Meet the Senior Members of the Society: Dr Phil Elliott

Name:
Phil Elliott

Position:
Senior Research Facilitator/PhD Supervisor
Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust/University of Chester

SSM member since 2007

SSM committee roles:
Chair of Senior Career Researchers’ Committee (current)

Topics of interest:
Environments and Wellbeing, Mental Health, Lay and Official Knowledge

How did your career in social medicine/population health begin?
A former History graduate, with a Public Health/Geography PhD focusing on perceptions and experiences of wellbeing. A career in the NHS, mentoring students and developing staff researchers in partnership with a wide range of universities. Recent appointment as PhD co-supervisor.

What is your research area and what excites you most about it?
Developing staff and student researchers – helping people at each stage of their journey and seeing them flourish and achieve a successful outcome, both in their studies and improved confidence in themselves.

How has SSM influenced your career journey and what have you got out of being an SSM member?
A wide range of knowledge and perspectives plus a sense of camaraderie.

What advice would you give to someone just starting their career in social medicine/population health?
There’s no rush, it usually works out in the end, and seek help where you can. And, to more experienced researchers, provide this help and remember how it felt in the early days.

What have you gained most from the SSM Mentoring Scheme, either as a mentor or a mentee?
As a mentor, helping others in good times and bad, listening and learning myself – it’s a two-way process.

Tell us a (fun) fact about yourself that is unrelated to your career.
I’m a soul boy who is pleased to share his birthday with Paddington Bear.

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This blog is part of a series focusing on the Society’s mid-career and senior members. The series spotlights prominent and active members of SSM to inspire the wider community and highlight the value of membership by inviting members to reflect on their time in the Society.