School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing

Where did you study (or train)?

I studied for a Biochemistry Degree at the University of Aberdeen and then went on to complete a PhD in Virology at the University of Glasgow, graduating in 1992. I decided to slightly change direction at his point in my career and went on to study for a PGCE (secondary) at the University of Strathclyde.

When did you join the University of Glasgow (and why / what were you doing before)?

I joined the University of Glasgow as a member of staff in 1996. I had been working as a secondary school teacher for three years when I spotted an advert for new teaching posts in the University to support the introduction of a completely new undergraduate medical curriculum.

Could you provide  detail on your career "trajectory" especially how you transitioned from one point to another?

After completing my PhD, I suspected that research wasn't a viable long term career option for me and so went into teaching, which I enjoyed. I was happy in my teaching position but myself and my husband had jobs in different cities and so I started to job hunt for a position in Glasgow. For the first few years, the contract was only renewed on an annual basis so it took some time before it was made permanent. Although I have been in essentially the same job for 20 years, the role has evolved and I have taken advantage of training opportunities to gain a Masters in Education and Senior Fellowship of the HEA as well as successfully applying for promotion.

What do you enjoy most in your current role?

I enjoy interacting with students. In particular I enjoy facilitating PBL groups at the very start of the course to help the students build their confidence in this style of learning.

How do you balance "work" and "life" now? in the past?

I only worked full-time for the first couple of years of my post. Since my 1st child was born in 1998 I have worked part-time going to 3 days then down to 2.5 days when my 2nd child was born and then back up to 3 when they were both in school. My husband and I had no family support close by and he had a full-time professional job so I ended having to take on the bulk of the childcare. I think I balanced it by being very strict about not mixing the two roles so I had "mum" days and "work" days which I tried to keep as separate as possible. Having some time off during the week also meant I could maintain a good support network outwith work. Over the years I have had the flexibility to change the pattern of my working days, originally to fit in with nursery and then working more short days to fit in with school.

Are you a member of a committee or working group within the school, the college, or the university?

Chair of the Medical School Assessment Committee
Member of the Self Assessment Team for Athena SWAN in the School of Medicine
Member of the University Working Group on Exam Paper Production

Where did you study and train?

I undertook my initial nurse training at Bell College of Technology (now part of the University of the West Scotland - UWS) in Lanarkshire from 1996-1999, graduating with a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE). Whilst working in England, I studied part time and 'topped up' my DipHE to a BSc(Hons) in Professional Practice (Adult Healthcare) at the University of Central Lancashire from 2001-2004. After returning to Scotland, I completed the Emergency Nurse Practitioner course at the University of Paisley (2004-2005) and then decided to undertake my MSc Advanced Nursing at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) (2007-2010). As I wanted to work in education, I completed my Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education at UWS (2011-2012). In 2012, I commenced my part time Professional Doctorate (Health, Social Care and Nursing) at GCU, completing this in 2017. 

When did you decide to join the University of Glasgow (SoMD&N)?

I first applied for a position at the UoG in 2016 but was unsuccessful. Not deterred, I reapplied when another post came up two years later. I wanted to join the Nursing & Health Care School for a number of reasons. The fact that it is ranked in 1^st position for nursing in the UK was a big attraction. I was also very interested in the other opportunities the post would provide such as working with more international students and the chance to teach nursing in Singapore. 

What was your trajectory to your current position?

In 1999 I moved to Blackpool to take up my first position as a Staff Nurse, working in Accident and Emergency. At the time, the Emergency Department at Blackpool Victoria Hospital was the 3^rd busiest in the UK. Since first becoming interested in nursing, I knew that I wanted to work in an Emergency Department setting. When I started my training, Registered Nurses did not require a degree level qualification. In order to increase my chances of promotion in Blackpool, I started my degree. Coming from a typical West of Scotland working class background, I was the first person in my family to attend university. In 2003, I moved back to Scotland and was fortunate to get a post in the Emergency Department at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. Whilst there, I became an Emergency Nurse Practitioner who could examine, diagnose and treat patients with a wide range of minor injuries. After a total of 9.5 years of Emergency Nursing, I felt the time was right to move onto something new. I had always viewed education as my ultimate career path so I was successful in becoming a Practice Education Facilitator within NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde. This post, which I held for two years, provided a great opportunity to bridge clinical practice and higher education. In 2011, I secured a position as a lecturer in Adult Health at UWS. At UWS, I was mainly teaching on the BSc Adult Nursing programme but also had input into the MSc pathways. I started my post at UoG in December 2018.

