Being a part of ARCCIM has been a brilliant experience and so far, an excellent apprenticeship into...
Key research areas/interests: Women’s health; public health; self-care; sleeping problems; health service utilisation; alternative medicine; chronic illness;
Women’s experiences of sleep problems and their use of Health Services including Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and self-care.
My research focuses on the results of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) and the 45 and Up Study.
Why did you decide to embark on your research degree at the Faculty of Health at UTS?
I researched supervisors and centres rather than universities. I had been accepted by two professors from other universities, but when I found Jon, I knew it was going to be the right fit. I see this PhD as a kind of apprenticeship. I had written non publications based on qualitative research previously but wanted more skills in evidence-based research, writing and statistical analysis. I knew Jon would not only help me find the tools of the trade but let me use them on the way (by doing a PhD by publication). I was also excited to be a part of ARCCIM, the leading research centre for self-care and alternative medicines.
What contribution to knowledge are you planning to make with your research project? What impact / change might that bring about?
I am helping to fill a research void between what people take and what people do for their sleeping problems. As many people do not share their sleeping problems with medical professionals, people self-medicate frequently. In unveiling the health utilisation and self-care of women with sleeping problems, and their motives thereof, it will be clearer where further CAM RCTs are needed. It will also help medical professionals better understand their patients and help to avoid unintended drug-herb and drug-drug interactions where concomitant use may be taking place.
Who will benefit from your research? How?
Medical professionals will better understand how women privately self-medicate their sleeping problems. It will indicate to CAM researchers where further CAM RCTS and systematic reviews are required. It may help individual women and the health sector to gauge the magnitude of sleeping problems nationally, and allow researchers internationally to make comparisons with Australian data. All of these groups will be able to better understand women’s motives for their healthcare ultilisation and self-care for sleeping problems.
How did you go about selecting your supervisor?
I investigated work being done in women’s health, sleeping problems, alternative therapies and fatigue across Australia on the internet. I shortlisted three supervisors I was keen to work with, from three different universities. I spoke to all of them and read examples of their research. All were welcoming and agreed to supervise my research. I was keen for this to be an apprenticeship and Jon spoke to me a few times on the phone. He kept in touch and had lots of suggestions of not only where my research could go through my PhD but options later in my career. Jon obviously was also extremely well-respected in the field of health and a great writer that I hoped I could learn from. I was also particularly interested in doing the thesis by publication. Jon introduced me to David Sibbritt, his suggestion for co-supervisor, who was also encouraging, available and dynamic. His skill set was very different to Jon’s, and as I knew little about statistics, I was very happy to know he would also be someone I could learn from. I knew I would have an excellent supervisory team if they accepted me. They have been extremely supportive and available throughout my PhD.
Overall, how would you describe your research student experience at the Faculty of Health at UTS?
It has been excellent. The forums have been well organised and the Stage 1 candidature review was helpful. Being a part of ARCCIM has been a brilliant experience and so far, an excellent apprenticeship into academia and academic writing.
What advice would you give to future research students thinking about starting a higher degree in research at the Faculty of Health?
To get on the phone with and then meet supervisors that you may be interested in working with. Be open to changing your PhD title if it feels right when speaking to a supervisor. For me, the right supervisory team was just as important as the right topic. If you can find two supervisors who work together well also, that is a great plus. I was lucky enough to have a third supervisor be suggested to me by David and Jon (Jane Frawley) and she has been of tremendous help. Although I was awed by the outputs of my supervisors, I didn’t let that get in the way of aspiring to find the best supervisors to suit me. They can only tell you ‘no’ so have the intention to ‘interview’ your supervisors as much as them interviewing you!