Over the past 9 months I have been working to develop and test novel drugs for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer at the Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, Bradford.
I remember feeling terrified to leave the comfort of York this time last year. Seeing my peers graduate as I enter my final stage with a brand new cohort was once a daunting concept. However, one year on, I can confidently say that I don’t have a single regrets.
Exploration
You probably don’t think of Bradford as the most exciting place. However, I find joy in experiencing new areas and getting to know communities. Passing conversation, local events or trying out the food recommendations, a new environment has been extremely refreshing.
I’ve also been close to some beautiful villages and hiking spots . My favourite way to spend my weekends away from working!
Friendships
I’ve conversed with many people here, from week-long placement students to professors and residents. One unexpected but wonderful bonus was getting to share both highs and lows of the year with two other UOY placement students. Despite having never interacted in previous years, I’ve formed strong bonds to carry with me into my final year and beyond.
Work
Having the chance to contribute to real, meaningful research is an unbeatable feeling.
I’ve been able to confidently run my own experiments this year: protein synthesis, conjugations, HPLC analysis and cell culturing to name a few. This once seemed near impossible to do without a mentor right beside me, but with practice I’ve found and analysed results which will aid this piece of research – a pride which brings excitement to the future work I’ll undertake.
Top Tip
Get involved and ask plenty of questions!
I’ve been lucky to be able to attend seminars with academics around the country, join workshops on statistics work, present articles to build on my academic reading skills and even attend a conference to network with scientists in industry! Some things may be less enjoyable, but even recognising that is a learning curve. Taking away bits of information from each new day is a step towards finding your passions.
That being said, I wish that I had asked more questions throughout. No matter how small, silly or unrelated you think it is, your colleagues are there to help. Use your curiosity to its full potential.
Conclusion
Experiencing a placement in academia has been a significant step forward. Especially as someone with little work experience and plenty of anxiety around life post-education. Leaving York was once terrifying. Now I’m comforted to know I have a place in exploring and progressing in post-graduate pathways. I still don’t have a step-by-step plan, but I couldn’t be happier with the confidence I have gained. I’m now seriously considering a PhD.
I am extremely lucky to be granted the opportunity to work alongside a diverse team of postgraduates at a variety of stages. Having their continuous support, kindness, anecdotes and tips & tricks has been invaluable for my growth both as a scientist and personally.
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