I was a patient - now I'm a podiatrist!

FROM PATIENT TO PODIATRIST

A lot of students decide to study podiatry because they’ve been a patient themselves or a friend or family member has received treatment. It was his experience of patient care by a podiatrist that made Sacha decide to train as a podiatrist at the University of East London. Having just completed his degree, Sacha shares his journey from patient to podiatrist.

SACHA SAYS…

The experiences of being a patient and receiving various foot treatments, over a period of several years, greatly increased my interest in podiatry. A year later I left my profession, as a Procurement specialist to pursue a career as a podiatrist. The University were very helpful in advising what entry requirements I needed. As a result of completing a medicine and science related access course, I was able to embark upon my studies at UEL.

THE COURSE…

The course attracts students of all ages, experiences and backgrounds, which really enriched my learning experience. The University and the Podiatry teaching team provided a positive and supportive learning environment. There were plenty of opportunities to develop leadership and communication skills. These were established through Peer Mentoring and Peer Assisted Study Support (PASS) schemes, which I participated in and thoroughly enjoyed.

HANDS ON PATIENT EXPERIENCE

During the course we treated patients at the NHS clinic located on campus at the university and additionally undertook a total of five clinical placements, amassing over 1000 clinical hours. Placements were with NHS Trusts within London and the surrounding counties. The placements really enabled me to utilise the skills and theoretical understanding I had acquired within the University. This enabled me to apply them to the learning experiences of treating a diverse range of patients with varying health risks and conditions.

The three years do fly by but thanks to the UEL Podiatry degree programme, I really do feel ready and able to treat patients as a qualified Podiatrist and very much look forward to doing so!

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