Niki Kourtoglou was a qualified nutritionist but found the subject lacked fulfilment. The podiatry programme enabled her to become a student ambassador, delivering presentations to schools, to work with Age UK to provide foot care, and to retrain as a podiatrist. She graduated with a first.
Adam Main taught English as foreign language, worked in the hospitality industry, taught scuba diving, and studied osteopathy – but finally changed careers, graduating this year in podiatry.
Finally, former dental nurse Natalie Laws opted for a career change in podiatry which she found “interesting, varied and challenging”. She plans to move to London in a graduate role with Guys & St Thomas NHS Trust.
Dr Simon Otter, podiatry Principal Lecturer in the university’s School of Health Sciences at the university’s Eastbourne campus, said: “All three were great students and a great inspiration to others – they have showed it’s never too late to change careers.”
These graduations come at a time of a national shortage of podiatrists and the NHS is keen to recruit more people into the podiatry profession.
Dr Otter continues: “Podiatry is a great career and one that has a direct impact on improving patients’ lives.”