Former Access to Nursing student Craig Chipfuwmit recently received a job offer as a GMP Production Scientist in Cambridge (the hub of biotechnology, research and scientific innovation) before he had even received his final year exam results. He says: “I owe that job offer to my experiences at Kingston College, Kingston University and my student placement. Access to Nursing gave me direct access to university as I did not have the right qualifications having studied abroad, plus I did not have A Levels.”
Have a read of Craig’s incredible and inspirational learning journey:
What were you doing before enrolling at Kingston College?
In 1995 I started my General Nursing Diploma as an 18 year old back home in Zimbabwe. I qualified as a nurse at 21 and worked in operating theatres since 1998. I migrated to the UK in 2001 and worked in theatres at Queens Medical Centre Nottingham, moving to London in 2004 and working in the NHS until 2012 when I went into the private sector. I was a theatre nurse at New Victoria Hospital Kingston in 2018 and worked alongside surgeons in elective surgical operations. It was then that I decided I wanted to go back to school and challenge myself. I had become demoralised and convinced that I had reached the end of the road in my career. I felt that there was no room for upward progression as I am more of a hands-on practical person than a desk job person. The short nursing courses on offer did not suit me because I wanted a real challenge that would take me outside of my comfort zone and help me reinvent myself. I felt I still had it in me to learn and knew I was not using my full potential in my theatre nurse job.
Why did you choose Kingston College?
Kingston College gave me the opportunity to begin exploring where I wanted to go and where I needed to be. At first, I chose to study ODP (Operating Department Practitioner) via Access to Nursing but I was not sure I wanted to follow the theatres/ODP path. Starting the Access course gave me insight into other paths that were available. I was able to network with other people in academia such as Catriona and Akin who taught Access to Nursing, they motivated me and became my source of inspiration. I chose Kingston College because I felt the staff would be dedicated to my success as a mature learner. As somebody who had been out of school since 1998 I felt confident that the College would offer the right support and had the experienced staff I needed to ace the course. I chose Kingston College because they have a good progression rate for students going to university and this is something I really wanted. I felt the College was better equipped to prepare me and guide me to have an amazing university experience.
Was the course what you expected?
The course was exactly what I expected as it had good core subjects such as biology, anatomy and physiology and study skills necessary for undergraduate study at university. Study skills such as report writing and research skills were particularly useful in my undergraduate and in my professional placement and I will continue to use these skills in my new role.
How did the course benefit you in your future career plans?
The study material and support available would prepare me to engage with university study which was my primary objective. The course gave me direct access to university as I did not have the requirements for university having studied abroad plus I did not have A Levels. I had a job, had a young dependent and really wanted a career change and could study Access for one year whilst I worked part time and continued my caring responsibilities. While at Kingston College I rang Dr Gould, Course Director at Kingston University to discuss my options. Through interactions with many people at College and other networks I found out I could be more than an ODP. Access allowed me to explore other paths... I could even go straight to medical school and I did consider this. Dr Gould later became my tutor from Level 4 through to Level 6 in the 4 years that I attended Kingston University.
Where and what did you study at university?
I did my undergraduate study at Kingston University where I studied Biomedical Science with Professional Placement. After my 2nd year I got a student placement in Essex and worked as a Manufacturing Technician at Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, a Biotechnology/Pharmaceutical manufacturing independent organisation. I was able to put the skills I learnt from college in my placement thanks to the guidance I received on the Access course. I returned to Kingston University last September 2022 to complete my final year of university. I recently got a job offer as a GMP Production Scientist in Cambridge (the hub of biotechnology, research and scientific innovation) before I had even received my final year exam results. The job involves the use of viral vectors in bioprocessing to produce recombinant proteins which can be made into a cell or gene therapy for diseases such as cancer.
