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Careers: Suzy Moody Solent University, Southampton, UK
I am an early career academic, having held a lectureship at Solent University in Southampton for just over 2 years. I was asked to contribute this article and was sent examples from previous people whose careers seemed so much more defined, organised and complete than mine. So I can take you on a tour of my somewhat unusual science journey so far, but I like to think there is much more to come. Not a typical anything I did a Microbiology degree at Cardiff University longer ago than I am going to admit. I loved it but when I looked at PhD opportunities nothing really took my interest. I had been a care assistant in a nursing home since I was 14, and really enjoyed it, so I booked a deferred place on a nursing course at Bournemouth University and left for a gap year. I worked with Mother Teresa’s nuns in Kolkata for three months and nearly became a nun. (Sadly, you need Kalighat, Mother Teresa’s Home for the Dying Destitute in Kolkata
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microbiologist
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December 2020
to take a vow of obedience and I’ve never been good at doing what I’m told.) It was an amazing experience that would resonate with me through subsequent years. I wanted to work in developing countries so when I started my first job as a critical care nurse at Bournemouth Hospital, I also started a Master’s degree in Infectious Disease by distance learning with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. When I finished the Master’s, I spent the next 2 years working overseas and working in the NHS when I was home. After a year working in rural central Africa, I came home feeling I needed to settle in the UK for a bit. My then fiancé had listened to my daydreams and suggested applying for a PhD. My response was “Who would take me?” They will look at my CV and laugh at the nurse who wants to be a scientist’. But I did what he suggested anyway and started applying for PhD positions. A summary of my life that year: living in Africa with no running water and a long-drop toilet; delivering babies with no running water or electricity; returning to the UK and running water and a toilet that flushes; getting a PhD place; getting married; selling up and moving house; and starting a PhD after nearly 10 years away from the lab. I have a vivid memory of being stood in the lab watching precious clean water gush down the sink as someone half-heartedly washed glassware, surrounded by instruments and gadgets that I barely knew how to work and didn’t like to admit that
www.sfam.org.uk
