being a scientist. There is one woman who taught me that from a very young age. Let me introduce you to my mum Sandra.
My mum is from a generation where her options were limited by her gender. She was forced to leave school in order to work to support her family until the point at which she go married. Then she was one of the first generation of women to try to balance having a family with work. She is one of the smartest people I know and yet she was never permitted to use her intellect to contribute in what was still seen as a man’s world. Despite that my mum has contributed to science in multiple ways throughout her life and I want to honour that contribution by talking about it and recording it here. So that it doesn’t get overlooked and forgotten, like the contributions of so many of her counterparts.
One of Sandra’s first jobs was working at the University of Aston. She worked for an old school Professor, who from conversations about him was smart, kind and someone impractical. I believe (I could be wrong) that he was a biochemist, but he could have been a physicist. This was where my mother started contributing to the world of science. In those days Professors would dictate their scientific papers and mum was the one that typed them up, she captured their equations and hand drew out their graphs, so they could submit manuscripts for publication. The thesis of PhD students also needed to be typed up so that they could be submitted for examination. This is in fact how she met my father, she typed up his thesis. A thesis he still has and that I looked at when writing mine, including the hand drawn graphs inside. Like most women of the time when they married and she became pregnant she had to give up this job in science which she loved in order to have a family.
I am lucky enough to be super close to my mum, I know how fortunate I am and that this isn’t the situation for everyone. Part of the reason for that it that she hasn’t always had it easy with me, lets just say that as a child I didn’t sleep and then managed to become severely ill on more than one occasion. I know that and I know how much, although she would never say, she gave up for me. When I was ill during my GCSEs and I missed my 5th year in school and was facing never being able to go to university and losing my identity as an academic student she was there. She sat me down and looked me straight in the eye. She told me that she loved me and that that was unconditional. It didn’t require me to go to university, it didn’t require me to be anything other than I could both manage and want to be. She gave me the strength to gradually rebuild. Because of her I did eventually make it to university, without her I would never have studied science or made it to be a scientist today. When I felt too stupid, too behind, she gave me the confidence to continue. Anything I accomplish as a scientist is because of her. She was determine that she would open doors for me that were closed to her, and when I faltered that she would help me through them.
She continued to be interested in science. She took part in clinical trials, supported three children through degrees and masters degrees in STEM subjects. Edited dissertations, acted as a sounding board and asked more revision questions than I’m sure she’d care to remember. She came with me to the Blackpool mock exam when I was sitting FRCPath. Those four days were the biggest crisis of confidence I have ever had. At the start of the mock there were three scientists and about 25 clinicians. On the second day of the mock I was the only scientist that turned up. It was the only exam I’d ever sat where I thought not only could I not pass it that day but I was unsure whether I would ever be smart enough to pass at all. On the evening of the second day we were all due to go out for dinner as a group. I tried to leave the hotel to quit and go to the train station instead. So many of my medical colleagues had just told me I would never pass and that doubt had caught hold. She stood in front of me, turned me around and forced me to go and change for dinner, no matter how much I cried. I went to dinner and found out that all the others felt the same, I wasn’t alone, but she enabled me to see that. Her faith also helped me withstand the morning of the fourth day when a group of the medics surrounded me and asked why it was that a scientist like me should think they should be allowed to do the exam, or do a job like them.
My mother continued to use the knowledge she had established about PhD thesis writing when I was writing my PhD. She had been able to sit some academic degree modules herself as part of a great scheme run by Birmingham University and she had built upon the knowledge from her first post. She used those skills to proof read, edit and sense check every line of my 95,000 word thesis. She even took the week off work to be with me in the week prior to submission to do tasks I’d run out of time to do, like make abbreviation lists. The fact that the only correction needed after my PhD viva was to write an additional summary conclusion of 350 words is in large part due to her diligence and scientific understanding.
For the last 6 years my mum has been able to get even more involved with science. She’s been helping me run the Environment Network, Healthcare Science Education conferences and outreach events since their inception. She is project manager, events organiser and conference reception manager for every one. She has run events now for over 1000 scientists and Infection Prevention and Control professional. Her contribution is immense. She has supported the learning and practice improvements of everyone that attends and she does it because she loves both science and me.
So this is my tribute to the women that went before. The women that society didn’t see and put in boxes in which they didn’t fit but had no choice but to live. Here’s to the women that fought and opened doors, broke ceilings and paved the way for those of use who travel behind. I see you and I am grateful for everything you did.
Here’s to my mum. Who wrote papers that won’t bear her name on them. Who contributed to academic dissertations across disciplines, who has organised scientific conferences and raised so many up along the way. To my mum, who fought her share of battles so that I didn’t have to. I love you, I’m thankful for you and know that everything I accomplish is in part because of you.
Yesterday I posted for Healthcare Science Week 2021 with some tips about applying to start your career as a scientist. Today I wanted to post something linked to career progression as a Healthcare Scientist. So todays post is about going through the equivalence process with the Academy of Healthcare Science (AHCS). I know that this one may be a bit contentious, I know this because when I announced I’d been through the process on Twitter I got some push back and interesting discussion. That said I still think it’s important and so I want to take you through not only how I went about it but my thought process as to why.
