Michael Bartholomew is an Operating Department Practitioner student at the University of West London and one of our 2022-23 #150Leaders. Here he describes how he managed to overcome his fears and attend the welcome event, where he met like-minded students and healthcare leaders. Lastly, he explains how the programme has opened him up to new opportunities.
It’s difficult to explain why I was so excited when I watched the webinar featuring members of the 2021 #150Leaders cohort, describing the Student Leadership Programme. I just really felt that this was something I needed to do, and I applied immediately. I was so delighted to be accepted onto the programme, but in the weeks leading up to the opening conference, I became very apprehensive and doubtful for some reason, and in the final few days, I seriously considered not attending. I am extremely proud of myself for pushing through those feelings, because I have previously caved in to them and missed out on great opportunities as a result.
I was naturally nervous about attending the conference because it was the first time I had exposed myself to this type of event and environment. I made a concerted effort to meet a few people, and once the conference began, I found the guest speakers and their ideas very engaging. I was still a little sceptical, especially when we were asked to complete the ice breakers and elevator pitches, because I was initially quite embarrassed, but after we finished the activities, I felt a lot better because they were actually very fun and allowed everyone at each table to come out of their shell.
There was an entrepreneurial activity in which each table was tasked with developing a product to promote student wellness and then pitch the idea in the style of Dragons Den. My group developed the concept of a ‘HelloFresh’ style box for students, complete with online resources, and we discussed a variety of issues such as diversity, promotion, scalability, funding, target audience, versatility, product placement, celebrity endorsement, online presence, and social media hashtags. I felt I made an important contribution to the group project, and I was confident that my ideas would be heard and respected because we were all like-minded individuals brought together by this programme.
Everyone was extremely pleasant, and I didn’t feel compelled to try to stand out. In the end, I was proud to have come up with the name “#StudentChef”, but I was extremely nervous about having to present our idea in front of the other groups, so I was relieved when two other members of the group volunteered. Their confidence and presentation skills were incredible, and I admired them greatly. Happily, our group won the task and we were all given certificates, and I learned from it that I would like to improve my public speaking skills and confidence.
Throughout the conference, we had the opportunity to listen to a number of excellent guest speakers. I really enjoyed Professor Adele Nightingales’ talk about ‘resilience and leadership’ because it helped me understand what ‘leadership’ meant and what was expected of us as future leaders going forward in our careers. Carrie Biddles’ talk on ‘everyday leadership’ was packed with useful information, and I’ve since been working on my own ‘One Page Profile,’ an idea she shared that helps others understand your personality quirks, motivations, and support needs.
Professor Calvin Moorley’s personality was contagious. He was animated, engaging, funny, and candid about his own personal journey. He talked about mental health, and it was strangely reassuring and refreshing to hear such a high performer discuss the difficulties he has faced throughout his career. It was also very inspiring to hear the stories of #150Leaders alumni Ben Potts and Nicolette Porter, who both conveyed well how the Student Leadership Programme changed their lives.
But it was Professor Nigel Harrison’s pre-dinner speech in the evening of the first day that was a major turning point for me, and ultimately the highlight of the entire experience. His story was very candid, personal, and emotional, and it made me glad to be a part of the programme, even if only to experience that.
I went away from the conference with my special little box full of comments and compliments, and I was full of elation and optimism. I had met some great like-minded people and expanded my network massively. I couldn’t wait to get started and meet my leadership coach and squeeze all the knowledge I could from them. This feeling lasted a good while, but inevitably began to wear off as I was sucked back into the ‘real world’ of University studies and clinical placements. However, every opportunity to engage with the programme renewed a spark of energy to try harder to develop my leadership skills.
Because I was part of the programme, I was provided an opportunity via email to share advice with new healthcare students as part of a Health Education England online campaign using the hashtag #HEEWelcomesLearners. Off the back of this campaign, I wrote a brief article titled “Ten Top Tips from an ODP Apprentice: How to Make the Most of Your Clinical Practice”. This article was chosen for publication in the Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP) supplemental magazine ‘Innovation, People, and Practice’ (The IPP) in March of 2023. The goal of the article was to help the next generation of students by sharing my first-hand experience as a student apprentice, and writing it confirmed to myself how far I have progressed in my journey to become a better leader. I learned that I should share the information and experiences that are unique to me in a clear, concise, and honest manner, because others may benefit from this knowledge on occasion.
To conclude, I’d like to express my gratitude to the Council of Deans for accepting me into the programme and providing such an enriching learning experience. I’d like to thank Adele Nightingale for her time and for being an excellent leadership coach. I’d also like to thank the rest of the 2022/23 #150Leaders cohort for being so warm and welcoming. I wish everyone the best of luck in their future endeavours.
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Michael Bartholomew
#150Leaders