Arif comes home to a new career

Arif Malik has a new career in Occupational Therapy (OT), courtesy of his First Class BSc (Hons) degree from the University of Teesside. In addition to his First, Arif will also receive today the prize of best overall result in OT.

Arif, 36, from Middlesbrough, returned to the North-East for his Occupational Therapy degree after studying and working in London for over ten years. In September he started his new post as an OT with Tees and North-East Yorkshire NHS Trust, which involves rotation between mental health and physical specialities, and the community.

Arif followed an unconventional route towards his new career. Aged 17 he dropped out of his ‘A’ levels, more interested in playing guitar with independent music bands.

He said: “I wasn’t that motivated at school, and wanted to make the most of my interest in music. Later on I realised I needed to study, it was my last chance to get ‘A’ levels and go to University.”

After gaining two ‘A’ levels at Kirby College, Arif moved to London, and went on to achieve a BA (Hons) degree in History and English Literature from Brunel University. Arif followed this by pursuing a long-term interest in health and social care. He worked first as a personal support worker for adults with learning disabilities, and then as a resource centre manager for the same organisation, where he supervised staff recruitment and training. Seven years later, Arif was ready to return to the North-East.

“My work was very rewarding, but I needed a professional qualification to progress. I had a lot of contact with OTs through the centre, a friend was also training to be one, and I felt it would be a varied and challenging job. I didn’t want to study in London for a second degree, so decided to return home, and received an NHS bursary for the three-year course.

“I really liked the degree placements, you worked with a range of clients in different settings, including social services, community mental health and rheumatology departments. The placements were a real opportunity to apply all the theory we learned at University and bring everything together. I also went back to my musical roots on one community mental health placement, where I taught clients to play the guitar. I’m looking forward to my first OT post, you get to work with so many different people and there are various specialities to aim for. My mother Niaz Begum is really chuffed at my new job.”

Arif is one of only three graduates on the course to achieve a First Class degree.

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