A proud export of BCU, Aoife Murphy, completed her Radiography degree with us and jumped straight into giving a scan to the first patient of the Commonwealth Games 2022
We caught up with Aoife to see how she’s been getting on since recently finishing her Master's degree. We asked about how her experience at the Commonwealth has been so far, how has benefited her career in radiography, and how the University has helped her to grow professionally.
“My experience at the Commonwealth Games has been amazing so far! I have been placed at the University of Birmingham Polyclinic with the role of providing a high-quality imaging service to athletes throughout the games. I performed the first MRI scan of the Games using cutting edge technology on a Canon Medical MRI scanner. Canon is the first manufacturer in the world to use deep learning reconstruction technology for MRI, so it was amazing to get the opportunity to utilise this world leading technology whilst scanning a world class athlete.
“Day to day coming into the Games there is almost a festival atmosphere. All the volunteers are enthusiastic, the athletes housing is very close to the polyclinic so we can hear the music coming from their rooms and there are lots of Portaloo’s! There are also athletes jogging around the village as part of their Commonwealth countries. Before the Games the Commonwealth Collective received a uniform, which is orange and blue and even includes a peaky blinders style cap as a nod to Birmingham’s history!
“Working at the games has helped shine a light on my career. I was featured on my trust intranet site under the heading ‘NHS heroes join the Commonwealth Collective’ for undertaking the volunteer role. I have been working with the Canon medical team on site during the games, where I have made invaluable connections in the world of radiography, clinical applications and medical equipment.
“Another reason I applied to volunteer at the Games was because it involves my passion for sport. During my time at BCU I played for BCU’s women’s hockey team. I made great memories and would recommend anyone that has an interest in sport to join a team and get involved.
“BCU played a huge part in my professional development. I completed my BSc in Radiography and recently an MSc in Radiography with distinction at BCU. During my MSc in Radiography, I learned about advanced technology used in CT & MRI. This very technology I recently wrote assignments about, I got to use in person during the Games. Completing my postgraduate studies at BCU allowed me to enhance my clinical knowledge as well as leadership skills, which helped me move from a band 6 to a band 7 role in the NHS.
“Another career highlight was raising funds for the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, which involved me zip wiring from a cage suspended in front of the Hospital!
“The money I raised will go towards making MMuH more than just a hospital, including helping pay for a garden area to enhance patients' wellbeing and recovery. I have been undertaking research in the field of radiography and recently had my CT research ePoster displayed at the UK Imaging and Oncology Conference 2022 in Liverpool. At UKIO I also witnessed the future of health students training with Siemens VR equipment, simulating clinical scenarios to aid students learning - something BCU health students may utilise in the near future! I also have a scientific paper currently under review by the Radiography Journal, fingers crossed I will have a published article soon!”