Lucy Gill is one of our podiatry apprentices – re-training as a podiatrist after 17 years working at the organisation.
To join #TeamNTH visit our vacancies page.
What does your day-to-day role involve?
My role varies day to day, I have my own foot care clinics, I work in the diabetic screening clinics, assist in nail surgery and do review the patients in a redressing clinic, support the high risk podiatrists within the multi-disciplinary team area and order all the stock for the department.
How did you get started in podiatry? Did you always know what you wanted to do?
I started in my role when a job was advertised for a podiatry assistant with full training given. I honestly planned for this to be a stop gap but here I am 17 years later and now studying my podiatry degree!
What was your career pathway after finishing secondary school or college?
At school I got 10 GCSEs and went to college to study early years education with the hope to go to university to become a teacher.
Sadly after college I had to have surgery on my leg which came with a long recovery programme. During that time I wasn’t sure if it was teaching I wanted to pursue anymore.
So I got a job in an office short term until I saw this job advertised in the NHS. I did not know a lot about podiatry, however I knew I wanted to be in a caring role, so applied. I joined the department and did a podiatry assistant course, through the society of podiatrists.
Now, 17 years on I have started my podiatry apprenticeship degree, and just completed year two. Hopefully this time next year I will be a podiatrist.
What’s been the highlight of your career so far? Any standout moments to mention?
I have had many great experiences, I work with a fabulous team and have been given an amazing opportunity to become a podiatrist with the new podiatry apprenticeship degree. The support I have from the team is great.
I especially love the feeling when you have made a difference to a patient’s day, from the smallest of things like cutting a patients nails to relieve pain to times where I have spotted skin cancer, deep vein thrombosis and infections that I have managed to get the patients on the right pathways thankfully with a positive result.
Any top tips or practical advice for someone wanting to get started in your industry?
Definitely look at apprenticeship opportunities….you are never too old! My podiatry apprenticeship degree is the best opportunity I have ever been given.
I manage to train and attend university while working with the support of an amazing team.
