Profile
Fergus McKiddie
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About Me:
I live in Aberdeenshire with my wife and work at a large hospital in Aberdeen. I love running, cricket and heavy metal and punk music. Our 2 kids have moved out so we now have two delinquent Jack Russells.
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I played a lot of sport when I was younger including cricket, skiing and running. I still try and run everyday now but it gets harder as you get older, so I’m doing more and more cycling.
I’ve always gone to lots of gigs but unfortunately not many big bands come to Aberdeen now so it often means trips to Glasgow or Edinburgh. Have seen many great shows but the best ever were probably Rush on their R30 tour or Iron Maiden a couple of years ago.
I enjoy the teaching aspect of my job so have done many outreach activities to try and show kids that there are many wonderful careers in health that aren’t doctors or nurses. Most careers services know very little about these, so it’s important to get the message out there.
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My pronouns are:
He/him
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My Work:
I am a physicist working in Nuclear Medicine in the NHS. We use radiation to diagnose and treat patients.
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Most medical imaging techniques like CT or MRI give accurate images of what the body looks like but they tell us nothing about how well organ systems are working. Nuclear Medicine, where I work, is unique as we can answer those questions about how the body is working.
We inject patients with small amounts of radioactive tracers which allow us to image different areas of the body depending on the tracer used. We make the patient the radioactive source so we have to take precautions around that until the radiation decays away, generally by the next day.
We can also treat certain cancers and other diseases by injecting patients with different types of radiation which kill the diseased cells directly. This is a huge growth area and there is going to be a lot of development and expansion in this area over the next 10 years.
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My Typical Day:
I work Monday to Friday 9 to 5 as the radiation we use is only available during those periods, which is nice for a good work life balance. At work I see lots of patient’s images, I also do lots of research which is really interesting. I’m also responsible for the training of our new trainee physicists which is really fun as you’re helping to secure the future for patients.
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At work I make sure the patients have all the right images taken and then write the report on what the images show which goes back to the doctor who asked for the test. I’m also responsible for making sure we follow all the rules about handling radiation and making sure all the staff and patients don’t get any more radiation exposure than is safe and needed.
We also do lots of research which is really interesting and it’s good to know you’re helping develop new ways of helping people who are ill. I also teach students who are doing masters courses and PhDs in medical imaging which can be rewarding.
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What I'd do with the prize money:
I would spend the money on some portable imaging equipment so we could take it around schools and actually show pupils how it works directly.
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Education:
I went to Eastern Primary school in Broughty Ferry then to Monifieth High school which opened the year I started. I left school after 5th year as I was bored and you could get into university at 17 then reasonably easily. I did a physics degree at Dundee University but struggled initially and failed first year maths and then realised why sixth year at school might have been important after all. I then worked for the Atomic Energy Authority in Cheshire for a couple of years. I wasn’t enjoying the job so I came back to Aberdeen University to do a one year masters course in Medical Physics with a vague idea of working in a hospital and 32 years later I’m still here in Aberdeen working in the hospital! I’ve moved through all the career levels and am now running a large department and responsible for a large staff group and budget.
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Qualifications:
I did 8 O Grades and 6 Highers at school then went to university and got a 2(i) degree in Physics and Digital Microelectronics. I went back to university later and got a MSc in Medical Physics and then a PhD in Nuclear Medicine. I swore then I would never sit another exam and have stuck to that ever since but have done lots of development work using online platforms like Coursera.
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Work History:
I worked as a research physicist with the Atomic Energy Authority but ended up just being a computer programmer so I left. I was Research Assistant on a BHF funded project on heart disease for a year after I finished my PhD and have worked in the NHS doing my current job since 1995.
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Employer:
NHS Grampian
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Makes patients radioactive
What did you want to be after you left school?
Physicist
Were you ever in trouble at school?
Sometimes, wouldn't keep my mouth shut
If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?
Astronomer
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Mastodon
What's your favourite food?
Steak and chips
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
To be 6 inches taller, to be 20 years younger and to wish I'd been more relaxed when the kids were little
Tell us a joke.
What did the nuclear scientist have for lunch? Fission chips
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