Martin Woods, On Treatment Review Advanced Practitioner, Radiotherapy Team

"I started my working career in Civil Engineering with a local authority having initially always dreamt of being a vet but not getting onto the course. I worked here for nine years, but was never fully fulfilled and knew I didn't want to reach 40 years in a job I didn't like. I got a promotion which kept me there a bit longer, but I was still longing to work with animals.

I did some travelling in my leave time and experienced watching giant leatherback turtles lay their eggs in a turtle sanctuary in Malaysia - this gave me the kick to start making plans to go to university!

Meanwhile, I did love the working with people aspect of my current career, and volunteered with MENCAP and other organisations in my spare time and weekends. This gave me great rewards and skills which meant that in 1995, I was able to be redeployed from Highways Maintenance into Social Services, working in a day service with adults with learning disabilities.

I loved this role and worked there for two years, but that previous travel and a desire to work with animals meant I took the plunge to go to The University of Liverpool to study Zoology in 1997.

Upon graduating and with a one year old little girl, my priorities had changed a little, and I decided I couldn't quite go discovering new species in the wild right now, so did a PGCE in Secondary Science and taught Biology.

Having seen adverts for Radiotherapy students whilst at university when studying, I contacted the Radiotherapy Department there, and arranged to spend a day at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre - Wirral. I loved that you got to see patients over the course of their treatments and make a difference to their lives and put them at ease.

Consequently, I left teaching and studied at The University of Liverpool once more from 2003 to 2006 with my clinical placement at Clatterbridge. I knew I had found my niche finally and felt privileged to be able to look after our patients.

I now work as part of the fantastic OTR Team as an On Treatment Review Advanced Practitioner assessing patients as they go through their treatments and dealing with any side effects or other issues - very much a holistic approach and enabling me to work with so many wonderful and experienced members of the multi-disciplinary team.

I love my job and believe my varied career journey to getting here has equipped me with not only the concrete knowledge to be great at what I do, but the life skills to find that common ground with patients, so I can hopefully help to make their treatment journey somewhat less daunting and frightening. I know our patients appreciate every fantastic member of staff at Clatterbridge, and they are at the heart of everything we do!"