Meet Mel Idroos, CCH PGDip Graduate!

Meet Mel Idroos, PGDip in Lifestyle Medicine (Obesity Care) graduate!

Having completed one of our CPD Short Courses in 2015, Mel decided to expand upon her new knowledge base by taking the plunge and beginning her postgraduate studies with the College of Contemporary Health (CCH).

Beginning in September of 2020, with the ambitions of deepening her knowledge of obesity and enhancing her clinical practice, Mel graduated from CCH in September of 2022 with a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Lifestyle Medicine (Obesity Care) with Merit.

Since her graduation, Mel has already begun to put what she’s learned into practice developing and delivering Tier 2 adult weight management services, making a meaningful impact in the lives of her patients with obesity.

Here we have interviewed Mel about the impact she is making with her Postgraduate Diploma from CCH:

Q: Hi, Mel! Where do you work at the moment?

A: I work for a Community Interest Company. We are contracted by the local county council to deliver a Tier 2 adult weight management service.

Q: What profession do you work in? 

A: I work in the Well-being directorate. As well as adult weight management we deliver a range of health and well-being services to the local population.

Q: Who are some of the patients you assist on a day-to-day basis? 

A: We see a wide range of clients in our weight management service. Almost all have a long-term condition associated with excess weight and have tried multiple approaches to lose weight over many years.

Q: What percentage of your patients have overweight or obesity? 

A: All clients who come to the service, either as a self-referral or through an HCP referral, have overweight or obesity. The average referral BMI is 36.

Q: What inspired you to study Lifestyle Medicine (obesity care)? 

A: I wanted to deepen my knowledge of obesity and enhance my clinical practice as well as cascading what I have learnt to our team of practitioners.

Q: Why did you choose CCH? 

A: Working full-time I was attracted to the flexibility of CCH’s online learning. I particularly enjoyed the variety of module options offered. Paediatric Obesity’ and ‘Obesity and Reproductive Health’ were 2 modules that offered entirely new areas of study for me

Q: How did gaining your PGDip at CCH enhance the care that you provide to your patients?

A: I used the information gained through studying the PGDip to enhance and augment our core programme ‘My Weight Matters’. I was able to write new content for the course covering topics not previously included. Sleep, stress, mindful eating practices and social support are just some of the information I was able to add. The course’s behaviour change and psychological aspects were valuable in enhancing the quality of our 1-1 and group interventions. 

Q: What has changed most in your practice since starting your studies?

A: The course has given me more confidence to answer those tricky and complex questions that clients often ask!

Q: What is one of the biggest takeaways you gained from your PGDip as a health professional? 

A: The topic of weight stigma really struck a chord with me. I have an idea for a piece of work in this area and hope to implement this across our service very soon.

Q: Would you encourage other health professionals to pursue a PGDip with CCH?

A: I would absolutely encourage other health professionals to pursue this course. Much of what I have learnt I have already put into practice.

Q: What is the main reason you would recommend CCH courses to your colleagues? 

A: I would recommend this course due to the high-quality materials offered to engage with, and the diversity of topics covered. The tutor support is excellent. The online, flexible approach was also highly-valuable to me.

The College of Contemporary Health, with the University of Central Lancashire Medical School, offers the first, and only, fully online postgraduate qualifications (PGCert/PGDip/MSc) in Lifestyle Medicine (Obesity Care) not just for UK based students, but for students across the world.

We offer 3 student intakes per year starting in January, May, and September.

Click here to apply: Apply for a Postgraduate Qualification in Lifestyle Medicine (Obesity Care).