Dr Amy Barrie, Clinical Scientist in Reproductive Science
Dr Amy Barrie is the Group Scientific Director (UK) at Care Fertility. Amy talks us through her fascinating, and rewarding, work as a Reproductive Clinical Scientist.
It’s very easy to forget the magic that happens in the IVF lab because we do it every day, but, when you remember that we are directly involved in the creation of life and giving people the chance to start or grow their family, it’s an incredible feeling.
Can you tell us what reproductive science is?
Reproductive science is a fascinating and rewarding field of clinical science that explores the pathology and treatment of subfertility in both women and men. This area of expertise requires a depth of knowledge of reproductive systems coupled with compassion and emotional intelligence. As a Reproductive Clinical Scientist, we are responsible for delivering to patients embarking on fertility investigations and treatments, validated diagnostic tests and effective treatment options for their individual pathology.
Can you tell us about your average working day?
As a qualified Consultant Clinical Scientist and Scientific Director for Care Fertility, my days are largely focussed on our vision to deliver the best care to all of our patients through compassion, collaboration and expertise. I often begin my day with 15 minutes of organisation where I prioritise tasks for the day based on scheduled meetings, anything inbound from the previous day alongside any tasks I can work on for ongoing projects. A large part of my role is assessing industry innovation. We are lucky to be heavily involved in many technological advances and I believe that involvement in these initiatives is a crucial part of being a Reproductive Clinical Scientist. As well as continuing ongoing innovation projects, I also spend time each day on protocol optimisation to make sure we are delivering the best care possible to all of our patients.
What kind of work does your job involve?
My role is heavily collaborative so, I interact daily with my fellow Clinical Scientists to discuss opportunities for developing our service. I spend a day or two a month in the lab contributing to the clinical work. Often, I spend time in the lab to assess protocol effectiveness and work towards optimisation based on recent advances in technology. As I’m responsible for the clinical success of the company, I review and assess our clinical success rates on a regular basis. I benchmark these both internally and externally to ensure we are delivering on our promise to help as many people as possible to achieve their dream of a family. I’m heavily involved in digital transformation projects for our scientific community as well as the implementation of protocol changes that impact all of our Clinical Scientists. I need to be able to horizon scan, manage risk and consider other aspects of the business such as budgets and resource management.
Why did you choose this specialty?
Whilst I was studying in my undergraduate degree, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be, other than a scientist. I was lucky enough to be selected for a research project studying vasoconstriction of placental tissue using scorpion toxin to better understand pregnancy-related disorders, at St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester. In the building where I did my experiments, there was also an IVF clinic and I became very interested in the work that was done there. After understanding what it meant to be a scientist in an IVF lab, I knew then that becoming a Reproductive Clinical Scientist was a perfect blend of science and interaction with people that I wanted, as well as doing something that contributed positively to our society.
What do you enjoy most about your chosen specialty?
It’s very easy to forget the magic that happens in the IVF lab because we do it every day, but, when you remember that we are directly involved in the creation of life and giving people the chance to start or grow their family, it’s an incredible feeling. Reproductive Clinical Science is endlessly fascinating, there’s still so much to learn and it’s exciting to be a part of. When I’m in the lab, I most enjoy fertilisation checks. This is the process where we observe the eggs the day following insemination with sperm to see if the eggs have fertilised. It’s a magic moment seeing the evidence of the creation of an embryo!
What do you find most rewarding about the role?
There are two things I find most rewarding, firstly being able to coach and mentor the next generation of Clinical Scientists and to see individuals develop in their roles. I take great pleasure in being able to support colleagues in their professional and personal development and I believe this collaboration is crucial to building a committed, compassionate and sustainable workforce. Secondly, being able to play a part in helping people start a family. Often, IVF treatment is unsuccessful and we are unable to fulfil every dream but, to be able to deliver the very best chance to our patients, to support them through an incredibly difficult process and to know the patient experience was the best it could be, even in the face of failure, is rewarding for Clinical Scientists. Of course, nothing beats when a patient brings their baby in to the clinic following successful treatment, this is the ultimate reward.
What advice would you give to students looking to enter your field?
Reproductive Clinical Science is incredibly rewarding, endlessly fascinating and the perfect blend of clinical tasks and patient interaction. It can be emotionally challenging at times making it important to maintain resilience and mental wellbeing. The training programmes available to become a Reproductive Clinical Scientist are rigorous and competitive, and ensure the knowledge and expertise of the workforce is high. There’s also significant opportunity for research, satisfying the true scientist in you. It’s a friendly and welcoming field, with collaboration and compassion at the heart of all we do. If your interests lie in discovery, a desire to ‘give back’ and you’re looking for a career with clear development opportunities and fulfilment, then Reproductive Clinical Science is definitely worth considering. The best way to start is to get in touch with local clinics to try and arrange some work experience, better yet apply for a supporting role in an IVF lab to get your career started in the field of Reproductive Science!