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Brighton & Sussex Medical School

PST spotlight:
Olivia Cottington

BSMS > About BSMS > Working here > Inclusivity > PST spotlights > Staff spotlight: Olivia Cottington

Staff spotlight: Olivia Cottington

Olivia Cottington profile photo

Name: Olivia Cottington
Job title: Senior Administrator 
Department: Clinical and Experimental Medicine
Year started at BSMS: 2022

Tell us a bit about your background

I didn’t particularly have an administrative background when I joined BSMS, rather I was working in my local Norfolk and Norwich Country Hospital as a Cardiographer. Although I loved working in a clinical environment where I could directly interact with patients and learn more about medicine and biology, after caring for patients on the palliative covid wards when I was only 19, I became a little burnt out and wanted to try something new. Shortly after leaving this role I moved from Norwich, my hometown, down to Brighton and stumbled across this role at the medical school within my first month of moving here. 

What’s your role like day-to-day?

My working day at BSMS can vary quite widely. Whether it be processing applications for the Honorary Title’s Committee, assisting the staff within my department with a series of administrative tasks (mostly finance, so I have become rather well acquainted with the infamous Unit4!) or working with the Heads of Department to develop processes and records that can assist with the smooth running of departmental activities. 

What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most?

What I particularly enjoy within my role here at BSMS is the support that is given for professional development. Over the 3+ years I have been working at the medical school I have been not only supported but also inspired to explore a broad new range of skills. Whether it be using creative digital media to redesign SharePoint pages and materials for our away days or getting involved with public engagement opportunities to gain web development skills and coordinate events. It has been a great environment to work in, especially with the prospect of potentially being supported to study a masters degree alongside my role. 

In terms of successes, which accomplishments are you most proud of?

A piece of work that I am particularly proud of would be my contributions to the renewal of the Honorary Status application processes. Being the Honorary Titles Committee secretary for over 3 years, I have now processed and assisted with a considerable number of applications. Therefore, I have been able to develop a strong foundation of knowledge in the many nuances there can be when trying to award external collaborators with the most appropriate honorary status to recognise their contributions to BSMS. Working with operations and senior academics I was able to assist with reviewing the Honorary Title application packs and committee handbook to better help applicants with the process, and to also introduce a new preliminary enquiry process for all Honorary Status applications to better ensure individuals are receiving the most appropriate status according to the nature of the relationship they have with the medical school. 

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How have you developed your skills professionally since joining BSMS?

Since joining BSMS my professional skills have grown exponentially. I have been able to develop a strong knowledge of finance procedures and have enjoyed organising and budgeting our departmental funds. I’m also now currently planning the 4th annual away day for the department. Looking back year on year it’s really interesting to see how I’ve been able to develop these events so that our diverse department can join together and have a fruitful day of networking and knowledge sharing. 

When cleaning through old records and emails to clear storage space it’s also surprisingly been a great practice to reflect on my development since starting here in 2022. The evolution of my record keeping and even the wording I use in my emails has really flourished and it’s great to feel myself developing even in these small ways. 

How do you contribute to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment at work?

Over the last 6 months or so I have been inspired to find out more about our EDI work here at BSMS. Particularly so with my interests to potentially explore pursuing a research career pathway, it has felt very empowering to read more on how BSMS is committed to promoting an inclusive culture for learning, research and development. When thinking about my own career aspirations it has encouraged me to think also about how I contribute to this commitment, as well as the other important EDI aims we have. Reflecting on my time at BSMS so far, I like to take pride in my efforts to honour these overarching goals, striving to be kind, supportive and respectful throughout all the work I produce and interactions I have with fellow staff. 

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What are your other interests / hobbies?

Outside of work I love to spend my free time being creative. Whether it’s choosing home décor or making presents for friends and families’ birthdays, I feel most inspired and filled with passion when I am creating or designing something. Being a perfectionist, I suppose this is why I have felt drawn to the medium of creative digital media and design. Crafting colour pallets, choosing fonts and structuring design layouts down to the pixel, just makes everything feel so wonderfully aligned. It would be fantastic to see how I could develop this more into my role at BSMS.