Thanks to Mélanie Gréaux for this fascinating blog, written from New Delhi.
It all started two years ago. I was a Speech and Language Therapy student writing a PhD proposal in a cold and grey London. Today, I am in the middle of my doctoral research fieldwork in a very warm and vibrant New Delhi. In short, this makes me a Newly Qualified Speech and Language Therapist (NQT SLT) and a PhD student.
Of course, many warned me about the challenges of being an NQT SLT and a PhD student, and they were right in many ways. Managing a double professional identity whilst being inexperienced in either role certainly comes with its set of challenges and its load of self-doubt. But I have also come to appreciate the many advantages and opportunities associated with this unconventional career choice.
In this blog, I wish to share some of my reflections as an NQT SLT and PhD student, and hope this will encourage SLT students and SLTs to consider getting involved in research at the early stages of their clinical career.
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Research topic – SLTs entering academia with many years of clinical practice have undeniable advantages when it comes to defining their research topic (e.g. rich insights into clinical areas and issues). But this experience is inevitably accompanied by certain biases.
As a newbie, I was easily influenced by external sources, open to new opportunities and innovative approaches. For example, my PhD project investigates cross-cultural learning opportunities for qualified SLTs in India and the UK around the care of multilingual children with autism. The international dimension of my project was an unexpected (exciting!) development during the first year of my PhD, which was inspired and facilitated by researchers in the field of international development at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. |
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Clinical insights – The cross-cultural aspect of my research project makes for rich learning opportunities as a young clinician too, allowing me to reach a deeper understanding of the SLTs’ role, to reflect on the impact of resources, to better appreciate different attitudes on disability and to challenge established systems.
These clinical insights have not only been reinforced through my research, but are also highly appreciated in academia. For example, my understanding of the SLT profession is enough to reflect on the clinical impact and applications of other research projects (which is particularly useful when it comes to critically appraising the literature, publishing and attracting funders). Furthermore, my appreciation of clinical responsibilities seems sufficient to successfully engage with SLTs as research participants and create win-win situations. Finally, I can still access valuable clinical insights from experienced SLTs by integrating principles of participatory research into my research design. |
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Transferable skills and experiences – As an early-career researcher, I am continuously developing skills transferable to the clinical world.
A non-exhaustive list would point to time management (e.g. working towards short-term and long-term deadlines), leadership (e.g. chairing regular research group meetings), teamwork (e.g. collaborating on research and public engagement projects) and resilience (e.g. managing a high workload). Interestingly for me, these transferable skills and experiences mean that I can work through some NQT competencies whilst being a full-time PhD student (so no waste of time here!). |
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Opportunities – Being involved in research at the early stage of my clinical career is creating many exciting career prospects, in both academia and clinical practice.
For example, my research project has allowed me to connect with clinicians and researchers in many settings (from the local NHS Trust to the University of Cambridge or Action for Autism India). I couldn’t be more grateful for their outstanding support and excited by the opportunities to further collaborate in the near future. |
All-in-all, an important lesson that I have learned as an NQT SLT and PhD student is to stop perceiving my professional identity as an inexperienced clinician and researcher.
Instead, I strive to embrace the fluidity and complementarity of my learning experiences as I am simultaneously growing as both a clinician and researcher.
Now, don’t get me wrong, being an NQT SLT and a PhD student is not always a piece of cake. But making this unconventional career choice has certainly been made sweeter by exciting opportunities, exceptional support and transferable experiences (and yes, gulab jamuns too!).
Please feel free to get in touch if you are contemplating research at the early stages of your clinical career, I would love to hear from you.