In July I was asked, as an alumna of Lucy Cavendish College Cambridge, to participate in the first ever “Widening Participation Careers Event” for Year 12 students (16-18 year olds). The event was designed to raise the aspirations of students from different backgrounds in relation to both their degree and careers choices. The aim was to demonstrate how a Cambridge degree and the path to a chosen career may very well not be as linear as they thought. The College, was keen for me to participate in the Zoom conference. I accepted so I could highlight the importance of research, particularly in the field of rheumatology and to focus on the centrality of the contribution of Charities in developing new knowledge.
In my case, I qualified as a radiographer, then worked in research, went on to do a degree in social and political sciences, took up and developed the role of rheumatology practitioner, and latterly, in January 2021 launched into the new Clinical Research Practitioner role within the Rheumatology Research Unit at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Cambridge Arthritis Research Endeavour (CARE).
At the heart of my career choices has been my desire to support patients, particularly those with rheumatic disease as I have lived with RA myself from the age of 21.
I highlighted the diversity of roles within the health setting. I paid particular attention to the importance of research and the role of the charity sector. CARE did, of course, get a special mention. I am pleased to say, the decision to join the CARE team, even in these uncertain times, has been as rewarding as I hoped it would and I look forward to developing my role in the future. The conference went very well and the feedback from the College was very good. We should not miss the opportunity to spread the word about the good work that we are doing.
