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Blog Thread 4; Live Free or Blog Hard - 'cos we all like blogging
Barmymoo:
One of my friends has several jobs and one of them is appearing in court representing the bank in home repossessions. She generally doesn't feel bad about it - often it's people's second homes or company's premises, and the system in the UK isn't as brutal as the US one, but occasionally she is aware that she's causing homelessness and she hates it.
I just had a very useful 40 minute phone call with the woman I wrote about contacting last month (and how that was a big step for me as I hate contacting strangers to ask for favours). It was very interesting, she answered lots of questions and was also forthright and to the point in the manner I've grown used to from a certain type of woman - successful, busy, highly-achieving and well-educated - in telling me that a) it would be a waste of everyone's time for me to contact prisons asking if I could visit (I thought this was probably the case but wanted to confirm) and b) I have an obligation to society to make use of the investment in my education. The undertone was "don't waste your talents on being a midwife". I see her point, as I saw the point of the other people who have said similar things, and I didn't argue, but sometimes I do get a bit frustrated that people don't recognise the value of intelligent, well-educated people being on the front line of healthcare services. It is in the day-to-day decision-making that it is most essential for people to know and understand research, policy and ethics.
Also my health wouldn't allow me to do the quantity and intensity of work she does, but there's no point going into that nest of hornets with strangers.
pwhodges:
It's a sort of intellectual elitism to suggest that work that requires a certain kind of education has more value than that requiring another, such as being a midwife. Coming from an intellectual background myself, I have seen this often, but I hope that I have always tried to ensure that I don't show it myself.
Barmymoo:
I do agree that there's a difference in the type of education necessary for being a midwife working on the wards and for being a policy researcher in the management of the NHS. What I don't agree on is that one is more valuable than the other, or that I'm wasting the investment in my education by doing the former.
BeoPuppy:
Having gone through 'the process' of having a kid, sort of from the side, of course, since I'm not Galen's mother, I can attest to the fact that it's insanely important to have healthcare professionals during the whole experience with whom you can talk, who will field questions intelligently and clearly and who will not beat about the bush. Judging from your online personality you'd be an asset to have at any pregnant lady's bedside.
Barmymoo:
Thank you! That is nice to hear :) I know I'd make an excellent midwife. Come to that, I'd make an excellent nanny or PA as well (two other career options I'm considering if midwifery doesn't work out). I'd make an awful lawyer and probably not a great teacher either, two things that people keep trying to push at me. Thankfully I'm stubborn pig-headed contrary confident enough to make my own life choices!
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