AGS Alumni | Marium Malik

What person, class or experience most influenced you?

I absolutely enjoyed my sciences, a huge shout out to Miss Smitheringale and her team. I used to love doing experiments in the labs and my curiosity of cancer and knowledge of anatomy via biology led me towards the route of my career today. I even enjoyed physics and if I told my teen self I was working with radiation she would have been ecstatic!

How did your education at AGS prepare you for your career?

I was able to establish effective revision strategies, become more resilient in the face of challenges, and become much more confident in admitting when I didn’t understand concepts. All thanks to the exam season, revision sessions after school and individual time and effort from my teachers.

What has your career path been like? How did you get to where you are?

After leaving AGS, I went to study at Macmillan post 16. I did Health and social care, Biology and Chemistry. I then got into the University of Hertfordshire where I studied Bsc Radiotherapy and Oncology with placement years at Oxford Churchill Hospital.

I then got my degree during COVID and was already working at Newcastle Freeman Hospital as a Therapeutic Radiographer as my first job. After nearly two and a half years, I decided to take on a job at James Cook University Hospital and have been working here for over two years years now! 

What do you enjoy about your job?

The fact that I am privileged to help someone through their cancer journey and make a positive impact on their life everyday. If it isn’t via the treatment then it could be through a conversation.

Alongside this, I love theoretical science, research and evidence behind everything we do. As much as I am an emotional person, I am a bit rational too and the career satisfies my brain with a good challenge. Every day in the department is never the same!

What skills have served you well in your career?

Communication skills, both verbal and non verbal have been pivotal in my set of skills which I have developed so much from my teens into adulthood. I have tapped into more complex concepts such as emotional intelligence and empathy to ensure that my patients are being heard properly and that my colleagues are well supported.

Public speaking is something I struggled with so much as I was struggling with anxiety when I was younger. This is a key skill to have when going into interviews, delivering presentations at meetings which we all have done in the NHS. I highly recommend all students to feel uncomfortable with it until it doesn’t! Ever since I have been able to do this with ease it has enhanced my career even further.

Furthermore, mental arithmetic has been integral with my job. Simple maths has helped me problem solve quicker. It’s something I highly recommend to anyone to keep up with.

I also think time management is absolutely vital. In the world of work and especially in the NHS, time is money. We are always working out how to efficiently be able to treat patients, amend any policies or working protocols to make sure less time is wasted. I have been managing my time at work while supporting university students, collaborating with schools and working on a daily basis treating patients and doing administration work. I also look after new radiographers that have qualified and ensure that they are well supported.

Leadership is another lifelong and important skill to have. Everyone is a born leader but we all lead slightly differently based off our qualities. Being able to lead and voice your opinions while upholding others fairly is a key skill. As a mentor and senior radiographer I like to lead by example and show what expectations are set for my colleagues and students. This then promotes empowerment and a more positive outlook for them.

What advice would you give to current Acklam Grange students about their future?

First of all, if you feel lost please do not despair! All you need is a sense of passion for certain subjects or a job role you find very interesting. The world is your oyster and you will get very far – all you need is self belief and hard work, the rest will follow.

Experience of any kind at this time is priceless, I did a work placement when I was 16/17 at a pharmacy and hated it, that’s how I knew pharmacy was not the job for me. I found my passion for radiotherapy after AGS but the thought process behind it was born here. So dive deep and make sure that whatever you do feels right. There is no time limit for starting or switching your career trajectory. You will find that us adults are still learning, or we have changed our jobs. There is not a single day where we don’t learn anything new!

If you’re a former student of Acklam Grange School and want to share your story, get in touch via the details below.

Miss S Winter
Careers Advisor
01642 277700
winter.s@acklamgrange.org.uk