The equivalence process enables individuals who have gone through different progression routes to achieve progression similar to the end points reached by the structured routes offered by the National School of Healthcare Science (Scientific Training Programme (STP) and Higher Specialist Scientific Training Programme (HSST)). Equivalence can be undertaken for either programme and requires you to demonstrate that you have covered both the breadth of scope and qualifications contained in the curriculum that is involved in the structured centrally delivered programme. Once you’ve gone through the equivalence process you can then register on the AHCS register, in the same way as a programme graduate.
For people like myself who attained a PhD and FRCPath by examination prior to the introduction to these structured programmes there is no requirement for us to demonstrate equivalence to the HSST. For many people in a similar position to myself they are also already in Consultant posts, and so the participation in this process is perceived as costly, with little added value.
So why do I think it is important for me as a senior leader and Lead Healthcare Scientist to go through this process and put my money where my mouth is:
I want to understand the process so that I can support my workforce when they are submitting for the equivalence process themselves.
I want to lead by example. These structured programmes are what my future workforce are going to be going through. I owe it them to understand the breadth requirements of the curriculum so that I can be a better advisor.
I want to demonstrate the value of the register. Although HSST equivalence is not currently required it is likely to become an increasing requirement in posts that are being created (I’ve seen one recently). In order to maximise flexibility for my workforce to apply for posts in the future I think it’s important to get on the register early and show why it might be important for their futures.
STP equivalence is much more embedded and within my workforce I’m working hard with the team to raise awareness and support for this route. It would feel hypocritical of me (as Lead Healthcare Scientist) to be pushing the importance of considering undertaking this process and not have been prepared to engage with it myself.
As well as being a Lead Healthcare Scientist I am also a Healthcare Scientist Training Advocate for National Institute of Health Research. As part of the development of training plans for doctoral and clinical lectureship fellowships then the role of equivalence plays an important part for those who will go through the non-standard route that I undertook. By having been through the process I can help in guiding applicants in what items their clinical training programme will need to contain.
Finally, I did this for me. I wanted to show that I am competitive for posts, that I have the skills required. I am not in a consultant post and will therefore potentially be competing for posts against people now exiting the training programme. I found the process of putting together the information and reflecting about my career against a set of standardised benchmarks incredibly useful. It is so useful to identify gaps that you may not have recognised, or reassuring that you have covered everything and you are good to go.
So What Is the Process for Applying for Equivalence
My experience is of putting together the Stage 1 application pack, which consists of the following:
๏ท A completed Stage 1 Summary Mapping Template – this is basically linking your structure CV to the standards to show that you have met them all ๏ท Job description and person specification ๏ท A structured curriculum vitae (CV) – this is 1500 words that outlines your qualifications, job role, experience and anything else you need to demonstrate you meet the standards ๏ท Two appropriate professional references ๏ท Qualification certificates ๏ท I also added some additional information to the end of my structured CV that included: a publication list and grant funding received, as well as a list of committee and guidance groups I am a member of
It took me a while to look at the standards and reflect on content, but I have to admit the bit that took me longest was finding all the documentation (certificates, driving license etc) in order to scan them in and submit them. The other bit that took time was getting the references as we all know how busy everyone is.
The whole application is online and you upload each part and you have it. It gives you a progress bar so you know how close you are to completion. I didn’t know anyone else who had completed it and at that point there were in fact no microbiologists on the HSS register to talk to about it, so I just put things together based on intuition and what I would like to see if I were assessing. Mostly this was about leading the reader and making the information easy to find, as well as making sure that in the mapping document it was clear that all the competencies had been covered. I’ve included mine below, not because I’m claiming it is the most amazing document ever, but so that you don’t have to start from scratch like I did in terms of your thinking.
Once I had submitted I waited. I was fortunate enough to get an Outcome 1 (see above) feedback as shown below:
After which I paid my ยฃ50 and became the first microbiologist on the ACHS HSS register.
Overall the process was pretty simple and straight forward. The thing that took the longest was the thinking ahead of putting it together. I found it useful to have a list of the competencies and then listed all the different things that I could use as evidence against them. I could then focus my thinking and my CPD review on areas where I didn’t have so many items mapped.
Equivalence will not be for everyone, but as the profession of Healthcare Science enters a much needed phase where training and careers become more structured then it will be needed. I hope that by having gone through this process I have gained the skills and knowledge to support others, as well demonstrating leadership in an area that I feel is important. So I would encourage you to review: Is its right for you? Is it right for your workforce? and What’s stopping you?
It’s recruitment season in both Healthcare Science and academia right now. Many promising young scientists have applied for the Scientific Training Programme, whilst others are applying for PhD positions and taking their first steps to becoming independent researchers. I’ve been having lots of conversations and I’ve been getting lots of emails/tweets about what I would be looking for as part of this process. I’m also going through a recruitment process myself and so this has been on my mind. I’m going to share what I look for, but I want to be very clear this is just that, what I look for. Others may have different opinions and so it’s always worth canvassing more than just one person as there are people out there who are experts in this.
There are obviously two big sections to this, the application process and the interview. If you get to the interview then you will have got there because I believe that you can do the job. At that point it’s about team dynamics and shared vision and it’s as much about you interviewing me as it is about me interviewing you. So for this post I’m mostly going to focus on the application process and getting that foot in the door.
When you are applying for a post you will have access to a whole bunch of information, some of which will be more apparent to you than others. There will be names listed, names of specialisms, names of the recruiting staff, all of which will give you a clue as to how to get information on the type of people who will be interviewing you.
