I have lost track of the number of times I’ve been asked (usually with a look of feint horror):
“What made you want to work with feet?!”
The truth is that I was in 6th year at high school and had the notion that I wanted to do something to help people. I sort of thought I would quite like to do something medical but didn’t have the grades to be a doctor (if I’d only stuck in I now realise I probably did have the brains… hindsight is a wonderful thing!).
By the time Podiatry came to my attention I’d considered midwifery, joining the navy, training as a sparky or a plumber and entirely discounted nursing (too many orifices and excretions).
My good friend from the year above me in school was in her 1st year doing Podiatry and was telling me all about her course and the anatomy and the medicine she was learning and the practical skills she was developing as she started to treat patients from just a few weeks into the course. It caught my attention.
I applied, got a conditional place and applied myself with gusto to the biology and chemistry highers I was going to require to get in.
At 17 years old I started my degree.
I graduated 4 years later with a BSc Podiatry (2:1 honours). I was already working for the NHS having been asked to stay on and do bank work as a result of a placement in 4th year. I got my first full time permanent post in the August.
I did a variety of jobs within the department over the years. Always in the community. Usually with some level of home visits and wound care.
When I had my son in 2011 I reduced my hours and when I had my daughter in 2015 I decided to consider making a move into private practice. Something I had never considered previously. In 2016 I started Rebecca Watson Podiatry, providing podiatry care in a domiciliary setting.
I started out wanting to increase the flexibility between my working and family life. I soon discovered I loved it.
So much so that now, 3 years later I’ve decided to take the plunge, put in my notice with the NHS and open my new clinic in Kincardine High Street.
Kincardine Podiatry was born.
With the extra time and my own clinic space I’m looking forward to expanding the range of services I can offer my patients; old and new.