What do you enjoy most about your current role?

Working directly with students and seeing those 'light bulb moments', when pieces of the puzzle start to fit together. I'm also enjoying working with a variety of international students in the taught Masters course that I deliver.

How do you balance 'work' and 'life' now? How did you balance these in the past?

I think it is important to switch off and to have activities scheduled during the week which encourage you to do so. This is especially true when you are working full time and studying part time simultaneously. I run twice a week with a running club, which is a great way to clear your mind. I'd also recommend booking holidays well in advance so that you have something in your diary to look forward to.

Are you a member of a committee or working group within the SoMD&N?

Not currently.

Do you have a final tip or comment related to your career trajectory?

Perseverance is sometimes required to get to where you want to go. If things don't quite go according to plan, get feedback so that you are better prepared next time around. Nursing is a career with so many options, both in clinical practice or in other areas (education, management, research etc.). I feel privileged to be a part of the profession.

Where did you study and train?
London (St Mary's Hospital and Kings College Hospital) and Edinburgh (MRC Unit of Reproductive Biology and NHS Lothian). I did Research then NHS Registrar and Senior Registrar training Part Time.

When did you decide to join the University of Glasgow, School of Medicine, dentistry and Nursing?
I joined in 1993 as a Senior Lecturer (Full Time), and was first promoted to Reader then to Professor in 2004.

What was your trajectory to your current position?
There was no 'run through' training when I was at that stage and so we applied for jobs at regular intervals of between and 1 and about 3 years. I did 3 years of clinical research but then had my 1st child and 'reviewed my options' for over a year after this, since getting part time clinical training was very difficult.

My 2nd child was born during a part time research post. Finally, with the help of my mentor I obtained a Registrar and then Senior Registrar post and had my 3rd child between the 2 when I had formal Maternity leave for the 1st time . In order to return to  an academic career I needed to work full time. Part time clinical academic posts were not an option. 

What do you enjoy most in your current role?
Tremendous variety of clinical and academic activities. Helping people achieve as much as they can.

How do you balance "work" and "life" now? in the past?
I have always had very good child care and help in the house, but it was cheaper then. I have always enjoyed my children. They and my husband have always been very  supportive unless I missed something like sports day which I didn't do very often!

Are you a member of a committee or working group within the school, the college, or the university? 
Lead for Clinical Academic Staff at the New Lister Building.
Chair of the Self Assessment Team for Athena SWAN in the School of Medicine.
Member of the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing Management Group.
Member and Past Chair of the Clinical Academic Training Advisory Committee.

Do you have a final tip or comment related to your career trajectory?

Try and be as flexible as you can, it helps!
Make sure you do things well and if you are part time you will simply have to do less of them. Some may think you are less committed than those who are full time but you can change that if you really want to.

Where did you study and train?
I studied Medicine at the University of Glasgow and did an intercalated BSc Hons during my studies. I graduated in 2004. I chose a career in paediatrics and I have sub-specialised in neonatology. I took up a Clinical Lecturer's post at the University of Glasgow in 2010. I undertook a PhD from 2012-2015 and I'm due to submit this in 2017.

When did you decide to join the University of Glasgow, School of Medicine, dentistry and Nursing?
I became a member of staff at the University in 2010 and prior to this I was a full time clinician.

What was your trajectory to your current position?
After spending time as a paediatric doctor I became interested in research and undertook some small projects and published my first paper. I then realised I wanted more time to dedicate to research and teaching and applied for my Clinical Lecturer's post at the University. I am undertaking my clinical training as well as continuing my research and hope to complete my clinical training in 2017.

What do you enjoy most in your current role?
I enjoy the variety - I am involved in many projects as well as my clinical work.

