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The University of Southampton
Health SciencesPostgraduate study

Clare Ryan MRes Clinical And Health Research

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Having worked as a clinical specialist in the NHS for some time, I wanted to be inspired, grow professionally and to enable meaningful change that would improve patient experiences and outcomes of care

What was your reason for studying an MRes Clinical and Health Research course?

Having worked as a clinical specialist in the NHS for some time, I wanted to be inspired, grow professionally and to enable meaningful change that would improve patient experiences and outcomes of care. The MRes provided the opportunity to step onto a clinical academic pathway and steer my career in this direction.

Why did you choose to come and study at the University of Southampton?

I chose to study at the faculty of Health sciences at Southampton, because it has an excellent reputation for research, and offered National Institute of Health Research(NIHR) funded MRes places. Also, when I approached the faculty, I was encouraged by how enthusiastic staff were about their own research, and the support offered as I worked up my application and research proposal. 

Completing the MRes part time allowed me to immerse myself in a research study that particularly interested me, involved patients and was important to practice. Having two years meant I could satisfy the requirements of NHS ethics and recruit enough patients to my study to get useful results.   

What has stood out for you during your time at Southampton?

The highlights of my time at the University have been working with a great cohort of likeminded peers, the robust feedback (honestly!) and the fantastic support received from my dissertation supervisor. This course has given me the confidence to be more proactive in finding opportunities to make change happen. I have also learnt to be (almost) organised and to manage my time better!  

What have you enjoyed most about your course?

I particularly enjoyed my dissertation research, exploring how patients experience investigations for sciatica. This project brought together my clinical and academic roles to explore a real issue in clinical practice; work out what the findings meant for patient care; and to implement them.

How did your course at Southampton prepare you for your future career?

Completing the MRes has provided me with the skills and confidence to lead and support change in service improvement. The opportunity to learn from world class researchers has been inspirational and I am now keen to progress onto the next academic stage.

What advice would you give to a student starting their Master’s degree at Southampton?

If I was starting the course again I would spend time, early in the programme, working out how to better critically appraise literature and present a well-developed written argument. It took me a while to be able do this! 

Tell us about the next steps in your career and your current role?

Since completing the course, as well as continuing in my clinical role, I have had the opportunity to co-lead a quality improvement project and work as a clinical effectiveness lead. Also, early this year, I was fortunate to gain a transition award from Health Education England (Wessex), this has allowed me to  'buy out' clinical time to disseminate my research findings, complete further research skills training and scope my PhD research question.

Looking forwards, I will further develop my role as a leader of service improvement and evidence based practice.

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