{"id":371,"date":"2025-07-15T08:41:31","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T08:41:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/communityandprimarycare\/?p=371"},"modified":"2025-07-15T08:41:31","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T08:41:31","slug":"finding-my-feet-in-healthcare-research-reflections-from-a-first-post-doctoral-position","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/communityandprimarycare\/2025\/07\/15\/finding-my-feet-in-healthcare-research-reflections-from-a-first-post-doctoral-position\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding My Feet in Healthcare Research: Reflections from a First Post-Doctoral Position"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Adam Stewart Research Assistant, CO-ACTION<\/strong>

Six months ago, I started my first post-doctoral research role at the University of Plymouth. After completing a PhD in Psychology and working in NHS mental health services, I joined the CO-ACTION project, an NIHR-funded study focused on supporting people with multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs). It\u2019s my first experience of healthcare research, and, as it turns out, quite different from what I expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This blog shares a few reflections from these early months. It\u2019s written with fellow early career researchers in mind, especially those considering a move into applied health research or wondering what to expect when stepping into a large, multi-site project. I can\u2019t offer a checklist or formula (I\u2019m still working it out myself), but I hope some of this feels familiar or reassuring.

From the Lab to the Living Room<\/strong>
Before I started, I imagined healthcare research would be tightly controlled: predefined protocols, linear timelines, and a lot of statistical analysis. My previous research involved experiments with psychology undergraduates, where running structured studies in laboratory conditions meant most variables were within reach. Applied health research, as I\u2019ve discovered, is a bit less like that.

Instead, I\u2019ve found a more flexible, responsive process. There\u2019s still rigor, of course, and plenty of structure, but also space to adapt as we go, particularly in response to what we learn from the people involved. That flexibility was surprising at first. It took some time to get used to not always knowing exactly what\u2019s coming next, but I\u2019ve started to feel more at home with the unknowns. Research, it turns out, doesn\u2019t always move in a straight line, and that\u2019s not necessarily a bad thing.

Uncertainty, Collaboration, and Other Learning Curves<\/strong>
One of the key parts of my role has been engaging with stakeholders, including people living with MLTCs, carers, health professionals, and community organisations. This has included facilitating focus groups and community events, often in quite informal settings. It\u2019s been an opportunity to listen and learn directly from people whose voices are often missing in research conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, I\u2019ve had to get comfortable with not having all the answers. Designing an intervention collaboratively means sitting with uncertainty for longer than I was used to. There\u2019s a balance to be struck between being open to ideas and needing to move the project forward. I\u2019ve learned that regular and open communication, especially with a team spread across the country, goes a long way. So does reminding yourself that uncertainty is part of the process, not a sign that things are going wrong.

Methods, Identity, and Finding My Place<\/strong>
This role has also opened up a wider view of what research can look like. I\u2019ve had the chance to explore methods I hadn\u2019t encountered before, such as realist approaches, systematic review, co-design, and patient and public involvement. I\u2019ve also started to reflect on which methods I find most meaningful and want to develop further. There\u2019s something valuable about being in a role that allows you to try things out, especially if you\u2019re still figuring out what kind of researcher you want to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re considering a similar role, or just starting out in one, it\u2019s okay not to have it all figured out. You\u2019ll find your footing, often by doing, sometimes by asking, and occasionally by reminding yourself that nobody else has all the answers either.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d be lying if I said I never felt behind. Like many early career researchers, I\u2019ve worried about whether I know enough, whether I\u2019m contributing enough, whether I\u2019m doing it \u201cright.\u201d But I\u2019m starting to see that learning on the job is not only acceptable, it\u2019s expected. And working in a supportive team makes a big difference. I\u2019ve been encouraged to ask questions, take initiative, and reflect on what I want to get out of the role as well as what I can bring to it.

Looking Ahead<\/strong>
I still have a lot to learn, and I expect that won\u2019t change any time soon. But six months in, I feel more confident navigating the space between structure and uncertainty, more comfortable contributing to conversations I used to find intimidating, and more curious than ever about where this path might lead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Adam Stewart Research Assistant, CO-ACTION Six months ago, I started my first post-doctoral research role at the University of Plymouth. After completing a PhD in Psychology and working in NHS mental health services, I joined the CO-ACTION project, an NIHR-funded study focused on supporting people with multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs). It\u2019s my first experience… Continue reading Finding My Feet in Healthcare Research: Reflections from a First Post-Doctoral Position<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":251,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/communityandprimarycare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/communityandprimarycare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/communityandprimarycare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/communityandprimarycare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/251"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/communityandprimarycare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=371"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/communityandprimarycare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":378,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/communityandprimarycare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371\/revisions\/378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/communityandprimarycare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/communityandprimarycare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/communityandprimarycare\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}