Getting to know more about the people involved in the recruitment process will help you prioritise the information in your proposal. Is the Trust and department you’re applying to research active? If not then you might want to use that word count about your undergraduate dissertation for something of greater interest to them. For STP applications you should include reference to the fact that you’ve spoken to people who work in the field to demonstrate an understanding of the job. For PhD applications make sure you include specific references to the papers the hiring academics have recently written in your cover letter so you have shown you know who they are. This enables your to start out building a relationship with the people who are shortlisting, they know you’ve taken the trouble to know more about them and it’s a sign of respect that will stand you in good stead.
DON’T do what once happened to me when I was interviewing a male candidate. The panel was entirely female and the interview was going well, the candidate obviously had done his homework on us. The last two questions blew it however. We asked him about research experience and he proceeded to tell us that he had looked up our work and how he could guide us in doing it better. He then followed up when asked if he had any questions with ‘When will you let me know I have the job’. Needless to say that call never came.
Do Your Research
Following on from knowing your audience is doing your research. I’m going to be super honest here. When I applied to be a clinical scientist I kind of knew what it was but I wasn’t super confident. That was because there weren’t the resources out there to give me more information. That is no longer the case and there are a lot of internet resources available. This means that if you’re applying for this kind of post now it is expected that you will know not only about the job, but also to have defined answers about why you want to do it and why you are suitable for the post.
For PhD positions doing your research is even more important. I want it to be clear on your application why you want to do this particular PhD. What is it that attracted you to the topic, what work have you already done in this area, what reading have you done to demonstrate your interest. The one thing that many candidates don’t come with to the interview that makes them stand out is what questions their research on the PhD so far has raised in their mind, what questions are they are interested in asking. Even during the interview I want to see the scientific curiosity that will make you a great scientist and separate you from your competition.
DON’T send me an application that is generic and hasn’t been personalised for the position. If you can’t put in the effort to research the post and personalise your application then I won’t put in the effort to interview you as it will feel like you’re not really that interested.
Obey the Rules
In every job advert there will be information and guidance about how to apply. You would be super surprised at how often applicants don’t pay attention to the guidelines. Now most of your scientific career will require you to apply for things, business cases, grant funding, conference attendance etc. If you can’t demonstrate the care and attention to detail when applying for the post it indicates that you may also not adhere to the guidance when applying for these other things, directly impacting your chances of success and career progression. I’m all for individualism and for thinking outside the box, but an application process is about enabling me to do a side by side comparison, which I cannot do if you side step what’s requested.
For NHS posts you need to be demonstrating in the personal statement section what is asked of you in the job description (JD), as this is what you will be scored against. If you don’t cover the points then you cannot get the marks required for short listing. Also pay attention to where you are expected to demonstrate the skills, knowledge etc. It will usually say whether it is on the application, or during the interview. If it stated during the interview and you are limited on words use them to tick the ‘demonstrate in the application’ boxes. Also use the ‘demonstrate in interview’ descriptions as a hint to what questions you are likely to be asked during the interview process.
For PhD posts make sure you send what you are requested, make sure that your cover letter contains the information requested in the advert and that your CV reinforces your key points.
DON’T send a CV to an NHS job application and miss stuff off your personal statement as I won’t look at it. If you’re applying for an academic post don’t just send a CV without providing the information specified in the advert as I won’t look at the CV if I consider your application incomplete.
Know Your Unique Selling Point (USP)
When I applied for my trainee clinical scientist post there were 240 applications for 4 positions. The scheme has only got more competitive since then and PhD positions can be equally if not more competitive. Although interview questions will vary across post types you will almost always get asked why you? Why do you want this post? Why are you suitable for this post? How will this post get you where you want to be? What is your 5 year plan?
It is therefore worth taking the time to think about what it is that will enable you to stand out from the competition and make sure that you have clearly stated it in your application. Are you applying for a PhD post and already have published papers, got a travel grant or partaken in science communication activity? Make sure that it is there and easy to see, as this will enable you to stand out from the field.
Are you applying for an STP post and have already done work experience in a clinical lab, worked with patients or have a lived experience that could help you? Make sure that this is clear as it will help during the short listing process.
Remember that for both PhD and STP positions they are effectively graduate training schemes. These are first steps in a career that will last a lifetime and so knowing where you want to go on that journey is important to both know and to communicate to your recruiters.
DON’T hide the things that could make you stand out. Think about what your USP is and make sure it is clear and easy to find. The person trawling through these applications is unlikely to have the time to read every line you write and so make sure you grip them in the first couple of paragraphs so that they will keep on reading.
Make It Easy
This year for the STP programme there are over 6000 applications to shortlist. I have had to go through over 150 applications for PhD programmes before now. I would like to say that I always have the time to give each application the time it is due, but the honest truth is that I am trying to make this work on top of a very busy clinical job. You’re application therefore needs to stand out and be really easy to process.
For NHS applications that means using the terminology used in the JD I am scoring you against, ideally using sub heading and bunching information together so I’m not searching for whether it is present in your personal statement. It also means that if it is key information I would include it in more than one section so I’m less likely to miss it.
For PhD applications it means being very explicit in your cover letter showing that you have: an interest in the topic, that you have researched linked to the work and why you want to undertake this specific PhD. It also means making the information in your CV related to the PhD proposal really easy to find. Don’t put down every technique in the world if only 25% of them are applicable to the topic you’re applying. List in detail the relevant ones and the group the rest and bring them up at interview if appropriate.
