Wow What A Week!

Well it has been a very busy couple of weeks and really quite stressful too, but all worth it.  Last week I visited another hospital to see some treatments that we don't do at my clinical placement site.  Heading to London on the train was a welcome break from my normal commute and I actually caught up on reading my favourite magazines.  A warm welcome greeted me when I arrived and it was really informative seeing how a different radiotherapy worked.  Taking time to organise elective placements was important to me and I still have a couple more in the next few weeks.  So if you are offered the chance for electives, take it, go somewhere that does something that you haven't seen, ask questions, be interested in other staffs and departments approaches to treatment.

This week has been even busier and really quite stressful.  My final assignment was due in on Friday and I had my first interview for a newly qualified radiographer job.  No pressure then! Also just to add to the mix, dissertation results were released on Thursday, just hours before my interview.  I managed to get the assignment done and dusted by Wednesday and finished off revising for my interview on my study day.  With shaking hands I nervously logged on to the uni website at 6am on Thursday to get my dissertation results......a 1+.....I had to look three times to be certain.  To be honest it still hasn't quite sunk in but I am absolutely thrilled, all the hard work paid off.  For months I had given up my weekends, reading journal articles, getting to grips with research methodologies, writing my dissertation.

Off I headed for interview, nervously entering my placement hospital, hoping that I could perform well enough to be offered a job.  I came away feeling it had gone well but not convinced I would get the job, having got in muddle about a planning technique!  Also having prepared for all sorts of scenario questions I was disappointed that the interview questions hadn't really covered these.  But there was no need to panic, I got the job.  I am so pleased to be joining the team at my placement hospital as a Band 5 radiographer, I am sure knowing the staff and how things are done within the department will be very beneficial as I start my new career.

So a busy week indeed! Whilst I can't guess my final degree classification I am closer to being awarded a first.  I never dreamed of that when I began this journey nearly three years ago.  Just five more weeks and I will know the outcome.

Good luck to all student radiographers heading off to interviews in the coming weeks and for results day.

Until next time, take care.
Zoe
xo

Dissertation, Dissertation, Dissertation

Yes it's that time of year when final year students give up all of the fun stuff to write their dissertations.  This year I am one of those students and every spare moment is taken up with thoughts about my dissertation, reading for it or actually writing it. Simple pleasures of baking, taking the children to the park, or spending time sewing, leave me feeling guilty because I know I should be working on my dissertation.  Since last summer the subject of my research has become my latest obsession.  Being a bit of a perfectionist I will not start writing anything until I know I have fully explored the topic, delving into textbooks and reading many, many journal articles. 

With only four weeks until hand in day and trying to write the discussion part of my extended proposal I am more than a little distracted.  There are some days I wonder if I should be actually driving, using the commute home from placement to consider various options for the trial I am creating.  How many arms,? What will the control arm involve? Will I use mixed methods? Does case study really fit for the qualitative part? These are some of the many questions spinning around my head right now. 

So alongside normal family life and being on clinical placement I will endeavor to complete my dissertation, especially as it is already helping to shape a future clinical study.  Nobody said retraining would be easy and the next four weeks are going to be the hardest, but thankfully I have a very understanding family, who know they will get me back very soon, no longer distracted by endless thoughts about my dissertation.  

And to all the other final year radiography and nursing students currently stuck down the dissertation rabbit hole, good luck.  We will be allowed out very soon, to see daylight again!

Until next time, take care.

Zoe

xo