As someone who has always struggled with academia, I knew I was never going to be the next Marie Curie. I plodded along with my studies, hardly expecting to get anything higher than a ‘C’ grade at school, which never seemed to reflect how much extra work I put in. I was sometimes complacent with my results until I started failing my 2nd year exams at university. I felt there were many reasons for failing: I was running out of time to write down answers and revised material would fall out of my head at any given opportunity—so I decided to get myself tested for dyslexia. It felt odd having to go through numerous tests at 22 years old to check my spelling, pronunciation and cognitive skills, but astonishingly, I discovered I was dyslexic.
NHS Choices (2015) defines dyslexia as a common learning difficulty which does not affect intelligence and around 1 in 20 people are thought to have it in some form. I felt reassured that it was normal to have the memory of a goldfish in exams and many problems I had experienced over the years now seemed trivial. The university was supportive in setting up my additional support and recording equipment, and suddenly this semi-competent academic appeared. Now, I can better navigate university with my strange new diagnosis, and hopefully use it to benefit my work.
I tend to have good and bad days with my dyslexia—some days I find that I can be productive compared to days when I am stressed. I may have to re-read literature before lectures to fully understand the subject which takes time, and my pronunciation of certain long words has been known to get a chuckle in class but, with the extra support, I am starting to see an increase in those ‘light bulb’ moments. Although it can be disappointing when I miss obvious blunders in essays, my continuing professional development folder helps to reinforce information when I reflect on gaps in my knowledge, and I look forward to continuing this when I become qualified.
I find I manage my dyslexia better when I am on placement, as I have a range of mechanisms in place to help retain information—and my trusted JRCALC pocketbook when needed! When I take a patient's history, I do a mental top-to-toe survey prompting questions I may have forgotten to ask. My mentor is especially helpful when going over clinical assessments so I can make notes and practise on my days off. I know I cannot expect extra time on the job, especially in a critical situation. So, before I arrive on scene, I take a deep breath and create an action plan ensuring I am prepared.
I have never seen my dyslexia as a hindrance to my clinical practice, but it has made me aware that continuous learning is key. Knowing I have dyslexia has helped in many ways, and I would recommend that any person who thinks they might be dyslexic have the assessment.