Put your USP up front and clear, put it a box, underline it, give it it’s own paragraph or sub-heading. Do something to make it easy to see when your application is being skim read.
DON’T send a 150 page CV containing every certificate you’ve ever achieved. I will just toss it on the no pile without reading it.
I want to wish everyone the best of luck in the posts you’re applying for now and in the future. Remember every job is different and you will obviously want to tailor some of these tips to whatever you are going for but my top tips are:
Personalise the application
Say who you are and why this is the post for you
Read the application notes carefully so you give the short listers what they are after
Make it easy for whoever is looking at what you submit by using techniques such as sub-heading so the information is easy to find
Become familiar with the people and organisations you are applying to so you can tailor what you are writing
All opinions on this blog are my own
If you would like more tips and advice linked to your PhD journey then the first every Girlymicrobiologist book is here to help!
This book goes beyond the typical academic handbook, acknowledging the unique challenges and triumphs faced by PhD students and offering relatable, real-world advice to help you:
Master the art of effective research and time management to stay organized and on track.
Build a supportive network of peers, mentors, and supervisors to overcome challenges and foster collaboration.
Maintain a healthy work-life balance by prioritizing self-care and avoiding burnout.
Embrace the unexpected and view setbacks as opportunities for growth and innovation.
Navigate the complexities of academia with confidence and build a strong professional network
This book starts at the very beginning, with why you might want to do a PhD, how you might decide what route to PhD is right for you, and what a successful application might look like.
It then takes you through your PhD journey, year by year, with tips about how to approach and succeed during significant moments, such as attending your first conference, or writing your first academic paper.
Finally, you will discover what other skills you need to develop during your PhD to give you the best route to success after your viva. All of this supported by links to activities on The Girlymicrobiologist blog, to help you with practical exercises in order to apply what you have learned.
Healthcarescienceweekis an annual celebration to raise awareness of the many careers inhealthcarescience. It provideshealthcarescienceprofessionals with an opportunity to promote their profession and inspire the scientific workforce of the future.
More than that however, it provides us with the opportunity to talk about what we do or issues that matter to us with members of the public, our friends, colleagues in other healthcare professions and our families.
This year Healthcare Science Week runs from March 6th until 14th March. The Healthcare Science Education team at GOSH and our collaborators Nicola Baldwin and Dr Steve Cross have three awesome events planned across the week, with something for all ages and backgrounds.
Welcome to Healthcare Science Week 2021! Depending on how I feel and how busy this week is I’m hoping to post a few times and to make up for not posting much recently as I’ve been unwell. Also, as I’ve been not well I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on the importance tea has in my life. My husband is a sweet heart who makes me many a cup and it is my place of comfort and salvation when the world gets too much. It is also a place of reflection and helps me do my best thinking. So this post is devoted to one of my favourite things in the world and something that helps me be the best scientist I can be…………..a lovely cup of tea. (NB for me this is ideally a cup of Darjeeling or Lady Grey served black. You can I am sure substitute it with your favourite, or blasphemy, even exchange it for coffee).
Tea and Planning
Most of science is not actually in the doing, most of the best of science is actually in the planning. If you get that right then everything else will follow. If not you can spend a lot of money getting a lot of data that is in fact not much good to anyone and definitely doesn’t answer the questions you were asking. When I was starting out, and sometimes even now when a deadline overwhelms me, I thought it was better to be doing. To be in lab getting ‘somewhere’. Needless to say I spent a lot of time getting ‘somewhere’ but that wasn’t where I needed to end up. Tea cannot be drunk in the lab. Sometimes making a cup of tea therefore is a really good way to break the cycle of doing and force yourself to have time to step back and plan. It is one of the reasons I have exceptionally large cups as they give me the time to get into the right headspace and adjust my thinking before I reach the end. It also helps that I drink my tea black so that it also has cooling time. By the time I’ve cooled and finished my mind is usually in the place it needs to be and I’m in planning mode not panicked doing mode.
Tea and Networking
I believe it is no secret to anyone that reads this blog that I appreciate a piece of tea and cake. This is partly because I like to host as it gives me a structured way to talk to other people. It is also because I believe that when we are sitting and eating/drinking with other people it removes hierarchy, especially if that can be done outside of the usually work environment.
This next but may shock you, but I HATE networking. I’m pretty good in 1:1 situations where I know the other person, but I’m rubbish at faces and I’m even worse at remembering prior conversations. It’s definitely not the fault of the person I’m speaking too, it’s just my memory doesn’t work that way. My memory is super context specific. I therefore find the horror of speaking to people who know who I am, who I have spoken to before and me not remembering, one that I regularly encounter. I also hate networking as I actually have no small talk. I spend a LOT of my time working and my geeky hobbies are not ones that many people will engage with on first meeting and so I struggle. It’s one of the reasons I started on Twitter almost 20 years ago. Twitter meet ups at conference meant I had already done the small talk and we already had shared context and so I didn’t have that panic inducing moment where I tried to find something sensible to stay (NB this is still a top tip of mine if you’re starting out going to meetings).
Tea makes me relax. At conferences I can always talk about the food and the tea. It also means that I worry less if I’m talking to a Noble prize winner or someone of international renown. They need to eat and drink just like I do. Also, if you find someone hanging around the tea area with no one to talk to they are probably in the same boat as you and will be super relieved that you are the one that made the conversation opener so that they didn’t have to.
