Shelby in yoga class with other colleagues.

Feb 01, 2018 / Spotlight

Get to know our SRH Staff: Shelby Parker, Psychology Research Coordinator

Shelby Parker is a research coordinator who has been working at the hospital for the past year and a half. Learn more about her in our SRH Staff Spotlight below:

What’s your favorite part of your job?
I enjoy interacting with patients and working with my team to get the job done! However, on a larger scale, I find immense fulfillment in adding research to strengthen the understanding of how psychological factors impact orthopaedic treatment. We find that there are so many facets to the lives of children undergoing extensive and often lengthy treatments and the effect it has on their families. Knowing that the research I am working may impact clinical treatment is extremely rewarding. 

What’s your favorite thing about the hospital?
When anyone comes to have lunch with me at work, they are always amazed at what a magical place it is. I’m lucky enough to be able to walk in work every day and be surrounded by friendly faces and the smell of popcorn! 

Describe a typical day.
I manage several studies focusing on orthopaedic outcomes and the accompanying psychological aspects. Daily, I devote a lot of time to patient tracking and administration of research measures. I also coordinate with several other research staff members on data collection, analysis and keeping up with administrative paperwork. 

How did you find out about the hospital?
I grew up in Dallas and Scottish Rite Hospital has always been a staple in the area. Many of my friends have been patients here. 

What made you want to work here?
Honestly, there were so many things! However, one of the biggest reasons was the contribution the hospital makes in the community. I’ve always been big on giving back, and to work at a place where this is the mission is incredible.

What skills do you need for your job?
Organization and communication. Working in research involves many different aspects that need to be consistently managed, so having organization skills makes the job much easier. Being a member of a team requires a lot of communication and helps get our jobs done effectively.

What was your first job? What path did you take to get here?
My first job was at a community mental health center. I worked with adult patients diagnosed with severe mental illness. It was a high stress job. In undergraduate and graduate school, I was very involved in research. As I started to move away from mental health, I realized that I wanted to get back to the path of statistics and study design.

What is your favorite…
  • Hospital event: Pancake breakfast
  • Food in the cafeteria: Panini station 
  • Place in the hospital: The playground
What’s your favorite…
  • Place to travel: Rome
  • Type of food: Japanese
  • TV show: Friends
If you could have a super power, what would it be?
I would have the ability to teleport – I love traveling but loath airports and highways.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a Broadway star! 

What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
I lived a semester abroad and decided to spend a weekend in Romania.

What’s the last book you read?
Galápagos by Kurt Vonnegut.

What kind of animal would you be?
A dog. 

How long is your commute? What do you do on the drive?
Five minutes, I either start a podcast or listen to music.

What is something people don’t know about you?
I used to be a competitive fencer.

What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Hold on by Wilson Phillips.
 
Tags:

You May Also Like: