Healthcare Science alumna, Mollie Riley, on her transition into research and move into leadership
Class of 2017 Healthcare Science alumna, Mollie Riley, recently received a Healthcare Science Rising Star award for her transition from a clinical role to PhD student, as well as her contribution towards the UKAS accreditation of her department at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).
Mollie attended GOSH as a placement student, and it was during this time that her journey into respiratory physiology began. She returned to GOSH after graduating, beginning as a Respiratory Physiologist and eventually becoming Chief Respiratory Physiologist at the hospital. Mollie continues to work part-time in this role alongside a PhD at the Institute of Child Health (ICH), which involves performing measurements for a large UK clinical trial in cystic fibrosis.
We spoke to her about her route into paediatric respiratory physiology and her leadership journey, and she shared her advice with current Healthcare Science students for their future careers.
“Having the opportunity to work with people across different departments helped prepare me for working in a more senior role.”
Reflecting on her career path and how St George’s prepared her for her current role, Mollie says:
“I thoroughly enjoyed the combination of university-led teaching and work-based placements at St George’s.
“Having the opportunity to carry out different placements and working with people across different departments helped prepare me for working in an NHS environment, and the placement at GOSH was obviously a great way to learn about Paediatrics and helped kick-start my career.”
- Mollie Riley -
Speaking about her move into research, she adds:
“I hadn’t really thought about moving into research while I was a Healthcare Science student, but I really enjoyed my dissertation project. I completed this during my student placement at GOSH and, like my PhD, it also looked at paediatric patients with Cystic Fibrosis.
“If you’re considering studying a PhD, first make sure you have a real interest or a great idea for a project; this will help keep you going and will also make your supervisors feel excited about helping you take it forward.”
“It was lovely to know that my colleagues saw the potential in me.”
As well as her work to help secure UKAS accreditation for her department at GOSH, Mollie’s Rising Star award recognised her transition into research following the news of her successful application for a PhD.
She shares how it felt to be nominated for the award:
“I was nominated by someone who had worked with my team as part of the UKAS accreditation process. I also worked with them as part of a filming project to record videos that helped explain the role of a respiratory Physiologist. They knew I had recently started my PhD, so wanted to recognise this achievement as well as my contributions to the other projects."
“It was great to be able to work closely with them on a range of projects bringing benefit to the department and raising awareness of the role of a respiratory physiologist. And it was lovely to know that my colleagues saw the potential in me – particularly as someone who has only been working in Physiology for the last few years and has recently transitioned into research.”
“Get involved in lots of different projects and get involved with other departments when the chance comes up. You can learn so much from working with other people and taking on new things.”
Mollie first moved into her current role as Chief Physiologist when she covered a colleague on maternity leave and says: “It was very exciting. But it was also a bit daunting to suddenly have to learn how to manage people and help them reach their goals, as this was something quite new to me.
“It was a great experience which led to me staying on in the role part-time. The main advice I’d have for students or recent graduates thinking about their own career progression is not to be afraid of saying yes. Get involved in lots of different projects and work with other departments when the chance comes up, because you can learn so much from working with other people and taking on new things.”
“Helping people set goals for themselves is something I really enjoy.”
Mollie also teaches and mentors in her free time and says: “Teaching is a great way to reflect on what you know and relearn things. Even if there are skills you use every day, it's nice to cement some of your knowledge, particularly when it comes to Physiology.
“Paediatrics is a less common career path in Healthcare Science, so it’s nice to help people adapt to some of the challenges that are involved in paediatric testing and working in a paediatric department and hospital. And in my clinical role I’m involved in personal development reviews and helping people set goals for themselves, which is something I really enjoy.”
- Mollie Riley -
“It’s really important to understand what's involved in a role in paediatrics in order to make sure it’s the right career for you.”
Sharing advice with current students considering a career in paediatrics, Mollie says:
"The most important thing is to be sure about the area you want to move into, so make sure you research what's involved really well.
“It’s exciting and rewarding to work with children day-to-day, but the nature of the work means that it can also be emotionally challenging. Working in a paediatric department will also mean that you might not end up carrying out as many different ranges of tests as you do in other healthcare roles.
“So, it’s really important to understand what's involved in a role in paediatrics in order to make sure it’s the right career for you. Volunteering or asking to carry out work shadowing placements in paediatric departments is a really good way to show you're interested in this career path, as well as gaining experience working with children.
“Being able to show that paediatrics is a real interest of yours will help set you apart from other candidates when you apply for your first role.”
Read more about Mollie’s career path in paediatric respiratory physiology on page 16 of the Healthcare Science Leadership Journal.