PhD Hurdles

Last week was a bit hellish for me. I had two big PhD hurdles to overcome. First, I had to attend the National Health Service (NHS) ethics meeting where they discussed my research project. I didn't know what to expect, so I was pretty surprised when I arrived and twenty people were gathered around a board room table and proceeded to grill me on my project and the ethical issues. It is all so bureaucratic here. My research will involve interviews with practicing midwives employed at NHS hospitals. Needless to say the fact that the NHS is involved means that the ethical approval process will be ten times more complicated than if I simply needed university approval. For example, not only does the central committee have to approve my research, but I also need to be approved at each site where I will be recruiting from and conducting my research. But really, I just want to talk to a few midwives about their training - how risky is it? Anyway, it went well. I have a few changes to make but then it will be approved.

Next, because I am a glutton for punishment, I also did a presentation two days later for the members of my department. I am in the medical school and all the other students are doing lab based research. The rest of the students presented about their lab rat cloning, tissue ablation, chemical phaser, mitochondria crap and then there's little old me talking about midwifery training and qualitative research! The worst part was that after my presenation they totally raked me over the coals with questions - 'how am I going to quantify this?' 'why don't I have a control group?' blah blah blah. Idiots. One guy even asked me what I would do if I didn't get ethical approval. I'm thinking to myself - you took osteopath cells out of the hip bone of living children and you are asking ME about ethics?!! I think I mustered the strength to answer with something more diplomatic than that, but it's all a blur.

Brent came with me for moral support and he claims I answered all the moronic questions well. He now knows more about Von Wildebrands disease, rare strains of Staph Aureus bacteria, and tissue culturing than he ever wanted to. Anyway, it's done and we're both stronger for coming through it alive. Two giant PhD hurdles to cross off the list.