How do you balance "work" and "life" now? in the past?
It can be difficult juggling everything, especially as I have two young children, but I try to be as organised as I can and to prioritise the important things.

Are you a member of a committee or working group within the school, the college, or the university?
I am a member of the Athena SWAN Self Assessment Team and I chair the Communication Working Group within our School.

Staff page:
http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/medicine/staff/martinarodie/

Where did you previously study/train?

I left King's Park Secondary School in 1999 and entered the computer science degree programme at the University of Glasgow.

What made you decide to apply for Nursing at the School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing?

Unfortunately, during my second year of study (2000-2001) my mother had a stroke. Due to my mother’s ill health and several other familial and financial issues I had to leave studying and start taking care of my mother. I continued to be a carer for my mother and worked part time from 2002 - 2010. My mother passed away in 2010 due to a heart attack. I later found employment in a local nursing home where I began working as a care assistant. It was here that I found a passion for nursing and began to think about going back to university. I had to complete the University of Glasgow assess to nursing course to apply for the Bachelor of Nursing degree programme.

What do you enjoy most about your course?

I enjoy being a student again and having the opportunity to develop my career. I also enjoy the split of academic teaching and practical placements.

What are you looking forward to most about your future career?

I aim to start working in one of the hospitals in Glasgow preferably in critical care.

What is your best piece of advice for those thinking of applying to Nursing at the University of Glasgow?

For those thinking about studying nursing but are frightened how they will manage, I will say that they should take the opportunity. If your committed, then you will manage. 

Where did you study (or train)?

I dropped out of University in first year, feeling that continuing formal education wasn’t something I was suited to. I eventually managed to find a trainee AV technician role at an events company, in a sector I ended up working in for 5 years.

When did you join the University of Glasgow (and why/what were you doing before)?

I joined the University of Glasgow in November 2011 after 2.5 years working at the University of Stirling. I moved to Glasgow University because it was a higher grade job, and as I lived in Glasgow it was much less of a commute. This improved both my income and my work/life balance.

Could you provide detail on your career trajectory, especially how you transitioned from one point to another?

After losing my job in the events industry in early 2009 due to the recession, I quickly found a Grade 3 technical post at the University of Stirling that made use of my audio visual training. While there, I looked for ways to expand the role and successfully applied for the role to be regraded to a Grade 4. In late 2011 my application for a job at the University of Glasgow was successful and I moved in to a Grade 5 role which made use of my previous AV experience, but also made use of the extra skills I had developed at Stirling surrounding web design, content creation, and VLE development. Over the next few years I continued to enhance and expand my role, spotting gaps in support provision, and taking on some limited teaching duties around use of our VLE and ePortfolio systems, and running an Academic Skills module for our first year students. With the expansion of my role I was again successful in my application for regrading to Grade 6. My practice has been recognised by the award of Associate Fellowship of the University of Glasgow’s Recognising Excellence in Teaching scheme, and I am currently studying for the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PgCAP) with the intention to continue on to a full MEd.

What do you most enjoy about your current role?

I most enjoy the opportunity to support students in their learning, and the freedom to use my own judgement surrounding my priorities and day to day schedule. Having the support of my management at the Dental School both in trusting my judgement when it comes to how best to support student learning, and in my own career development, has been hugely valuable, and has contributed in a large way to my high job satisfaction.

How do you balance 'work' and 'life' now? In the past?

In the past I had a terrible work/life balance. When I worked in the events industry shifts could be dangerously long, and the amount of overtime per week, sometimes doubling my normal hours, resulted in negative impacts to home life. Since leaving that industry I’ve been very strict with myself about trying to stay within my contracted hours. I have kept my personal mobile number private, and do not typically respond to work emails out of hours. It can be challenging not to mentally take work home with you, but it’s essential to try to switch off from work at home. Having a young family at home, I want to make sure I’m at home in the evenings to spend time with my children, although this can mean I miss opportunities to attend certain events or conferences that may require overnight stays. Being a trade union rep for Unite the Union within Glasgow Uni can also add to the workload and mental pressure, so discipline in separating home and work life is essential.

Are you a member of a committee or working group within the School, College or the University?

