In September 2018, after a career spanning over 7 years in Pharmacy, I took the plunge and began a PhD at Newcastle University. Changing career, especially after establishing myself in a specialist area, was particularly nerve-wracking. Not only was I pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I found myself refreshing on skills that I had not used since my undergraduate degree. Yet alongside this was the excitement and anticipation to try something new; I was eager and ready for a new challenge.

The idea of doing a PhD had intrigued me from my early university days, but it was not something I considered seriously until after I was exposed to research projects within my clinical pharmacist role. I was working across two health sectors within the North East of England, providing care to patients in an acute emergency care hospital and in a GP surgery. I could see the impact that research could have, not only to directly benefit patients but to drive quality improvement in healthcare settings. I began conducting small independent audits for the GP surgery, reflecting on prescribing practices in certain disease states. Over time I built up to a large qualitative project alongside a team of pharmacy students, pharmacists and researchers, where we evaluated the role of WhatsApp as a communication tool for an NHS Trust. It was then that I truly caught the ‘research-bug’ and I have not looked back since. I saw a PhD studentship position advertised in an area that I was passionate about so I applied and the rest, as they say, is history. My research centres on surgical improvement, investigating how digital technologies can be (better) implemented within surgical pathways to support patients in making health behaviour changes before and after their operations.

As a PhD student, maintaining my professional identity is extremely important to me and I am passionate about continuing a clinical role alongside my studies. I still regularly practice as a pharmacist, keeping in touch with ‘front-line’ services by working in hospital and community pharmacy. My previous experience offers me a unique approach and insight that I bring to my research. Whilst I am still very much at the start of my research career, I cannot wait to see where I end up following my PhD. Working with patients and supporting their care was one of the main reasons I became a pharmacist, and hopefully my PhD and future work will continue to contribute to this.

Every day was a learning day in clinical practice, and every day is a learning day in my research. A recent conversation with a supervisor of mine went along the lines of “this PhD is a journey: you learn skills to put into your tool box which will equip you for years to come as a researcher”. Slightly cheesy, but very true. One ‘tool’ that I hope to never lose is my patient-centred focus. No matter where my PhD research takes me, I am determined to always keep patients at the centre of my work, doing what I can in order to improve their care.

Anna Robinson is in receipt of the Dr WE Harker PhD Studentship in Surgical Sciences. 

My name is Anna Robinson and I am a second year PhD student. My qualitative research is focused around Surgical Improvement, specifically how we can (better) use digital technologies to support health behaviour changes in surgical patients, before and after their operations. Outside of my research, I work as a Specialist Clinical Pharmacist across Northumberland and I hold a position on the Health Education England North board for pharmacy student education. In my spare time I play table tennis and I compete in British Eventing (dressage, show jumping and cross country) on a horse called Roo. 

Twitter: @AnnaRobPharm