Tea and Sympathy
For all you amazing young scientists starting out please don’t take this one too much to heart, but use it a short cut to help your mental well being. Science is 80% failure. You will fail at grants, you will fail when you submit papers, you will have bad supervisor meetings and elevator pitches and most of all you will have failed experiments. Sometimes in the case of lab work these failures can go on for months or years and be super costly, both in terms of money but also in terms of your mental health. What you need to know now is that this is normal. The most amazing scientists you meet will have sat there in a puddle of tears with mountains of self doubts and fear that nothing would ever succeed again. No one ever sat me down and told me this. For a long time I felt I was alone in the failure. Then over time my colleagues became friends and we finely got to the point where we could voice our fears and disappointments. Only then did I realise that I wasn’t alone. That these failures were crucial points where I learnt and developed and that instead of fearing them I should embrace them.
So my advice now, for all those I supervise and support, is to spend time early developing a few key relationships. Then when you are experiencing the failures you too can have someone who will listen and tell you that it’s normal and support your mental wellbeing as well as helping you get back on track. You will also learn from being the person who supports others when it’s your time to pull out the tea, biscuits and box of tissues.
Tea and Reflection
Moving on from tea with others I wanted to reinforce the importance of tea with yourself. This touches on the Tea and Planning section above but is wider than that. As scientists with are often process driven and tend to be rather task orientated. That means we are great at getting things done but poor at working out why we are doing them. Working as a scientist these days is super complex. Not only are you dealing with regular failure, but you are dealing with complex political environments and career pathways that are anything but clear. When we fail to give ourselves time to reflect and check in with ourselves we can end up going down rabbit holes that don’t get us where we want to go. It also means that our relationships suffer. As you gain students, direct reports and more leadership responsibility it it really important to think about why certain conversations went the way they did. To reflect on things like your leadership style and which situations it’s working in and which it isn’t. As trainees it’s worth taking time to think about why you didn’t get the supervision support you were looking for, did you pick a bad time, did you not manage to articulate what was needed etc. Only by working on ourselves can we really move forward, and this is the one thing we often don’t take the time to consciously do.
Tea and a Pep Talk
So you might say to me ‘what is the different between tea and a pep talk and tea and sympathy’. I would respond that they are actually very different things and both have their place. Tea and sympathy isn’t about trying to ‘fix’ things, it’s about centering yourself when things are going wrong and not feeling along. Tea and a pep talk is more like a coaching experience, It’s about someone giving you constructive support to help you navigate a challenge. It requires a bit of work from both parties in order to try and progress the issue and although it should also enable you to come out feeling better, it should also enable you to come out with a plan of action. You may not be needing a pep talk because you’re upset but because you have a barrier to traverse, a conversation to have, or a direct to pick. You may also want your pep talk to be from someone different to your tea and sympathy as it may be that you want to access knowledge or experience. It is often a conversation that is not so reliant on trust as your tea and sympathy chat may be and you will want to bear that in mind when picking who to have these conversations with. Having tea in these conversations often means you can change their location to outside the working environment (if needed) but also set them up to not be rushed and have the time needed to reach the destination required.
Tea and The Late Night Session
I’d like to say that I have this work life balance thing cracked, but I suspect that my family, friends and colleagues would say that probably isn’t the case. Even if I has I think there is no way of getting around the fact that if you work in science there are going to be some late nights. Sometimes that’s because you are doing a growth curve that is going going to take you 20 hours, sometimes it’s because you have a full working day and then need to do some work for a dissertation and sometimes it’s because of some form of urgent need that means you need to start something for a patient at 6 when you were due to leave at 5.
I used to try and just push through these sessions. I used to think that finishing as early as possible was the best way to balance it with everything else. What I learnt is that when I pushed through I made mistakes. I learnt that for me even when pushing to get things done I need to schedule short ‘walk away’ periods where I could have a cup if tea and move in order to think, especially if I was at work beyond 8 o’clock. Otherwise I made silly mistakes, For the sake of transparency sometimes these wake up ‘walk away’ sessions involved me dancing across the lab with tubes in hand to Lady Gaga, but mostly they involved a cup of tea and ideally a biscuit as I wouldn’t have eaten. My practice is to give myself a 5 minute break to make the tea, go back and do another 20 minutes whilst it cools and then to have a 15 minute zen moment whilst I drink it. I’m sure you will have your own method, but developing one with save you errors and stop you having to repeat these late night efforts.
Now, with this written I’m off to have a cup of tea. Remember my top tea related tips:
Find your tea and sympathy peer
Take time to reflect
Planning will save you time
Know how to push yourself and strategies to avoid mistakes
Don’t be afraid of networking but think how to make it work for you
All opinions on this blog are my own
If you would like more tips and advice linked to your PhD journey then the first every Girlymicrobiologist book is here to help!
This book goes beyond the typical academic handbook, acknowledging the unique challenges and triumphs faced by PhD students and offering relatable, real-world advice to help you:
Master the art of effective research and time management to stay organized and on track.
Build a supportive network of peers, mentors, and supervisors to overcome challenges and foster collaboration.
Maintain a healthy work-life balance by prioritizing self-care and avoiding burnout.
Embrace the unexpected and view setbacks as opportunities for growth and innovation.
Navigate the complexities of academia with confidence and build a strong professional network
This book starts at the very beginning, with why you might want to do a PhD, how you might decide what route to PhD is right for you, and what a successful application might look like.
It then takes you through your PhD journey, year by year, with tips about how to approach and succeed during significant moments, such as attending your first conference, or writing your first academic paper.
Finally, you will discover what other skills you need to develop during your PhD to give you the best route to success after your viva. All of this supported by links to activities on The Girlymicrobiologist blog, to help you with practical exercises in order to apply what you have learned.
Healthcarescienceweek is an annual celebration to raise awareness of the many careers in healthcarescience. It provides healthcarescience professionals with an opportunity to promote their profession and inspire the scientific workforce of the future.
More than that however, it provides us with the opportunity to talk about what we do or issues that matter to us with members of the public, our friends, colleagues in other healthcare professions and our families.
This year Healthcare Science Week runs from March 6th until 14th March. The Healthcare Science Education team at GOSH and our collaborators Nicola Baldwin and Dr Steve Cross have three awesome events planned across the week, with something for all ages and backgrounds.
The Pub-Less Healthcare Science Pub Quiz! Join professional silly science person Steve Cross for a special quiz full of jokes and nonsense, just for the Healthcare Science community.
The questions will be fun but relevant, the special tasks will be ridiculous but possible, the marking will be loose but decisive and the prizes will be exciting but unspectacular.
As part of Healthcare Science Week 2021, this is an event to give healthcare scientists a chance to have a night of fun and relax.
Reading of SOCK the Puppet Play & Public Engagement Panel (Thursday 11th March – 18:00 – 19:30)
We invite children, families, Healthcare Scientists and creatives to celebrate Healthcare Science Week 2021 with our story of Sock, narrated live on zoom by Stephanie Houtman (Peppa Pig Live), directed by Saskia Marland with special appearances by Sock.
Followed by a Healthcare Science Week Q&A about Sockโs story, the opportunities and challenges of science-arts collaboration, and why public engagement matters in 2021 โ with Nicola Baldwin (writer), Stephanie Houtman (actor), Saskia Marland (director), Abi Bown (maker) and Healthcare Scientists Vicki Heath and Dr Elaine Cloutman-Green BEM, Lead Clinical Scientist at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Full Reading of SOCK the Puppet Play (Friday 12th March – 11:00 – 12:00)
Meet Sock, the puppet. Sock is excited to go and sing for the children in Hospital with Ms Clown. Sock loves the Hospital. It is always clean and tidy.
The children love Sockโs singing. All the children hug Sock.
When Sock catches all the bugs that make the children poorly, Sock has an adventure to the cleanest, tidiest place in the whole Hospital: The Laboratory.
Can you help Sock find a way back to Ms Clown and the children?
Join us to celebrate Healthcare Science Week 2021 with the story of Sock, narrated live on zoom by Stephanie Houtman (Peppa Pig Live), directed by Saskia Marland with special appearances by Sock.
After you book tickets, you will receive a worksheet to make your own Sock at home, designed by artist and maker Abi Bown.
Created by the team behind Nosocomial and Remember, Remember! – playwright Nicola Baldwin, and Healthcare Scientists Vicki Heath and Dr Elaine Cloutman-Green BEM, of Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Sock The Puppet will subsequently be available as a podcast.
I think that it’s only natural during a stressful time like a pandemic that we feel the need to reflect and re-evaluate the direction of our lives and careers. For me this has been very much about the next stage of my career and how or when I should take the leap to trying to secure a consultant grade post.
For those of you who are less familiar with Healthcare Science career paths, when I joined in 2004 I was told I was on an 9 – 11 year pathway to Consultant grade (equivalent to my medical colleagues). In reality that pathway is anything other than transparent or straight forward.
The stages were due to be:
Train for three years and complete Clinical Scientist training
Take MRCPath part 1 in medical microbiology and, after 4th anniversary, gain Health and Care Professionals Council registration
Spend five years doing a part time PhD whilst in clinical service to become research accredited
Years 9-11 take FRCPath in medical microbiology and become clinically qualified, equivalent to medical colleagues
Get consultant post
Sounds Straightforward. Right?
For the main part, the pathway for me worked out OK. Mostly because I was awarded fellowship money from the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), which brought me out time to do both FRCPath by exam and attain a PhD. I completed my PhD and passed FRCPath in 2015,11 years after starting my training.
Five Years Later and I Don’t Have a Consultant Post. Why is that?
Partly, it’s not that simple. Consultant Clinical Scientist posts are just not that common. It’s also because from 2016 – 2019 I was undertaking another fellowship from the NIHR, a Clinical Lectureship, and so was continuing my training as I didn’t feel ready. Since finishing that I’ve been somewhat held up by a global pandemic but also, and I’m being honest here, by deciding what the right step forward was for me.
What Does Success Mean to Me?
When we talk about pathways it always appears clear-cut: after a certain number of years of service and training we should step up. Success is about getting acknowledged at the right banding and in the right job. In the last couple of years I’ve been forced to realise that it’s so much more complicated than that. Our professional careers do not live in isolation outside of our lives. For me I’ve been forced to realise that I’m not Superwoman. I have some physical health issues that mean, these days, I can only push myself so hard without paying the consequences. When I was doing (simultaneously) a PGCert, PhD and FRCPath I didn’t have a weekend off in three years. I developed alopecia and lost sections of hair and exacerbated my autoimmune condition. I’ve been made to realise that I clearly cannot keep up that pace. There are also costs I’m no longer willing to pay in terms of my family life. My husband and family have put up with missed birthdays, anniversaries and just being absent. My husband has taken the majority of the load in keeping our lives together and, at some point, I have to take back my share of the load. My sister and niece also died during this time and reminded me how short the time we have with people is. I suppose my point is that I realised I didn’t want a consultant post ‘at any cost’. It had to be the right consultant post, one that I could balance with my family and health commitments and also one that was professionally satisfying.
