Martina Johnstone

• Degree: Master of Health Science (Clinical Data Management)
• Graduated: 2005
• Current Position: Hospital Scientist/Clinical Co-Ordinator
  St. George Hospital

What has been your career path to date?

After completing a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science at UTS, I found employment in the Nuclear Medicine department of St. George Hospital, a large teaching hospital in southeast Sydney. I was fortunate in that not only were the staff friendly and supportive, but the work was interesting, challenging and incorporated theory from various disciplines.

Initially employed as a Technical Officer, I was promoted to Hospital Scientist and soon became responsible for the daily running of the "Hot" lab, where radioactive pharmaceuticals are prepared and tested. Later the department was invited to participate in a number of sponsored clinical trials while assisting in management of the volumes of paperwork the trials generated, I became interested in pursuing a formal education in the field. I enrolled in the Master of Health Science (Clinical Data Management) after hearing about it from a colleague from another department.

Upon completion of my Master Degree, I was encouraged and supported by my managers to apply for an upgrade, with a promotion to Senior Hospital Scientist currently awaiting approval by area.

What kind of work does your position involve?

Our department has been involved in both diagnostic and therapeutic trials, mainly in the areas of oncology and haematology. Working in the field of Nuclear Medicine also provides challenges associated with the logistics of working with radiation.

My main responsibility in relation to clinical trials lies in the management of trial documentation. Along with the Clinical Coordinator, I am jointly responsible for such things as patient medical histories, the organising of patient appointments, and communication with Ethics Committees and sponsors. With my laboratory background I am also responsible for some trial patient specimen processing and in-house preparation and quality control of some of the radio-labelled investigational agents. Along with this comes the responsibility of managing the documentation related to the laboratory procedures.

My ongoing education in clinical data management has been assured through regular meetings with other researchers and data managers employed at St. George Hospital, and also through the professional body AHRDMA (Australasian Health and Research Data Managers Association) which holds annual conferences providing an opportunity to discuss current issues and network with colleagues.

How did you find the Master of Health Science?

I found the course useful in that I learnt about the principles and rationales related to the design, implementation, running and reporting of clinical trials. This understanding of the theory has made the performance of trial related procedures to the standards required by the sponsors a more efficient process.

In addition to this trial related knowledge, subjects such as Fundamentals of Medicine and Medical Terminology, Evidence Based Health Care, Introduction to Epidemiology, Database Management Systems and Statistics for Clinical Research have equipped me with knowledge and skills that are useful in all clinical areas.

Throughout the course, the management of clinical trials and clinical data was described from the viewpoint of both the sponsors and sites, which provided an interesting and beneficial insight into the duties and responsibilities of both groups.

Being able to take this degree on a part time basis by correspondence was a big advantage since I was working full time. Surprisingly, this didn't leave me with a feeling of being isolated. There were email forums, organised teleconferences and also contact with friends made during the few face-to-face subject residentials. In addition to this the lecturers and subject coordinators were easily contacted by phone or email and were always happy to give their time and attention.

I would happily recommend this course to others interested or involved in clinical trials or clinical data management. With a little work-based experience under my belt, I found the course to be interesting, challenging at times and relevant to my work and interests. It helped me develop skills and confidence in trial related procedures and principles, while also providing generally useful knowledge for working in a clinical environment.