Doctor

Last updated: 22 April 2021

Doctors Testimonial 1

My story

Megan Rowley

Oncology Research Fellow


 

What made you become an Oncology Research Fellow? - I wanted a post that provided me with some experience in oncology as I am hoping to train in medical oncology. I also wanted an opportunity to gain further research experience as research is vital in oncology and also generally within medicine. This post allowed me time to gain clinical experience in oncology alongside invaluable knowledge of research trials.

How did you become an Oncology Research Fellow? - After medical school I did 2 years of foundation training before completing 2 years of core medical training here at QAH. Following this I decided to take a year out of training before applying for a registrar specialty training post and applied for the oncology research post.

What do you do on a day-to-day basis? - My days are very variable and no 2 days are the same. I have a balance of clinical commitments and research time. Some days I have outpatient clinics in oncology and following clinic-based admin. Others I have largely ‘office days’ in which I can have meetings about various research projects or potential new projects, or spend time working on parts of my projects. In both aspects, I have a role in identifying, recruiting and following up patients for various research studies. I also have on-call commitments and as part of our role we are involved in teaching foundation doctors on various topics.

Why did you choose PHU? - I moved to Portsmouth after studying and completing my initial training in London. I wanted to move out of London to live closer to the sea and had heard great feedback about QAH as a place to train. I have really enjoyed my 2.5 years at QA so far and after completing my 2-year training post I knew I wanted to stay. The hospital is busy but provides excellent training opportunities by looking after patients with a wide range of conditions. I’ve always found QAH to have a friendly environment with hard working colleagues.

What do you enjoy about being an Oncology Research Fellow? - I enjoy how flexible and changeable my days can be. I get to have a mix of my chosen specialty and clinic experience but have dedicated time to work on projects or research studies of interest. Most of what we do in medicine is based on outcomes of various research projects and I enjoy knowing that in a small way I have contributed to this.