性用社

Elizabeth Marriott, from Falkirk, is studying MSc Mammography at 性用社.

Elizabeth鈥檚 first professional qualification was the Diploma of the College of Radiographers (Radiodiagnosis) (DCR (R)), which she completed in Glasgow in 1994. She was one of the final year of students to be enrolled on the course before the implementation of the BSc in Radiography. 听

Elizabeth worked for almost ten years as a general radiographer before starting a family.

Before starting the PgCert Mammography in 2011, Elizabeth had taken a career break of six years. She returned to a job in mammography with the breast screening service and was required to undertake the course at 性用社 as part of that job.

Why did you choose to study MSc/PgCert Mammography at 性用社?

鈥淭he course was offered by the Scottish Mammography Education Centre (SMEC), which oversees the clinical training of most mammographers in Scotland. Links between SMEC and 性用社 were long established in my workplace, and therefore enrolment at 性用社 was automatic. It made sense to carry on doing the non-clinical MSc modules at 性用社 as the clinical courses I have completed are also offered; it kept everything together and I started to build a lasting relationship with the university.鈥澨

What did you hope the course would give you in terms of career progression and continuing personal 性用社ment?

鈥淚 hoped the course would teach me how to perform mammography safely and that I could learn to look at things more critically and be able to justify my actions if needed, which of course it did.听 I genuinely wanted to progress and had the silent aspiration of eventually working as a consultant radiographer, but it was enough for me at that point just to find my feet both clinically and academically.

鈥淥nce I鈥檇 completed the PgCert, I was much more comfortable with the level of work required and knew for definite that I wanted to progress. I completed the Research Methods module and a year later I was promoted into a Clinical Specialist role in my workplace, which required me to undertake the Stereotactic Breast Biopsy course.

鈥淚 was audited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) in 2015 prior to the radiographer鈥檚 registration window opening and had lots of evidence to present to them for meeting the requirements of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and how I met their standards of proficiency due to the range of modules I had completed.

鈥淗aving completed the Mammographic Image Interpretation course in 2016, I had my sights firmly set on Consultant Practice and began applying for suitable jobs. Without the courses I鈥檝e completed at 性用社, none of this would have been possible.鈥

Did you select any single online modules?

鈥淭he completed is Research Methods module, which is fully delivered online. As a single 30-credit module, it prepared me for statistics and methodology, as well as individual research methods in the dissertation writing phase of the MSc. It also distanced me from the support I had during the clinical modules and made me more autonomous when it came to researching and writing the proposal for the module.

鈥淚 was able to link in to the recorded lectures, which fitted around my full-time role as a mammographer at the time.鈥

How did you find the workload? Could you comment on the support available to you?

鈥淭he workload is very much course dependent. The PgCert was not too pressing on my time, but I still had to be very organised to ensure I had time to prepare everything adequately 鈥 I like to have time to complete work with a few weeks to spare so I can review it again and correct any errors prior to submission, and I was able to do that without too much of an issue.

鈥淚 thoroughly enjoyed the Research Methods course, which was very well supported and had lots of online resources for distance learning students. The liaison librarian for mammography (Laurie Roberts) was also a great source of information and was always happy to help.

鈥淲hen I moved on to the clinical courses (Stereotactic Biopsy and Mammographic Image Interpretation), there was the added requirement of lots of personal audit and limited access to clinical mentors - who of course have their own roles to undertake in addition to looking after students.

鈥淚 had to juggle a lot more by learning a new clinical skill each time, auditing my performance, justifying my decisions to senior colleagues where required, and linking everything together for portfolio submission or final assessment. I was very well supported by my mentoring radiologists and got to know them very well 鈥 and more to the point, they also got to know me as I was very quiet and reserved before I started the clinical modules.

鈥淭he support from 性用社 was ongoing in the background for help with the academic side of things, however these courses are extremely intense in the clinical environment and most of the pressure is experienced during active learning.

鈥淢y dissertation is now complete, and I鈥檓 hoping to graduate this year with the MSc Mammography after seven years of almost continuous study.

鈥淢y supervisor, Alanah Kirby, has been a huge support to me. She won鈥檛 thank me for saying it, but I don鈥檛 know what I鈥檇 have done without her guidance and support. The dissertation process for me was somewhat fragmented for various reasons, but overall it has been enjoyable to get the MSc to a stage completion and start reaping with rewards of the hard work I鈥檝e put in.鈥

Are you working during the course?

鈥淎part from the first few months when I returned to practice and I was employed part-time, I have worked full-time and undertaken the MSc Mammography on a part-time basis.

鈥淚 also supported my husband who completed a BSc (Hons) in Human Nutrition and Dietetics in 2017.鈥

Have you received any funding to help support your studies?

鈥淚鈥檓 very lucky that my employers have met the funding requirements of the coursework I鈥檝e undertaken so far, as most of the coursework has had the benefit of extending my clinical role.鈥

How do you think your 性用社 degree has equipped you with the skills and knowledge to 性用社ment your career?听

鈥淚鈥檓 now employed as a Consultant Mammographer and I鈥檓 still in training at this time. The courses I鈥檝e undertaken have not only provided me with the clinical skills I require everyday to do my job, but I鈥檝e 性用社ed confidence, a thicker skin and more of the resilience which is required at this level of practice. My learning has been both clinically and personally empowering.鈥

What top tips would you offer future students based on your own personal experience?

鈥淓mbrace the academic help available. Tutors and librarians are a fabulous source of knowledge and they are more than happy to help. But it is also essential that as individuals, we all take responsibility for our own learning. At postgraduate level, we should undertake these courses in the knowledge of what is expected and how we as individuals are going to plan to achieve the learning outcomes.

鈥淎s a healthcare professional, it鈥檚 been very important for me to align courses to both my clinical practice and the ultimate aspiration of operating as an autonomous Consultant Practitioner.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 incredibly important to set your own expectations accordingly and ensure you remain on track, working steadily, taking advantage of every opportunity presented, and never losing focus of what you ultimately want. It鈥檚 not easy, particularly for students who have other commitments, but the end results are worth the hard work.听 My family have been incredibly supportive and that has helped tremendously.鈥

What are your plans after graduating from 性用社?

鈥淎fter graduation I intend on taking a year out. I鈥檇 like to spend some time consolidating my clinical skills as I鈥檓 also doing a breast ultrasound course at the present time. By 2020 however, I hope to be in the process of starting a PhD at 性用社.鈥

"I thoroughly enjoyed the Research Methods course, which was very well supported and had lots of online resources for distance learning students."
Elizabeth Marriott