Postgraduate case studies

Hear what our students have to say about studying for a postgraduate degree in podiatry:

“To become a podiatrist it takes four years. To become a good podiatrist is a life long journey”.

I joined QMU started in 2004. As a relatively small university, I got to know my lectures and class mates very quickly. The course was demanding but at the same time exciting and interesting. Every year presented a big challenge, from anatomy to biomechanics, from problem based medicine to my honours’ year in paediatrics.

From just a few months into the start of the course, you are given the opportunity to start interacting with patients. Communication and practise are essential ingredients to help patients with different pathologies. The opportunity to work in NHS podiatry clinics since year one, really made the difference. As the course progressed, more challenging and difficult clinical situations were presented to me within my clinical work and the expectations from my lecturers increased accordingly. This gave me lots of motivation to keep up my studies on a daily basis. I genuinely found that what I had been taught the day before, could be put into practice the day after with new patients; a great opportunity to improve my skills as a podiatrist but most importantly helping a broader spectrum of patients.

My clinical training took me to hospitals around Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth, enabling me to see for the type of contribution that a specialised podiatrist was able to bring into different health sectors.

In my 2 nd year, I became really interested in biomechanics, and manufacturing orthotics, dedicating time in the orthotics laboratory to improve my skills and becoming more accurate in what I was prescribing to my patients.

It is really satisfying, after full biomechanical examination and the prescription of appropriate orthotics, to make patients pain free. I started to carried out gait scan analysis in private leisure centres around Edinburgh and as soon as I qualified on the 3 rd year, I was asked to work in a private practice in Edinburgh, mainly dealing with sport injury patients and young athletes.

During my honours’ year (4 th year), I became very focused in podo-paediatric (podiatry for children), researching and enhancing my skills in dealing with different paediatric pathologies. A fairly new area of podiatry practice, it has its own challenges, involving a detailed understanding of paediatric-physiology. However, the personal reward gained from helping children, for me, is simply amazing.

Since 2006, I have been actively involved in developing a new system to make custom made orthotics. I have always been encouraged at QMU to try to find new ways to improve our profession and I truly hope that my contribution and passion will help more and more patients in the future.

Currently I am undertaking a PhD research in Paediatric Rheumatology, which presents me with new learning adventures, but at the same time, is extremely exciting.

Finally I would like to quote what my lecture G. Randall told me before I even started the podiatry course, which convinced me that podiatry was my path – “To become a podiatrist it takes four years,. To become a good podiatrist is a life long journey”.

Ciao

Muhammad Asadullah Siddiqui
MSc Diabetes

Before coming to QMU, I had studied and worked in my home country of Pakistan. I went to the University of Karachi, where I did a MBBS(Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) and then my first job on graduation was as House Officer (Medicine/Surgery) at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre in Karachi.

After that, I worked as a Medical Officer at Sheheryar Hospital, then as a Resident Medical Officer at the National Institute Of Cardiovascular Diseases. In September 2006, I moved to the UK and studied for a PgDip Health Care Management atthe College of Professional and Management Studies, Essex. I came to QMU in October 2007 to begin a MSc Diabetes.

Throughout my clinical experience at the tertiary centre, I was fortunate to be able to provide for many needs - both of patients and of those who are learning to practice the craft of medicine in acute cardiology – and I have continually experienced the fulfilment that comes from working to help others improve in their understanding and skill.

My experience of working in a hospital convinced me of the fundamental importance of achieving optimal congruence between what clinicians must do in practice and the learning that must be fostered in their clinical practice. To this end, I have attempted to become involved as a learner at every level of health science education and to continually strive through educational innovation to improve the clinical practice. I kept up-to-date with the latest research and work in medicine, especially diabetes and cardiology, by reading online version of different journals and also attending different seminars & workshops. I realised that, as a clinician, I could provide services to the limited population but, in contrast as a researcher, I could serve for a wider population. Due to my lack of research knowledge and skills, I decided to get advanced research-based knowledge in the field of medicine and I decided to go to QMU.

I decided to come to Edinburgh as it is one of the most beautiful, exciting and developed city which is famous for postgraduate medical education all over the world – especially QMU. And, after getting qualification from QMU, I believe that many jobs and career opportunities will open for me.

Quarterly planned workshops and lectures from NHS consultants and management care personnel's was an excellent part of the course and enabled me to get involved in latest practice and developments in the health care system.

On the course, I gained advanced research-based knowledge from a variety of modules : diabetes health psychology, research methods, health care management, evaluation of diabetes and developing practice and complication of diabetes. I also used Excel 2007, SPSS v. 16.1 and Revman 5.0 for statistical analysis of data in trials and meta-analysis. After the completion of research modules and metanalysis, I had a greater understanding of randomised control trials, ICH-GCP requirements, ethical approval and protocol requirements for conducting trials.

 I owe much gratitude to Dr Thomas Carline, my supervisor and programme leader, for his support and advice during course work and planning, searching and analysis of the data for master dissertation. Queen Margaret University on the whole was very supportive and encouraging throughout MSc programme.

I am now studying for a PhD at QMU - my research title is “ The Role of haematological markers and factors in predicting fistula maturation in diabetic patients with renal failure: An Exploratory Study".