I’m an MSc Psychology (Conversion) student at Leeds Trinity University. Having left school at 16, I spent a long time in clerical roles in the NHS before moving onto specialist support and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) roles in the third sector and higher education. 

I graduated from my Law undergrad with the Open University during lockdown – a time which changed a lot for many people – and last year, after a lot of consideration, I made the decision to prioritise an education path that felt right for me.

Why psychology? Many reasons, but an important driver for me is my need to understand the world. I have a strong desire to understand things - I need to know why do we do that, what influences us and what drives behaviour etc.

When figuring out where I’d study, I needed somewhere within travelling distance so I could still pick the kids up from school, with a British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited course. I found that at Leeds Trinity University, and then some. This last year has been such a journey (deadlines will always be stressful, life will always get in the way), but I’ve felt so supported and encouraged.

When Dr James Jackson, Psychology (Conversion) Lead and my thesis supervisor, asked if I’d be interested in presenting ‘Engagement and dissatisfaction in Tinnitus patients’ for a GN Hearing Complex Needs Educational day for NHS Audiologists on his behalf earlier in June, I felt a strange mix of total excitement, pride and confusion — had he accidentally asked entirely the wrong person? — with a decent amount of terror in there too. I’m a mature student, so I have presented before, but it’s something that, largely, I’ve successfully managed to avoid. However, I’ve been trying to challenge myself so immediately said ‘yes’.

The day was really interesting and covered hearing aid technology developments, cochlear implants, hearing loss associated fatigue, managing tinnitus, auditory cognitive training and much more.

When my time to present came, was I nervous? Yes. Did I fall over my words? Yes. Did I forget every coherent thought I’d ever had for a few moments once I took the microphone? Also, yes. But all that is ok! We are but human and I kept reminding myself of that. With my background in NHS primary care, my thesis research and a lot of prep, I felt confident in the content I’d be delivering.

The presentation explored the challenges in defining tinnitus, differentiating it from other conditions of sound perception, and research challenges in establishing prevalence. I also examined the association between tinnitus and depression and tinnitus as a symptom of long covid.

From a personal perspective, I felt not only very humbled to have been asked and deemed capable of doing this, but also proud. There’s something really enjoyable and encouraging about talking to people about something you find interesting and seeing a shared enthusiasm in the audience.

As a student, my advice to others would be to grab these opportunities when you can. Professionally, presenting is a brilliant skill and confidence in doing so can most effectively be built with continued practice. There are also wider benefits in attending events like this, such as hearing about other areas of research, building your knowledge and context, and creating academic and professional networks.

I’ll certainly be doing more of that when I attend Dr Jackson’s upcoming workshop, What to do for patients with tinnitus, at Leeds Trinity’s Main Campus in Horsforth on Saturday 29 June, which will be attended by a range of medical professionals. While I won’t be speaking this time, I’m looking forward to learning more about how to improve clinical practice and management for people with tinnitus.

Ellie Brown is a MSc Psychology (Conversion) student at Leeds Trinity University.