Diddle Diddle dumpling, my son John!
Hi everyone, I’m currently on a work placement over the summer working with IBHER (Institute of Biomedical Health and Environmental Research) within University of the West of Scotland laboratories. This entails me volunteering basically, to gain much needed experience. For which I am very grateful, mainly because every job I see advertised states “2 years post qualification experience”. Have you seen this? I understand completely as a mature student, and one whom has taken a career change, that you simply cannot allow a new graduate to enter labs and start playing ‘The scientist’, but within my degree there was limited accessibility to placements. Hence, when the sun is shining, and you kids are all playing with hoses and paddling pools whilst I am in the labs! Violins please – at the ready.
I write this blog with some dismay also, because as you may know, I wanted to study Biomedical Science to allow me to gain access to labs involved with Diabetes Research – possibly to gain a job as a research assitant/technician. However, my summer placement involves working with murine and human models of OA (osteoarthritis) and characterisation of the cellular infiltates in synovium. This involves IHC techniques, and microtomy. Both of which, I am enjoying learning but I still have my heart and passion set on Diabetes research. Does this sound petulant? I hope not, because I sincerely am grateful for this opportunity but I just fear it may create some unwanted distance from my goals. In one hand, we are encouraged to think of our goals – or aspirations, but on the otherhand we need to balance reality and what fits in with our own personal circumstances. The balance which we all live with in society.
Also, sometimes I have doubts about completing honours year due to the continued need for post qualification certification and the fact that nowhere has the time to allow this to happen in the NHS at the moment. I know of two friends who studied Bsc Hons in Biomedical Science and now work as Band 3 lab assistants – a job which is advertised as “no formal qualifications are necessary”. So, what to do? honours year or not? that is the debate. Meanwhile, my family are enjoying summer on our limited budget – and beans are a staple diet right? HashtagNotInItForTheMoney
On a more personal note, I have been volunteering as team leader for Diabetes Uk Big Collection Weekend again and helped to raise over £12M for the charity with all the wonderful volunteers up and down the country in Tesco stores. I am forever grateful to my friends for giving up their time to come and help my team, and I promise to continue my support for both JDRF and Diabetes Uk no matter what. John and some friends managed to show the Tesco staff their Insulin pumps, and got some amazing support from members of the public who were not aware of how serious Type 1 diabetes actually is to live with.
Diane Morrow - Parent, Postdoc researcher - Type 1 Diabetes and caring 