Health, Passion, Career: A chat with Director of Health Services Management Centre about her journey

Health PhD candidate Jo Khoo was a guest host alongside Dr Amalie Dyda on the soundcloud podcast “Stories in Public Health”  interviewing with the Director of Health Services Management Centre Professor Judith Smith, University of Birmingham. In the podcast, Professor Judith Smith shares her professional journey into health services research and management. Her own research involves many policy and organisational evaluations, new approaches in organising and managing primary care, help purchasing and commissioning funding in health, long term or integrated care, governance of health care for both quality and safety. Her most recent noted study was on breaching the gap for world of policy management between health management and practice. Judith also gave some insight for people who are going into a more senior role in the field to work for someone you think is excellent and surrounding yourself with excellent colleagues, get yourself a mentor, coaching, get yourself a skill when moving sector, and learn from your mistakes along the way. “Being clear on social media about your topic and making presence known. If you’re a researcher and have written a report about something that is currently significant in the media a while ago, but may want to write a new blog about it. Keep yourself connected with broader communities and networks as well as job but can also say no to things, need to be strategic and conscious of career and what work you do.” Says Judith on newcomers to the industry. Jo Khoo is an advisory committee member for the podcast and a part of the Health Market Quality R&D Program at CMCRC which aims to improve integrity and efficiency for all stakeholders in the health market.