Synthetic Organic Chemist- Biocatalysis Review

My time at AstraZeneca has been the most enjoyable aspect of my undergraduate chemistry degree to date. The placement has certainly aided me in becoming a more well rounded chemist. Working at AstraZeneca has allowed me to develop my practical chemistry skills and has expanded my knowledge of both chemistry and the pharmaceutical industry, all of which will prove to be invaluable later in my career.

The staff at AstraZeneca were some of the most friendly individuals I have had the priveledge of meeting. Although I was only a sandwich student they never looked down on me as being inferior and I, aswell as the other students were always treated with respect and as equals. Staff are always willing to stop and have a chat and/or answer any questions you may have. I was also invited to participate in weekly 5 aside football, which was thoroughly enjoyable.

My supervisor whilst I was on placement was fantastic. He was always available and willing to help me with any queries, questions or experimental work I had whilst on placement. As well as my individual supervisor all members of staff were always willing to give up their time to provide support and guidance where necessary. A policy of if you are not sure ask, and there are no stupid questions was heavily implemented with AstraZeneca with every member of staff being very approachable and understanding.

I would say that on a daily basis I had a very adequate volume of work. Based on the nature of my work there were some days that were busier than others, however I did not feel over worked nor under worked. During my placement as well as carrying out my work for AstraZeneca, I also had university work to complete on a regular basis, however I found that at times when I was less busy I was allowed to complete my university assignments within the working hours.

During the placement I felt I was given a considerable amount of responsibility, especially as the placement year went on. I had the opportunity to create my own experiments and follow my own interests and theories experimentally. I was responsible for all the experimental work relating to a project within AstraZeneca and often had to present my findings to external collaborators on a regular basis.

I believe that the experimental skills I have developed over the year would not have been possible to obtain doing only an undergraduate degree. This will no doubt help me in my final masters year and also in the future. The many lectures and science days provided by AstraZeneca has expanded my chemistry knowledge beyond the scope of what is taught at undergraduate level, also an insight into the workings of a multi national industry will prove to be invaluable when applying for graduate roles. I believe that my presentation skills have increased vastly over the year with presenatations playing a crucial part of the placement, I feel this will come in extremely useful for the remainder of my degree and in the future.

The office was always a friendly and a busy environment. Although normally most individuals were busy working, their was always some chemistry related discussions occurring around about my desk, which was alwasy interesting to listen into. There was coffee breaks everyday in the morning and afternoon where everyone in the office would take time out of their days to have a chat and catch up, which always gave rise to some funny tales.

The organisation of the placement was very good. Their was a clear project outline for all the students upon starting, with industrial supervisors pre-allocated before the starting day. For the first month of the placement there was an itinerary in place consisting of training, lectures and general tours of the building.

The company invested heavily in the training and development of both its sandwich students and also its full time staff. With regular external speakers booked to give presentations on cutting edge research to retrosynthesis tutorials, AstraZeneca did provide constant opportunities to develop skills and learning. Upon starting the placement the initial few weeks were largely spent in small groups in which a senior scientist would give practical demonsrations of the equipment that you may require for the future, and also lectures were taught regarding different aspects of chemistry analysis all of which were interactive sessions.

Future employment for AstraZeneca is very appealing especially for a chemistry graduate. The work/life balance is ideal, and the work itself is varied, exciting and challenging. Every day presents a new challenge and its a far cry from a simple mundain job. The staff and the general atmosphere of the company make it a very appealing place to work at. The facilities are state of the art and make working in them all the better.

There was around about 14 students or so spread across organic and analytical chemistry all of which got on very well. All the students sat with each other at lunch and made strong connections from the start of the placemement year. We would all tend to go out in macclesfield at the weekend for drinks and a laugh, and would also venture to the nearby pubs in Bollington and also catch the train through to Manchester. A few of the guys who were into football also enjoyed visiting the local Macclesfield FC football ground on a Saturday to watch the football, although the standard was not that of interantional level it was still a good laugh.

The cost of living in Macclesfield is affordable with the salary of the placement. I lived in a 4 bed house with 3 other students, our rent was about £1050 per month (all together), and we just topped up our gas and electricity on a regular basis. The pubs are typical prices around about £3.50 for a lager, however the local ales (some of which are very nice) can be bought for around about £2.50. There are a variety of different restaurants all varying in price but generally it is not an overly expensive area to live in.

The nightlife in macclesfield is hardly Ibiza however it still provides adequate venues to visit with a group of mates. If you are into small local pubs then its an ideal location with a pub at almost every turn. As for night clubs there's only really one of interest called Fever. Myself and the students did visit it on a regular basis and had a great time. However, Manchester is only around about 20 minutes on the train and is a great city for having a night out. Often we would get the train through and taxi's back as long as you fill the taxi it's affordable and by far the most convenient way home especially at 4:30 am.

Yes there are many activities available outside of work hours. Me personally I played 5 aside football every tuesday evening with guys from the office. However theer were games of football running pretty much everyday. The AstraZeneca gym also provides various classses and training sessions. I was also aware of squash, running and walking clubs for AstraZeneca employees all of which are more than welcoming to new students.