By the time I felt that I was psychologically ready to take up a consultant post I became increasingly aware that, although the situation was changing, it really wasn’t like they were sitting around waiting for me, at least in the areas that I could currently make work with all the considerations I talked about above. Once you have defined what your version of success looks like, you then have to go about starting to fight to make it happen. I’ve been pretty lucky in terms of having advocates and mentors to support me, but it has been a deliberate effort to go and find both. There’s no getting around the fact that even when you’ve decided what your end point looks like you won’t be able to get there on your own. That said, no one else can make it happen for you. You need to drive the process and seize upon the opportunities presented to you. Sometimes that means sticking to your boundaries and making a space for yourself at the table that works for you. As women we often feel uncomfortable negotiating and setting expectations, but if you want to achieve your version of success there’s no way of getting around the fact that you will have to be prepared to lead and embody the senior position you wish to attain.
So I’ve decided I’m ready now, ready to go, ready to take the leap from where I am now to a consultant post. Now I just need to find the one that is right for me. I’m working on it, but only time will tell if I will succeed. Even thinking about taking that next step makes me feel fear. It makes me question whether I am good enough. Whether people will respect me. Whether I will succeed as a scientist in the world of medics. You know what? That doesn’t matter. I feel the fear, I acknowledge it, and then when my moment comes I intend to do it anyway!
So, if you too are reflecting on next steps, be that because of the pandemic or for other reasons, my thoughts are these: don’t let others peoples definition of success define yours, spend time working out what your success criteria look like, but once you know what they are don’t let fear stop you. Find the people who will help lift you up and rationalise that fear. Look over that cliff edge and jump.
Having posted about some of the struggles earlier this month, and with another couple of weeks on clinical cover looming, I wanted to talk about why I love the job I do, and how it is so much more than most people realise.
On my first week in Infection Prevention and Control, I received a call and was asked to make a risk assessment about bringing in a Komodo Dragon in from London Zoo as it needed an MRI. It was at that point I knew that this was the job for me. I loved it then and, even in a pandemic, I love it now.
That brings me onto the first reason that I love it:
You Never Know What You’re Going To Get!
Those of you who have read the other articles on this blog know that patience is not one of my virtues. I thrive on, and really enjoy, variety and situations that force me to think creatively around challenges.
No two days in infection control are the same. In fact, it sometimes seems like no two hours in infection control are. I think that’s why I’ve found SARS CoV2 difficult: although there is responsiveness to the ever-changing guidance, the core of it is very much the same.
In infection control, one moment I will be speaking to a family and talking them through what an antibiotic resistant organism may mean for them. The next I will be talking to the wonderful scientists in the lab, discussing how we can improve typing to identify outbreaks and cross transmission faster. I’ll then move straight from that to a decontamination committee, where we will talk about how we need to manage surgical instruments to control prion (BSE) risk.
This was something I had no idea about when I started. I thought, like many people, it was mostly about hand washing. Instead I have responsibility for any staff, patients and visitors in the Trust. I don’t just cover hand hygiene and line care but I also cover laundry, pest control and things like antimicrobial stewardship programmes.
I love the creativity required to apply scientific and clinical knowledge to an ever-changing set of questions and the challenges that are created. It can be many things, but life in infection prevention and control is never dull.
Image from GOSH IPC presentation
It’s All About Teamwork
I sit in a multidisciplinary team that consists of medical and nursing staff, in a department filled with the most inspiring Healthcare Scientists. On a daily basis I will work with healthcare professionals across backgrounds, as well as academics and families. I’ve always been a people person (I think), that is what initially put me off a ‘standard’ laboratory science career: I thought I would be confined to the lab and feel quite isolated. The reality of this job could not be further from that.
I am, by instinct, most at home when collaborating. At its core, that’s what infection prevention and control is: a collaboration. One small team sitting centrally in the Trust cannot act as command and control for over 3000 staff and over 300 beds. In order to succeed we need to collaborate, co-create and allow those we are working with to have ownership of the best solutions for their setting, their patients, their workforce.
We are all very different people within the team, coming from different professional backgrounds. We also approach problems and challenges from different directions. The great thing about being in a team that is made up like this is that differences of opinion and constructive challenges lead to solutions that no single one of us could have come up with on our own.
I also find that having an academic, IPC and Healthcare Science Education team means that there is always space to go and be revitalised – both in terms of energy, but also creative thinking when things get too much. Again these different environments can give you a different lens by which to view a problem, and a different group of people to bounce ideas around.
I Get to Use All the Skills I’ve Picked Up Along the Way
I’ve definitely had a meandering path to where I ended up in terms of the science I’ve studied and the topics I’ve really enjoyed. One of the marvellous things about where I have ended up in terms of IPC is that none of that time was wasted. The studying of colloidal science, as part of my physics MRes, has been incredibly helpful in terms of some of the decontamination and surface modification decisions that I’ve needed to face. Similarly, the applied biofilms work I undertook, as part of my thesis, comes in useful all the time when tracking down environmental sources of outbreaks and understanding how cleaning agents may impact upon biofilm. Even my zoology knowledge has been useful in terms of some of the pest control decisions, as well as risk assessing animal visits and dealing with zoonotic infections.
