Lazy chats in clinic lead to exciting travel adventures for our volunteer Jeff

Today was the last day of my clinical trial at Quotient - after an 18 night stay, I was returning to the outside world.

Well, let’s face it, for the vast majority of us, most jobs in life we do for the money. Not all, but even so, we weigh up the pros and cons of what’s involved and then decide. Of course, volunteering to assist in medical research isn’t deemed a part-time job, but from the point of view that you are giving up just a small amount of your time in return for an  inconvenience allowance, it feels like...well, for me, better than having a job! 

This last study has been very pleasant in many respects, the friendly and helpful staff, the recreations on offer and the fact I have managed to make good progress on my own projects each day. One particular aspect I will take away on this occasion though, has to be a number of inspiring conversations that I’ve engaged in with other volunteers - chats that have clearly made me ponder somewhat and even rethink my life plans.

For sure it’s great when you deeply chew the fat over any fascinating topic and on this study I’ve listened to different folk talk in detail about the many varied places they’ve visited around the globe - and I do mean everywhere! One person told me he had, to date, visited over 100 countries in the last ten years or so (he intends to visit them all in good time). And mostly funded through doing medical studies!

So, whilst sitting in the lounge one day last week, I thought “why don’t I take off for a few months to some more exotic corners of the globe? - see some foreign delights, eat some scary looking food...and maybe open my mind a bit?...and within 48 hrs I’d booked flights to Indochina for a nine-week adventure trekking through five Asian countries.

Hopefully when I return, I can get straight back on a study at Quotient and then decide where to go next ...

 To browse current clinical trials at Quotient, click here.