Our Dermatology student's MSc success... prior to graduation!

Meet Sarah Bradshaw, our current dermatology student. She is a Podiatrist from North Manchester where she has her own private practice called The Foot Pod. Although Sarah specialises in the lower limbs and helping patients with a variety of cutaneous and musculoskeletal conditions, her main interest is supporting patients with skin and nail conditions.

She is now expanding her knowledge through our highly accredited and flexible dermatology course, and has already found huge success before even graduating! Sarah was invited to present her MSc research at the Royal College of Podiatry Annual Conference and we had the pleasure of discussing her research and how this course has helped shape her career.

Tell us a little bit about your background?

My main interest is helping patients with skin and nail conditions and this has led to me wanting to expand my dermatology knowledge and practice. I started on the dermatology clinical practice course in September 2020 and I am just about to qualify from this amazing programme.

Allied Health Professionals like Podiatrists are extremely accessible for patients in the community and can aid in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of conditions. Completing my MSc in dermatology will mean that I can support a wider range of patients better and help to reduce unnecessary referrals to stretched secondary care dermatology departments.

You were invited to present your MSc research at the Royal College of Podiatry Annual Conference. How did this opportunity present itself?

The Royal College of Podiatry annual conference is the largest podiatry conference in Europe and called for research abstracts in March 2022 for their July conference. As part of my MSc research for Learna Diploma MSc in dermatology, I produced a scientific poster on the role of the podiatrist and dermatologist in nail psoriasis and I submitted this piece of work for their review. I was honoured to be shortlisted and presented this work as an ePoster presentation at the Conference.

Delegates were invited to vote for the best research poster and this piece of work won! This means that there is a real appetite for dermatology knowledge and skills amongst my peers and on the back of this I have now been asked to present to the new student podiatrist cohort at the University of Salford in September on 'the benefits of podiatric dermatology in practice'.

You are soon to complete your dissertation, have you felt supported throughout?

The Learna MSc in Clinical Dermatology is a fantastic course for Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists and Allied Health Professionals. You work together with your fellow students bringing a host of knowledge and experiences together from across the world and you will also be supported by the friendly Learna support staff and an amazing host of Dermatology professionals.

My dissertation supervisor is Dr Gabriel Peres from Brazil but despite the distance between us, the Learna platform makes it easy to communicate. My dissertation on 'The effects of Photodynamic Therapy on Mycotic Nails', has been registered on PROSPERO, which you can now view.

What does it take to succeed in this course?

The online medical courses allow you to access the University of South Wales' extensive online library, which has been invaluable. It is hard work to complete a Master’s degree and juggle a healthcare business and a family but you do get used to logging in each day and if you are passionate about your subject you will want to do more and more.

Well done Sarah, we are very proud of your outstanding achievements so far!

This dermatology course is validated by the University of South Wales, a modern industry focused university rated top 10 in the UK. They ensure that the quality of content, teaching, and research meets the highest academic standards. That means our students will come away with the best experience possible, and Sarah Bradshaw is a testament to this!

With the implementation of flexible, innovative teaching and learning styles, combined with cutting edge technology, students are able to excel in their studies whilst maintaining their busy careers. On successful completion, you will sharpen your skills, strengthen your CV and discover new career opportunities through our university-validated dermatology programme.

**Don’t miss your chance to join us! Application deadline is nearly here and we are receiving a high volume of applications for our most popular programme. Should you wish to be part of the Sept 2022 cohort, you will need to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment, as spaces are filling fast.

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