I suppose my point is this: clinical environments are multidisciplinary and so I love the fact that IPC enables me to maintain that diversity of scientific knowledge and that it actively aids within my role.
Travel the World in Order to Share Ideas
Percy the hamster (who is officially our IPC mascot) and I have been lucky enough to travel the world in order to learn how to do what we do better, as well as share what we do. We’ve been on sabbatical to Boston Children’s Hospital for two months to become embedded in how they do things. We’ve been to academic conferences on three continents. On these trips, we never fail to meet people who will ask questions that trigger new ideas and new approaches. We also meet people and develop collaborations where we get to share what we have learnt from our practices, our decision making, and our mistakes in order to add to the shared learning within our profession. This is so important in order make progress for patients, in order to improve the quality of care we can give. It’s also why applying for research funding, so we can have these opportunities to meet and to transition what we learn into clinical practice, is so important. It is really where the science of IPC happens in order to make things better.
Finally, I get to do the most AWESOME stuff. Like the annual reindeer audit to check that it is safe for patients to meet Santa and his reindeer. We check that all the hand hygiene is set up and that the guidelines are there, but it also means that once a year I get to feed a reindeer some carrots. That right there makes any bad days worth it!
Do you know what everyone in space is scared of? Itโs not lasers (weโve got shields) or fire (weโll just get a droid to put it out) or even fifth-dimensional beings (they can be defeated by being witty or saying their name backwards). No. Itโs torpedoes. Well, in Star Wars and Star Trek it is. I donโt know about Battlestar Galactus or Paddington 5 or Expansys or whatever it is that you like. I only know the classics.
Torpedoes come in two types. Star Wars has proton torpedoes (if you fire one into a sewer it ignites all the old poop and makes it destroy the whole base) and Star Trek has photon torpedoes (these are often fired as a โfull spreadโ which implies there are roasties, Yorkshire puddings and possibly pigs in blankets on the side).
But how scary are they?
Science can tell us.
A proton, as anyone who listened for 5 seconds in GCSE science knows, is a hydrogen ion. Basic boring old hydrogen is a single proton with a single electron floating around it. Take the electron away and youโve got protons. Do you know whatโs really rich in protons? Acid. Even a really weak acid has trillions* of spare protons in it.
Canonically we donโt know whether Star Wars torpedoes have a warhead of lemon juice, vinegar or possibly even Viakal. Sadly there are no scenes of brave flight technicians precisely measuring teaspoonfuls of Diet Coke into primed torpedoes. What we do know is that the torpedoes would definitely get the limescale off their targets with their rich proton loads. Star Destroyers probably shine like chrome after a good old space battle.
We can only speculate about how the first Death Star was destroyed. Did it have a core made of millions of tons of sodium, just waiting to recreate the most exciting moment of A-Level chemistry but at grand scale? Only Darth Vader knows. And he canโt tell us because he isnโt real.
Over in the Star Trek universe weโre all wearing our uniforms that are apparently solely designed to make cosplaying unsexy, and weโve tried shooting the enemies with phasers (the first time I used the guitar pedal of the same name I was sorely disappointed). It didnโt work. It usually doesnโt. Phasers only exist to provide a moment of tension by not working. So itโs time to up the stakes. We will unleash the fearsome photon torpedoes!
In tedious-science-explanation land, a photon is the smallest possible unit of electromagnetic energy. It is the basic unit of light. Photons move pretty fast, in fact they move at the speed of light. Thatโs why itโs called that. Physicists are pretty literal. Thatโs how they came up with units like โLight-year (ly)fโ and โEarth mass (Mโ)โ.
Itโs easy to blast your enemy with literally trillions* of photons; Just point a torch at them. Is this the payload of the fearsome photon torpedo? We know theyโre big enough to fit a dead Vulcan in, ears and all (from the second movie) so they could hold some serious lighting. โPriming photon torpedoesโ presumably means turning on all of the torches in each one by hand. Although, if all those torches had poorly-made lithium batteries and it got a bit warm, the photon torpedo might make a perfect incendiary bomb.
Is anyone else not scared? Iโm not scared.
*It might be more. I refuse to do the maths.
APPENDIX
A dismissal of the other forms of Star Trek torpedo, most of which only appear in one episode of Voyager when the writers were desperate because, against all the odds, Deep Space Nine was eating their lunch. It turns out we just wanted to see someone drink silently at a bar while Worf seduced every female character on a space station. Who knew?
fusion torpedo – This is what is known in normal human history as a thermonuclear or H Bomb. This is scary shit. It was also invented in the 1950s which suggests other cultures should have come up with a way of blocking it by now.
photonic torpedo – A more-sciencey-sounding version of a photon torpedo, presumably.
plasma torpedo – Iโm assuming this is full of ionised superheated gas, not human blood with the cells removed. Iโm not sure how scary that would be to anyone except a vegetarian. Less threatening than a fusion torpedo either way.
quantum torpedo – the smallest possible unit of torpedo
spatial torpedo – a torpedo that is used in outer space? Or that occupies some physical space? It doesnโt seem that scary. Or well named.
transphasic torpedo – Iโm not sure why anyone would want to add phasers (which donโt work, ever) to a torpedo?
gravimetric torpedo – Uh oh look out this torpedo has mass!
NB from Girlymicro. If you’d like to submit a guest book review or guest blog drop me a line on the links on the right of the page
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