Even though many of our graduates will have progressed in their careers since completing a case study, they are still of interest to students who wish to gain an understanding of the world of work.

I was until recently Head of Paediatrics, which is a large department catering for 350 undergraduate medical students each year as well as having a high profile in research particularly focussed on allergy and infectious disease.

We also run an MSc in Allergy and will shortly open a Paediatric MSc.

My activities were split equally between clinical service, research and education. Inevitably as Head of Department there is a fair amount of management and administration. However, I have since reaching retirement age reduced my activities to 1 day of research and 1 of clinical work.

Facilitating successful progression of undergraduate students, medical trainees and research fellows.

Facilitating the optimisation of health in children with a range of medical problems. witnessing their progress to successful adulthood is the most gratifying reward for a paediatrician.

Being involved at the forefront of medical translational research and thereby generating collaborations and friendships world-wide is an additional bonus of being an academic.

Coping with the complexities of medical and academic politics.

I had always been committed to a medical career.

Professor R. S. Illingworth in Sheffield inspired me to move to paediatrics and then contact with world leaders in allergy / immunology research at Hospital for sick Children, Great Ormond St led to my move into academia.

Membership by exam and fellowship by election of Royal College of Physicians and of Paediatrics / Child Health.

Higher degree (MD) from full time research conducting in London but awarded by University of Sheffield.

Completion of clinical training and specialist registration with GMC.

To achieve academic distinction in clinical medicine requires extended training to achieve skills in clinical medicine, education and research.

Medical training posts in paediatrics initially in the Children's Hospital Sheffield. Then moved to the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond St. London.

I then did full time research for an MD in asthma and related allergic disorders.

My first senior clinical / academic appointment was at the Brompton Hospital and London University from 1980 - 1990.

I was appointed to the chair of Child Health Southampton University 1990 - 2006 and took-up my current post in 2006.

I am also President of the Academic Paediatric Association (GB and NI) and have been Editor in Chief of an international paediatric allergy journal for 12 years.

I am now in my final full time post but expect to have a continuing influence of academic paediatrics and allergy for many years to come.

Seek advice and support from your role-models.

Develop and retain a critical evaluative approach to all your professional activities.

Thanks to University of Sheffield for giving me the start to what has been an enormously satisfying and successful career.