From midwifery to doctoral research: Lucy Goddard's journey and advice for aspiring scholars

Where did you study and work previously?

I’m Lucy, I’m now working as a research midwife in the Nuffield Department Primary Care Health Sciences following the successful completion of my DPhil. My journey to this point started in 2013 when I began my midwifery training at Manchester University. This three-year degree was tough, but extraordinarily eye-opening and fun (at times!). After qualifying, I worked at a large hospital in Manchester for two years before deciding to move to Oxford to complete a MSc in Applied Human Nutrition at Oxford Brookes University. They may seem slightly unconnected but working as a midwife exposed me to the determinants of health and how this may ultimately underscore someone's experience of being pregnant as well as their birth outcomes. One of the determining factors I was interested in was diet and how fundamental this was for health. I continued to work clinically as a midwife, while considering other possible opportunities that may be open to me after finishing my MSc. I'd enjoyed the research component of the MSc and whilst researching jobs, I found a position as a research assistant (RA) in the Nuffield Department Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford. After emailing Dr Nerys Astbury (who was to be one of my supervisors) to see if it worth applying, I sent an application and got the job! Little did I know that that this was the first door that opened up the possibility of doctoral research, something I hadn’t considered before. 

Whilst working as an RA, a DPhil opportunity came up. I really wasn't sure whether to apply but because of my midwifery background and interest in research, friends and colleagues actively encouraged me to apply. After an intense interview, I was offered a place. It was a great opportunity to link my experience as a midwife and passion for supporting women through the childbearing continuum and my research interests, as the DPhil programme focused around women experiencing a pregnancy complicated by hypertension, where lifestyle factors including diet, exercise and weight are a recommended management strategy to support better blood pressure control. The DPhil programme was entirely different to my other degrees – with much less structure that allowed me to think for myself, relied on copious amounts of self-motivation and a seemingly unending requirement to get comfortable with the unknown and uncertainty. The DPhil can be quite a solitary affair and in comparison to a busy ward environment, the change felt like quite a shock. Throw a pandemic in there too, my DPhil journey was not comparable to anything I'd done before. 

I started my DPhil with three supervisors and finished with four wonderful mentors. Some people say that was an unusually high number but I was able to learn and be guided by them all differently which I think helped with having a more rounded experience and exposed me to various expertise that has shaped me into the researcher I am now. I was always surprised at how much freedom they give you for the DPhil but with this comes trust and I think this was mutual. They trusted me to do the work to the best of my ability and ask for guidance and input when needed and I trusted them to redirect me when needed. 

NDPCHS has been a great place for me to complete my DPhil. Everyone is very supportive and I’ve learnt a lot from those in different teams that I didn’t directly work with. I've also had other opportunities such as being the DPhil rep for Athena Swan. It is also great to work with other clinicians to help keep that focus on the patients and public who are ultimately the driving force behind why we do the research we do.  

Advice to potential students