PRUK are delighted to publish a mentee blog from our mentoring scheme that was launched back in October. Dr Debra Robertson is a Lead Oncology Pharmacist at the Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust with a PhD in pharmaceutics. Debra had never received formal mentoring before signing up to our scheme and was seeking advice from an experienced peer on how to get her work published. She was matched with Professor Zaheer Babar, a Professor in Medicines and Healthcare at the University of Huddersfield. Zaheer is also Editor-in-Chief at the BMC Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice and has contributed to 105 research publications.
Debra: “My experience of the PRUK mentoring scheme has been very positive and would encourage me to repeat this experience in the future. Registration was straightforward but included questions that prompted me to really think about what I wanted to achieve, in this case, to draft my first research paper.
PRUK’s Research Manager Desh identified a suitable mentor focussed on the area I was interested in developing further. My mentor, Zaheer, and I have exchanged many emails and chatted via Skype. I have really enjoyed our discussions and Zaheer’s advice has been invaluable. He has been very patient, taking time to explain why he has made specific recommendations and encouraging me along a completely different path than I would have otherwise taken.
It is too early to tell if my first paper will be publishable but, even at this early stage, I can tell that my draft is much better because of my mentoring. For me the matching process worked well and my first experience being mentored has been a pleasure. I would recommend the PRUK mentoring scheme without hesitation for anyone seeking to challenge themselves and develop their research skills.”
Professor Zaheer: “World over practicing pharmacist face similar challenges in publishing research. It has been a wonderful experience to mentor and strengthens pharmacists’ research skills and to participate in the PRUK mentorship scheme. I am glad to know that the advice I have provided is useful.”
Sign up to our scheme here
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