Anna R.
About me
| Anna R. | |
| Education | |
| Psychology in Education | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Alcuin | |
| 2016 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Research Coordinator | |
| Cicely Saunders Institute | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Science and research |
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A day in the life of a Research Coordinator in the United Kingdom
Although it is often an emotionally intense experience, the job is incredibly rewarding.
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
I work for the Cicely Saunders Institute which is a research institute focused on palliative care, health policy and rehabilitation. It is part of King's College London and King's College Hospital.
What do you do?
Most of my time is spent on the C-POS study which aims to develop a person-centred outcome measure for children and young people affected by life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. I am involved in data collection, conducting and analysing interviews with children, families and professionals, as well as overseeing the project budget and steering group meetings.
I also coordinate other studies at the Institute including ACCESSCare B and ACCESSCare C which explore the experiences of LGBT+ people facing serious illness, advanced illness and bereavement; PRISM: which is developing a pain relief intervention using self management for people living with HIV and the SCYP study: Supporting Children and Young People Pre-Bereavement.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
I first got involved in research during my undergraduate dissertation where I really enjoyed the data collection and writing up my research study investigating the outcomes of twins being in the same class at primary school. It was from this that I started looking into potential research careers which had patient facing roles.
After graduating from York I spent a year working and travelling before completing a MSc in Genes, Environment and Development in Psychology and Psychiatry at King's College London. During my MSc, I worked as a voluntary Research Assistant on a project at the Eating Disorders Unit at the Maudsley Hospital and after graduating took up my current role.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
I was always interested in a research career in either the health or education sector. More importantly, my main focus was being in a role that had lots of interaction with people.
Describe your most memorable day at work
My role largely involves going to families houses to speak with them (via a qualitative interview) about what matters to them as a family facing serious illness. Some of my most memorable days are interviews that have been conducted with children, some have drawn pictures to share their experiences which they have then given to me to keep!
Although it is often an emotionally intense experience, the job is incredibly rewarding and it is a real privilege to gain an insight into families personal experiences.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
During my time at York I was involved in the women's football and futsal teams which I absolutely loved. In my final year I was the welfare officer for UYWAFC which gave me an opportunity to meet people from other teams and make sport open for all to access!
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
I was incredibly nervous to be leaving York as I loved living there and loved the university bubble but I wished someone had told me how fun the next bit is too! My advice would definitely be to take the time to work out the kinds of things you might be interested in, gain experience in different areas and don't worry if you don't immediately get a job in a field you are hoping for. It's taking me over 2 years since graduating to figure out my main interests and this is all valuable experience!
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
Any!
Next steps...
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