Susan M Webster

Susan M Webster

Graduate Research Topic

My research studies explored various factors affecting health professionals in responding to the health care needs of children and young people in statutory care in Australia.
Years: 2010 - 2014
Supervisors: Prof Meredith Temple-Smith, Prof Cathy Humphreys and Dr Anne Smith

Additional Research

Primary Health Care Research, Evaluation and Development Fellow 2008
Master Primary Health Care (Research) 2009

What has happened in your career since you completed your GR?

I completed postgraduate studies at the end of my salaried career. Honorary Research Fellowships at the University and at the Victorian Parliamentary Library have enabled me to continue my research, supervise students, undertake commissioned studies and work on knowledge translation as an academic adviser to professionals undertaking pilot and demonstration projects.

What was the best thing about your GR?

I had the great privilege of learning from one of the best graduate research supervisors in the University. I was able to answer my burning research question, thereby satisfying my original motivation. Submitting my doctoral thesis was a highlight and receiving positive feedback from the examiners brought me a lot of satisfaction. The worst thing about my doctoral study was the 12 months it took to gain multi-site ethics approvals from a range of publicly-funded health services.

What is one piece of advice you would give to current GR students?

I thought my writing abilities were more than adequate before I started the doctoral thesis.  They weren’t. Working to improve my formal skills in composition and academic writing really helped me to order my thinking and shape dense information and ideas into journal articles and a coherent thesis.