Today we are speaking with Molly Suthers, a graduate of the Applied Theatre, MA course about her work with the NHS and supporting the COVID-19 vaccination programme.
What have you been working on?
I’ve had the opportunity to work on several different projects with the fabulous Dr Nicola Abraham in hospitals and care homes. Its definitely been one of the highlights of the course and I’m incredibly grateful to Nicky and her wonderful team.
In the last term I worked on a placement with Anna Woolf and London Arts and Health which was another invaluable experience.
Alongside my placements and university studies I’ve also been working as a COVID-19 Vaccinator for North Central London since January and continue to work on the vaccine rollout now. It’s been a truly weird yet wonderful experience and definitely something I’d never considered myself doing before this pandemic.
How did you get involved with the vaccination rollout?
My mother works at Middlesex University as the head of clinical skills and simulation department (the brilliant team of educators who ran the training for this vaccination programme). When she told me they were looking for people to train to vaccinate I applied, despite feeling incredibly under-qualified for such a job.
What did you do as a part of this role?
Being a part of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been a truly amazing experience. I’ve been working in the mass vaccination hubs alongside people from all different backgrounds including scientists, cabin crew, musicians, and many more.
Vaccinating is definitely not something I’d ever thought I would be doing (and some of the people I vaccinated certainly were shocked when I said I was a theatre student) but I’m so glad I did it. I’ve met some incredibly interesting people, both colleagues and people coming to get their vaccine and, despite being truly terrified at the start, I realised it was something I really enjoy doing.
How is this project related to your coursework?
Interestingly, this project related well to my course and coursework. I always knew I wanted to work in health or care in some capacity and, due to my work with Nicola Abraham, I learnt how it could be possible for me to merge my love of the arts and my desire to work in the health and care sector.
What has surprised you most about your experience?
I was really surprised at how enjoyable I found the experience. Being able to be a part of the NHS during the pandemic was so interesting and meeting wonderful healthcare professionals who gave up so much of their time and energy to make the rollout a success was truly inspiring. I was also surprised at how quickly administering vaccines became normal to me. After a few days on shift it really did start to feel natural and started to become a muscle memory activity. Essentially, I was surprised at how at ease I felt in that sort of environment.
I’ve centred most of my coursework and studies during this MA around the field of Arts and Health and so working for the NHS and in a clinical setting was really good experience. Whilst Nicola Abrahams’ projects were invaluable for my experience and knowledge about arts and health, working in the vaccine centres gave me a hands-on experience about working in a hospital setting. So really, despite becoming a COVID-19 vaccinator being a surprising choice, it really did benefit my studies.
How did you find out about Central and decide to study with us?
I came to an open day with a friend in my final year of my undergrad at Leeds. My friend wanted to come to central and was looking at the Music Theatre, MA course. At this point, I was also interested in doing a Music Theatre, MA so selected that option for the open day and put the Applied Theatre, MA course as a back-up. It was something I’d always been interested in and thought it would be a good secondary option. After hearing the brilliant Selina Busby talk about the course and all it had to offer I was absolutely convinced the course was right for me!
What are you planning to do after graduation?
I’m actually due to start a job working in the NHS! I’ve taken on a role as an activity coordinator for a hospital in one of the NHS trusts and I can’t wait to start. I will be working alongside a wonderful arts team to ensure patients in hospital have the best experience possible.
Learn more about the NHS’s COVID-19 vaccination programme on their website.
