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Suitable for 14 to 19-year-olds (secondary and high schools, and college), this article and accompanying activity sheet can be used in the classroom or shared with students online.

This resource links to KS4 and KS5 Biology.

It can also be used as a careers resource and links to Gatsby Benchmarks:
Gatsby Benchmark 2: Learning from career and labour market information
Gatsby Benchmark 4: Linking curriculum learning to careers

• This teaching resource explains the work of Dr Maria Octavia Rangel, from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in the US, who has been making significant changes to the lives of older adults with heart problems ever since she was studying for her master’s degree. By blending clinical practice, clinical research, and teaching and mentoring the next generation of medical professionals, Octavia uses her passion for improving the lives of older adults to improve treatment, medication and rehabilitation.
• This resource contains an interview with Octavia, providing an insight into careers in geriatric cardiology.
• The activity sheet provides ‘talking points’ (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) to prompt students to reflect on Octavia’s research, and tasks them to design a research trial.
• In the accompanying podcast, Octavia speaks about how to create supportive and reciprocal relationships with your mentors, and the importance of pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
• The podcast is accompanied by the transcript and a PowerPoint containing questions which help students to break the podcast down and reflect on what they have heard.

This resource was first published on Futurum Careers, a free online resource and magazine aimed at encouraging 14-19-year-olds worldwide to pursue careers in science, tech, engineering, maths, medicine (STEM) and social sciences, humanities and the arts for people and the economy (SHAPE).

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