Mary Gavan

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Your time at the University

As the path of least resistance to a father, himself an Edinburgh graduate, I drifted into Edinburgh and pure sciences. A year later, I added nursing studies, a pioneer course that fascinated him. In practice, entering the traditional hospital culture as an outsider proved onerous and lonely, despite sterling support from the nursing studies tutors. These astute advisors challenged my tendency to drift amicably and to day dream intensively. As a result, another thrawn Scot graduated in quest of further knowledge. I pursued my overriding question: But why?

I emigrated to Canada where I specialised in rehabilitation and palliative care, then both emergent areas of nursing in that country.

Mary Gavan

Tell us about your Experiences since leaving the University

Fascinated by how people cope, I trained with psychoanalysts in London, England. A spell with a Government program on unemployed youth and a home craft business encouraged me to look further afield. I emigrated to Canada where I specialised in rehabilitation and palliative care, then both emergent areas of nursing in that country. Helping to establish the first independent Aids Hospice and community palliative care, I also found time to run my own business in home nursing as well as collect enough qualifications in alternative therapies to wallpaper the smallest room.

How we manage to co-exist in harmony directed my Master’s in transpersonal psychology while living your dying directed my doctoral studies in thanatology from which I gained a one woman show, “Dying to Tell,” complementing my nursing experiences with my storytelling skills, honed since University days. My CD “Celtic Otherworld” won a Storytelling World Award. I continue to share my professional knowledge and my Celtic understanding through storytelling.

Alumni wisdom

May curiosity stay with you so that you stick your nose into as much as possible for as long as possible. Can always apologise later.