Helen Howells Msc Allergy, 2018

GP

My eldest child experiences food allergies and even though I am a GP, I became aware that my own knowledge in the area was quite poor. I wanted to improve this, not only for the sake of my son but also for my patients.

The course itself is fantastic – the content is great and is delivered by staff who are extremely enthusiastic, you cannot help but feel their love of the subject and from that, your own passion for it develops.

As a GP being consulted about potential allergies and atopy is a common occurrence and the post graduate training we receive in this area is limited. So, when an opportunity came up to receive some funding to help with the MSc degree, I jumped at the chance of learning more about the subject.

I previously completed my medical degree at the University of Southampton, graduating in 2005, so I knew that it was a great place to study with a high level of teaching. The MSc Allergy was highly recommended by my colleagues and was a flexible course, so I decided to re-enroll and I have not been disappointed.

The course itself is fantastic – the content is great and is delivered by staff who are extremely enthusiastic, you cannot help but feel their love of the subject and from that, your own passion for it develops. There were students from many different health disciplines and from all over the world, which meant that there was a fun, interesting and unique atmosphere in the classroom and I loved the interactions and sharing of experiences.

The course has really enhanced by career and helped show me how passionate I am about allergy. It has allowed me to develop a specialist interest as a GP and work within this area. Part way through my study I started working with the paediatric allergy team at the University. Through that collaboration, I now hold a regular position within the team as a GP with a specialist interest in allergy. This experience has led me to become Chair of the primary care section of the British Society of Allergy and my role as a GP alongside the MSc has put me in good stead with this opportunity. I also spend a lot of time teaching GPs around the country and improving their allergy knowledge, which is very rewarding. I would like to increase the amount of time spent working in paediatric allergy and continue to improve allergy education for GPs. One day I would like to see that the baseline knowledge of allergy for GPs is much higher.

I would certainly encourage students to consider Medicine at the University of Southampton at both an undergraduate and postgraduate level. As a medical student years ago, I thoroughly enjoyed my time. I found that the course offered the right balance of clinical experience, theory, work and play. My experience as a MSc student has been even better and the allergy degree is - in my opinion, the best in the country.