FACULTY OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE SCIENCES

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Faculty of Health and Social Care Sciences
Tel: +44 (0)20 8725 2247

What our students say

Sue Cox, 41, on the Foundation Degree in Long Term Conditions.

“I’ve been working as a Healthcare Assistant for four years - three years at St George’s Hospital in Tooting and a year at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Roehampton. Before that I was a community carer. I’m also a qualified counsellor, carpenter and mother of three – so I have lots of life skills!”

What attracted you to this course?

FdSc Long Term Conditions student Sue Cox“There are a lot of people with long-term conditions, which are on the increase, and I wanted to find out more about that and how it’s managed.

“I also wanted to further my career. When I started the course, I had various ideas about where I might want to go, but I wasn’t sure. I’d been thinking about training to be a mental health nurse or a physiotherapist, both of which are degree-based. The beauty of this course is that it gives you lots of options and opens up a variety of opportunities in terms of where you can go next.”

How have you found the course so far?

“I’m studying part-time over two years and I’ve almost finished my first year. During the first year we all study the same core modules, then in the second year there are core modules plus some optional modules that we can choose depending on our interests.

“This year we’ve been studying health and social care policy and practice, pathophysiology and psychology. I’ve particularly enjoyed the psychology, given my counselling background.

“I come into university one day a week. Today we’re doing psychology in the morning, then assessment of long term conditions in the afternoon. Sometimes the day will be split like this, with two different subjects. Other times we might focus on one subject for the full day. There’s a mixture of different teaching approaches, some very interactive which is great, so you’re not just sitting listening to lectures.”

How about the support available to you during your studies?

“There’s lots of support available. I’m dyslexic, so I’ve had help with that, such as a computer programme that helps you formulate your ideas and structure them into an essay. We also had a class where we explored what type of learners we are, which was really interesting. I discovered that even though I’m dyslexic, I’m also an all-rounder.

“There are 12 students in my group. Some are from community care, some from social services and one from a care home. We all get along really well. Because we come from a range of professional backgrounds, we each find different parts of the course easier or more challenging, depending on our experience. So we help each other out, it’s very supportive.”

Is the course helping you in your day-to-day work? Are you able to apply what you’re learning?

“Definitely! We had a class where we were talking about Parkinson’s disease. At work, a patient with asthma came into our clinic and I noticed he was walking in an unusual way (his ‘gait’ as we’ve learned to call it). I explained to the doctor how the man was walking, and asked whether it could it be Parkinson’s. The patient had an MRI scan and it turned out that he does indeed have Parkinson’s disease. I wouldn’t have recognised that before doing the course.

“We do a number of case studies related to our work. I’ve just completed one on a patient with rheumatoid arthritis. I spent time talking with the patient, which really helped me build up my knowledge - not only about the condition, but also about people. Then you go away and research the physiology of the condition, what causes it and how it’s diagnosed, so you can then explain to the patient what’s happening in their body and why they’re having particular symptoms.

“I’ve also done a similar case study on dementia, and learned about various forms of dementia.

“There’s a lot to learn, a lot to take in. But then you’re also seeing the benefit of that day-to-day. You meet a patient and you’re automatically more aware of what’s going on with them, you notice things and understand more. You’re constantly observing and questioning. It really opens your eyes.”

How about the learning resources available?

“The library is brilliant, and the library staff are really helpful. We also spend time in rehabilitation teaching rooms (known as the 'skills labs') where we learn hands-on practical skills such as measuring blood pressure, taking blood, moving and handling patients, how the body moves and how to help people with restricted mobility, how to use things like walking aids. That's really interesting.”

What advice would you give to others who might be considering the course?

“Keep an open mind. When I started the course I was considering working towards training as a mental health nurse, because of my counselling background. But since joining the course I’ve become really interested in rehabilitation and I’m now thinking about a physiotherapy degree. As you learn and experience new things, your whole perspective can change so it’s good to stay open and go with that.

“The great thing about this course is that it gives you a wide range of options and opportunities in terms of where to go next. And at the same time, you’re applying the things you’re learning in your day-to-day work now.”