I sit on many committees, both in my role as a technician, and in my role as a senior trade union rep and branch officer. Within the Dental School I sit on the Information Services Committee and Health & Safety Committee. I also attend the MVLS Technology Enhanced Learning & Teaching Group. I’m a student rep for the PgCAP, so attend the Staff Student Liaison Committee for that course. Through my role as a union rep I also sit on the University steering group of the Technician Commitment, the University Policy Review Group, and the Health, Safety, & Wellbeing Committee. Externally I sit on the Higher Education Safety & Health forum (HESH), the Scottish Parliamentary Cross Party Group on Colleges & Universities, and the Unite the Union Scottish Education Sector Committee.

Any other aspects of your career trajectory you would like to share/special tip/further comment?

Technical career trajectories are by nature diverse and atypical. It’s rare to find any two technicians who have followed the same path, or who are likely to have the same career outcomes. This is something which makes career development incredibly difficult for technicians, because it’s not always easy to see where the next steps are and it requires a lot of confidence to put yourself forward and try to create opportunities for yourself. A technician at my level could in theory move further down the technical specialist route, move into management, or even move towards an academic role with the right training and opportunities. The difficulty lies in not having the information about how to move down these routes, or widely shared examples of how other technicians have navigated their careers. This can lead to technicians careers stalling. These are issues that the University is hoping to address through the Technician Commitment.

Where did you study and train?
My undergraduate degree was an MA (Hons) in English Literature from the University of Edinburgh. After this, I returned to Glasgow and completed an MPhil (with Distinction) in Scottish Literature, in which I focused on the prose fiction of the Orcadian novelist George Mackay Brown. In 2005 I completed a PhD on the autobiographical writings of the interwar novelist Naomi Mitchison.  After my doctoral degree, I worked for several years as Literary Assistant to the Scottish novelist and painter Alasdair Gray. 

When did you decide to join the University of Glasgow, School of Medicine, dentistry and Nursing?
As an undergraduate, I had a number of summer jobs in Glasgow University Registry, and as a postgraduate I taught as a Graduate Tutorial Assistant in the Department of Scottish Literature and supervised the Lending Desk in the University Library. My association with Glasgow University long pre-dates this period, however, as I attended the University Nursery as a child in the 1970s! 

My first permanent contract with the University was in 2008, when I got a part time post in the Undergraduate Medical School, co-ordinating the clinical examinations. I worked in the Medical School in the mornings, and with Alasdair Gray in the afternoons. This was a very helpful arrangement, as my work with him, preparing books for publication, could often drift on into the evenings.  

What was your trajectory to your current position?

In 2010, my post in the Medical School expanded and was made full time. In early 2011 my first daughter was born, and I spent 10 months on maternity leave. Returning from leave, I was given a temporary role preparing for Undergraduate Medicine's Periodic Subject Review. This became a permanent role and, as 'Special Projects Officer' I worked with the Head of the Undergraduate Medical School to bring about a number of improvements to the MBChB, which included several new annual publications, a review of the School's c100 prizes and medals, and the development of software to map the curriculum.

In 2013 I had a second baby and spent a year on maternity leave. Since returning my role has evolved so that, while I retain some responsibilities in the Undergraduate Medical School, my focus is far more on the School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing, and I enjoy the more strategic insights that come with this. In 2015 the GU/NHS joint Teaching & Learning Centre opened at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, and I now manage the teaching support team there, splitting my time between the TLC and the Wolfson Medical School Building.

What do you enjoy most in your current role?
Because I split my time between the Medical School and Teaching & Learning Centre, each day has variety, and I enjoy working across the School's various sites. My focus on project work allows a degree of autonomy, and I often have opportunities to get involved with new areas of work, for example the development of an online system to manage applications for Honorary Status, our Athena SWAN ambitions, and a 2017 GMC inspection.    

How do you balance "work" and "life" now? in the past?
Since returning from my second maternity leave, I have worked 4 days a week. I take Wednesdays off to spend with my youngest child, and (usually) manage not to look at my emails. I feel this day off is a great boon to family life and to a healthy work/life balance, and have found the University and the School to be very understanding of the juggling act undertaken by working mothers.