Adult Learner Molly's experience of Public Health & Community Wellbeing

Molly had always wanted to go to university. After school and college, she'd fallen into a career in software support where she was doing very well - but whilst on maternity leave with her first child, she realised she wanted something else for her life.

Molly studies Public Health and Community Wellbeing at Bradford. This is Molly's story.

Encouraged to follow my passion
I always wanted to go to university.

I studied Art and Design at college, while working in hospitality and then as a trainee telecom engineer in Bradford. It was in that role that I was headhunted as a software support worker. I was doing well in that career, but after having my son and breaking for maternity leave, I realised I wanted more.

Rather than going back to work, I decided to fulfil my dream and try to go to university as an adult learner.

How a life-changing event sparked my interest
After giving birth, I became fascinated by maternal health.

I went down a rabbit's hole searching for research around child and maternal health during maternity leave. I stumbled upon the BSc (Hons) Public Health and Community Wellbeing course at the University of Bradford, and the different career routes it could lead to really sparked an interest.

I loved that the course could be tailored to whatever your particular interests in public health and community are.

I was over the moon to secure a place on the course, and started at the University when my son was eight months old. Luckily, there's an amazing nursery on site!

Where I started

I knew I wanted to help people and do something positive in Bradford.

I've grown up here and love the city, but it's an imperfect place with a lot of deprivation. I want to work in a sector where I can make a better Bradford for my son to grow up in. I want to make a difference in the future for my hometown and my family.

The course gives you a broad knowledge of how communities work and how public health works.

You'll learn about the inequalities in society and how to address them, how public health as a practice works, and how research can inform positive changes in society. All your learning can be tailored to your own interests. Mine is child and maternal health, so I'm currently researching childhood obesity and breastfeeding.

Perfect placement
I recently completed a placement in the Maternity Research Unit of Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI), and the Born in Bradford Project.

I loved my time at the BRI this summer, working with research midwives on various studies, including how different medications can be used to treat high blood pressure in pregnant women. I also spent time in multiple maternity departments, including a day with the 'Born in Bradford' project, where I got to see recruitment onto one of their studies.

I spent several days with the infant feeding co-ordinator, helping to support parents who faced challenges breastfeeding their babies, and observing tongue tie cases. I also worked in the Parent Education and Smoking Cessation teams.

I'm specifically interested in researching how the choices we make have a lifetime effect on our children, for that I think Bradford would be the best place to do my PhD.

Next steps
My placement confirmed that I want to work in public health research.

I have a great relationship with all my lecturers. It's a small cohort, which is one of the best things about this course. You get a lot of one-to-one tuition and coaching, and the academic team have really taken the time to help me develop my ideas.

They all have interesting backgrounds and are genuinely excited to nurture us into the field.

Some things are meant to be
I’d recommend going to university as an adult learner.

I loved starting my university journey at 25 years old. I left education when I was 18, but the transferrable skills I learned in the workplace along the way have been so positive for my university experience now: managing my workload, juggling work-life balance, and all the self-management I've developed in my career have propelled me into the course at university.

I really enjoy the learning process. If you have an interest in something, do it!

Focusing on the goal ahead
I want to implement change in my local community.

After my PhD, I'd like to teach public health as a lecturer, whilst working on research that's based on my individual interests. I'd then like to progress to work higher up in the council, advising on public health issues and implementing real change in Bradford communities. That's my long-term goal.

(edited 3 months ago)

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