Peter W.
About me
| Peter W. | |
| Health Economics | |
| Health Economics | |
| Research Postgraduate | |
| Goodricke | |
| 1971 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Semi-Retired Health Economist | |
| Self Employed | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Healthcare |
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A day in the life of a Semi-Retired Health Economist in the United Kingdom
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
Now mainly retired but currently actively researching aspects of Covid 19. Since 2010 I have been self-employed and continued to work on a wide range of public and private sector studies: health services, new medicines.
What do you do?
I continue to take an active interest in health economics and health services research. I am currently analysing the early data on Covid 19 in the UK, in a personal capacity, to assess the extent of the effectiveness of a policy focus on access to ventilation in ICU.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
Honestly? I was getting married in 1972 and a job came up in York in Health Economics, then a new research area. But I stayed because it is a truly fascinating area of applied economics. I left fulltime economics teaching because of the growing focus on abstract, mathematical theory, to concentrate on research. I spend my career in academic organisations but also in consulting, finishing my full time career at York Health Economics Consortium, a York spinout company on the campus. I was the Director from 2000 to 2005.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
I have travelled all over the world thanks to health economics. The biggest difference today is the speed with which we can access and manipulate data. I learned statistics and econometrics on a hand-cranked calculator in the late 1960s and I carried around three big boxes of punched cards for my research project in the early 1970s. So much data, it could only be looked at overnight by a friendly computer in Leeds!
Describe your most memorable day at work
Probably presenting my findings to a small research team on an island in the Philippines, and taking the team for lunch afterwards in a harbourside restaurant on stilts. Although the project was not shown to be cost-effective, I was able to show that the biggest single problem was the small sample size, so less economics than I had expected in the project. What it highlighted to me most was the importance of presenting your findings directly to the people who are involved whenever possible. Analysis should be public and up-front.
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
The biggest challenge in health economics used to be that many felt you were acting unethically in balancing costs and health gains. Those days have largely disappeared among health professionals, most of whom recognise that they make rationing decisions all the time and that you are presenting the choices we face, not making them. But I think the public is a long way from accepting the trade-offs. There are doubtless people who would like to continue the current Covid-19 lockdown until the last case has recovered or died, regardless of the economic damage. My view is that this would be unaffordable but I am not making the decisions, just trying to lay them out.
What’s your work environment and culture like?
Well, its a bit lonely but one of the cat's can be relied on to come in and claw my chair now and again! This is because when I work, I work from home. We are all going to have to get used to it. I really miss the informal chat over coffee with a range of people, not the close friends but the wider colleagues who are good to know but not on my phoning up list. They say that it is important to have a routine in home working but I am afraid I have a different approach. I get stuck into what is interesting me and can spend minutes or sometimes many hours into the night in a blitz. Working from home, you must find your own way but don't suffer. If it's not working for you right now, do something else for a while but make sure you hit that deadline. Maybe try a Belbin profile to find out what kind of person you are at work and then look at the strengths and weaknesses of your style. try to improve on your weaknesses, say check everything thoroughly even if you are not a Completer/Finisher.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
Socialising but outside the bar - not enough money for alcohol. Not sure about the skills bit. I think I learnt more of the soft skills in life from having a family in my 20s.
What would you like to do next with your career?
I continue to look for research and other work. I am on the Board of a Hospice and would be interested in similar roles. But I also like paid work, not because of the money but because payment establishes a relationship with your client and makes them pay more attention. There is a danger that free work just drifts. Also, my time is valuable so while I am always happy to work for free for a charity or an interesting cause, I expect to get paid in places where others are getting paid. This would be my advice to anyone considering an internship. Be very clear on what you are getting out of it and from whom or from what experiences. Get that in writing in the first week or two. Do not commit to a long time period as an intern. Even if you are not being paid, stand up for yourself. I have a great story of a female trainee I met who was being mocked for her figure. The second time it happened she made a very rude and personal remark about the man mocking her. It didn't happen again!
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
Try to find out as much as you can before the interview. This is much easier now with access to internet information. Show interest before if that is allowed, lots of private sector recruitment still probably works on things beyond the crucial interview. Be prepared for some jobs not to work out as you expected. Don't leave in a huff, talk to the people who hired you as you will be a potentially valuable asset and some will want to make you happier. If the fit is not right, be prepared to move on but take your time and make a plan. Learn and decide what you want from the next job. Beware of intern jobs. There is a danger that free work just drifts. My time is valuable so while I am always happy to work for free for a charity or an interesting cause, I expect to get paid in places where others are getting paid. This would be my advice to anyone considering an internship. Be very clear on what you are getting out of it and from whom or from what experiences. Get that in writing in the first week or two. Do not commit to a long time period as an intern. Even if you are not being paid, stand up for yourself. Don't become a tea maker unless that is something you really enjoy doing for a group (Belbin Team Worker). One last rule. When you get offered a job, toss a coin. Heads for take it, tails for turn it down. The second the coin lands and you look at it, check how you feel. It has to be right then, are you pleased or disappointed, gut feeling, no mulling it over. You will find it a great guide.
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
Working as a health economist, working from home, finding jobs and getting jobs, how to work in a team.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
Life is going to be tough for new graduates in the next 2 years. Look for all the help you can find, it will not always be helpful, it will not always provide one way forward but seek it out, even if it is painful (You don't want to do that...) and then think it over and make your decisions.
Next steps...
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