Sophie's S6 Work Experience in Private Healthcare: a year with Step & Stone
Work experience in healthcare can be a mixed bag. Some students spend a week observing from a distance, ticking a box and moving on. Others find something that genuinely changes the direction they're heading.
Sophie was the latter.
A sixth-year student in Aberdeen, Sophie joined Step & Stone Health over the past year torn between two career paths. She shadowed both our Physiotherapist, Imke Vormeer and our Podiatrist, Amy Bisset - getting a real, hands-on look at what both roles actually look like in a private healthcare clinic setting.
By the time the year finished, the decision had made itself.
It's not uncommon for students exploring healthcare to find themselves drawn to more than one discipline. What is less common is the opportunity to experience both, side by side, in a real clinical environment.
We asked Sophie what it was about her time observing both Imke and Amy that helped her reach a decision.
"By spending time observing both physiotherapy and podiatry it allowed me to see how both professions interact with their patients and how they determined the end goal and the steps it would take to get there."
Sophie on choosing podiatry:
"One thing about podiatry that stood out to me was the consistency of the appointments and how much a simple appointment every few months could have such an impact on a patient and make their life that bit easier."
A Day in the Life of Amy
Podiatry is one of those professions that can be difficult to explain to someone who hasn't seen it up close. The clinical reality, the preparation, the precision, the relationship-building with patients - is rarely what people expect.
Sophie on a typical day shadowing Amy in clinic:
"A typical day with Amy often started with sterilising instruments and making sure she would have everything she needed for her appointments. Then we would talk through what we would see that day and what it would entail - ensuring we were always prepped and ready.
"People would probably be surprised to see how much goes on behind the scenes to guarantee every patient gets the best and most comfortable experience."
The Moment it Clicked
Most people, when they think of podiatry, think of nail care, hard skin, ingrown toenails, verruca. And yes, that's part of it - a part the team loves. But podiatrists are experts of the entire lower limb and that evening Sophie got to see exactly what that means in practice.
We asked Sophie: "What's been your favourite memory from your time with us?
"My favourite memory would be Amy's CPD evening. It really consolidated for me that podiatry is what I wanted to do and gave me a further insight into podiatry as a whole. But it was also the first time I had met many of the Step & Stone team - who immediately made me feel comfortable and part of their team."
The session by Amy centred on joint manipulation and the biomechanical side of the role - the part that's all about finding the why. A patient has hard skin but why? Hard skin builds up where the foot is under repeated friction and pressure, so why is that area taking the load? Is it their gait, their footwear?
For Amy, the surface is never the whole story.
For Sophie, seeing that layer of clinical thinking up close was the moment podiatry stopped being one of two options and became the only one.
What She'd Tell the Next Student
We asked Sophie two final questions. One looking back and one looking forward.
Q: If you could go back to before your first day, what would you tell yourself?
"I would tell myself not to be so nervous and not to panic. That in no time you will feel confident within the clinic and really become part of the team. That by the end you won't want to leave."
"And even though pushing yourself out of your comfort zone now feels scary, it will be the best thing you could do for yourself in the long run."
Q: What would you say to another student thinking about work experience in private healthcare?
"I would 100% recommend it - especially if you are stuck between two career paths, because it allows you to get a feel for both and make an informed decision. It also makes the thought of going to university and doing something for the first time not so daunting because you already have an idea of what it will be like."
Sophie, it has been a genuine pleasure having you with us this year. You brought curiosity, warmth and a real willingness to learn and the team will miss having you around. We have no doubt you'll make an excellent podiatrist and we'll be watching your career with a great deal of pride.
If your school or college is interested in work experience opportunities at Step & Stone Health, we'd love to hear from you admin@stepandstonehealth.co.uk.
