Melinda Wright

• Course: Master of Health Science (Clinical Data Management)

What made you choose the course?
Since graduating I have worked as a data manager. This involves data management in clinical trials and also data management of databases. This was the only course on offer that directly related to what I did for a job. To get ahead in the future I believe you need to become as knowledgeable as you can in your chosen field. Studying the Masters of Clinical Data Management was just one way to do this.

Background - previous qualifications and work:
I completed a Bachelor of Applied Science (Health Information Management) degree in 1997. I have also completed the Graduate Certificate of Health Science (Clinical Data Management) and now I am working towards the Masters in Clinical Data Management. I worked as a Research Officer in Clinical Trials Department of the Cancer Therapy Centre of Liverpool Hospital for 2 years. During this time I also worked part time as a clinical coder in the Clinical Information Department of Liverpool Hospital. From here I moved to Covance PtyLtd, a contract research organisation at North Ryde, where I was employed as a clinical data coordinator. I spent 6 months there prior to returning to my current role as Data Manager at the Cancer Therapy Centre of Liverpool Hospital. This role primarily involving the management of all data within the Cancer Therapy Centre.

What were your expectations of the course and have your expectations been met?
I expected to learn the theory behind clinical trials as well the management of data within health organisations. I am definitely enjoying the course. Learning lots!

Best aspects of the course?
You can complete the course and still work full time. The flexible learning approach is definitely a plus. Having to attend university every week would not always be practical for people that work full time.

How challenging do you find the course?
The Graduate Certificate component of the course was much less challenging than the Masters component. I don't find the course to be particularly difficult but the course is a challenge in the sense that it is time consuming and you need to work within tight time constraints. Plus because the course is for the most part by distance education mode a degree of each assessment task is actually trying to understand what the assessment task is asking you to do. This is not an obstacle that you face as an undergraduate student because you have close contact with both lecturers and other students. Time management is crucial in this kind of course. You really need to organise yourself early because any questions you have are answered with a time delay. Therefore leaving things to the last moment is not an option.

Do you think the course is preparing you to work in the profession?
Definitely. I already work in this field and am now able to apply the things that I have been learning to my current practice. The course also enables you to meet other health professionals that you can network with in the future.

What are your future goals/where do you wish to work when you graduate?
I plan to keep working within the area of clinical data management. There are so many opportunities in this field of work for health professionals. The introduction of more and more technology impacts on health in a big way. The role of the data manager continues to change as the technology changes. Every day brings a new challenge.

Is there any health area that particularly interest you?
My area of interest is in Oncology. I have spent the last 3-4 years familiarising myself with the terminology and learning the issues facing cancer units. I have a particular interest in health data and the sharing of this data amongst different institutions.

Would you recommend this course to others?
I would recommend this course to health professionals who intend to pursue a career in clinical trials or database management. The course is quite specific to these areas (which is an advantage).

There is a huge scope for health information managers to work in this field. Private industry is screaming out for data coordinators. HIM's have the skills that are necessary to do these jobs. Plus, in general, these positions tend to pay well above the award rates for new graduates. This is what most interests students.