Officially becoming a new graduate Podiatrist straight out of university can be daunting just as much as it is exciting.

I think I can speak for everyone when I say that the year 2020 has been a tough one, and for my fellow final year healthcare students, a roller coaster at best. We were all faced with massive uncertainty, were we going to graduate on time? Were we going to graduate at all? But here I stand with my first class bachelors degree certificate and I have never been more thrilled.

Once the hard part was over, I was faced with an even tougher challenge. Getting employed.

I wish I could say it’s an easy process, but I don’t think that a job search ever is. Luckily for me, that’s where my lecturers within the podiatry department at the University of Huddersfield stepped in to help.

Colne Valley Chiropody & Podiatry is an established private clinic, owned by Matthew Butters, based in Marsden and Huddersfield that offer both podiatry and biomechanical services. Students received an email regarding a job post advertised by the clinic about possibly taking on a newly graduated podiatrist, so of course I’d be silly if I didn’t jump at the chance to apply.

A handful of exchanged emails, a couple of interviews and some months later, I officially started my new role as a qualified podiatrist at Colne Valley. As expected, I went through an array of emotions during the build up towards my first day and then actually completing my first week. P.S. I survived!

I am filled with so much gratitude to every single patient I have treated so far and more importantly to my new colleagues for the support, kindness and welcome that I have experienced within just the first week.

Anxiety is a strong emotion that we all have or will encounter and I say without shame that it’s a feeling I have felt more than once during my first week. Meeting some of my team and the lovely patients has successfully diminished any anxiety I have felt, I am beyond excited about my new career with Matthew and the team. So to every new graduate of 2020, congratulations. If we made it through Covid-19 we can make it through anything.