Bioscience Sandwich Student Review

I really enjoyed my year at AstraZeneca. I was really excited to take a year out of studying to gain experience in a global company. The year lived up to expectations, giving me the opportunity to learn a lot. I have gained insight into the pharmaceutical industry, as well as deepening my scientific knowledge in my project area. I have enjoyed the work/life balance I was able to achieve this year – having weekends and evenings free, while working during weekdays. I particularly enjoyed being able to make a valuable contribution to the company.

Everyone in the company was aware of what it meant to be a Sandwich student, and everyone was incredibly welcoming. One of the best things about the year was meeting all the friendly scientists that work here. Everyone was more than happy to help me both with my project, and to learn more about the company. I was able to present my work in team meetings throughout the year, and receive feedback and suggestions from team members.

I was given excellent support and guidance by my supervisor, as well as other members of staff who took an interest in my project. My supervisor was incredibly supportive, helpful and knowledgeable. At the very beginning of the year I was given a lot of guidance, and shown exactly what to do in the lab. As the year went on, I found I had more independence to plan my own experiments and decide the best course of action based on analysed results. I enjoyed being able to take responsibility for my project. My supervisor scheduled weekly catch up meetings for any questions I had, and I felt I could always approach them for help with my project, or any other issues throughout the year.

As with any lab based placement some days are busier than others. In general, the level was about right. Some days I was very busy, trying to fit in lots of lab work. Other days would be quieter, with time spent in the office reading papers and analysing results. At certain times during the year my project could not progress for a while, due to waiting for issues to be resolved, waiting on deliveries, or other parts of the company. During these times I took the opportunity to gain experience in other teams within the company and develop my range of skills.

At the beginning of the year I was given a lot of guidance and help in my project, particularly with analysing results, and deciding on the next steps to take. My supervisor spent a lot of time helping me and ensuring I understood what I was doing, and the importance of my project. As I became more confident in the lab, and developed a thorough understanding of the aims of the project I took on more and more responsibility. I enjoyed being able to plan my own experiments and take ownership of my project. This has helped me improve my organisational and time management skills.

The skills I have gained this year will be incredibly valuable for my future studies and career. Firstly, I have developed my confidence in the lab, and have had practice in designing experiments and analysing results. I have had lots of practice of problem solving this year, which is a great skill to have gained. It has also been great to have the opportunity to gain transferable skills like working in an office, giving presentations and reading scientific papers. I feel the skills I have gained this year will be extremely valuable when I return to my degree course, and throughout my career.

The office atmosphere is a productive and friendly one. We operate a “hot-deksing” system, so you don’t have a designated seat. This means I have moved around during the year and had the opportunity to sit near different colleagues. The open plan office means it is easy to find colleages. Everyone is very approcable, and you can always go and ask someone for help of advice.

Some of the organisation before the placement started was not brilliant, but this was carried out by an external company. Once we arrived at AstraZeneca the placement was organised very well. On our first day we had a full day induction along with other new starters. Throughout the year everything has run very smoothly.

During the first few months of my placement “Development Week” took place where I attended talks to learn more about the company. I was able to attend a conference during my placement, and get involved with the scientific outreach work that AstraZeneca is involved in, such as Cambridge Science Festival. I was also given the opportunity to develop my presentation skills throughout the year. There is an early talent network for young people within the company, which organised workshops for personal development. Some of these included learning more about the company, and communicating and influencing.

During the placement, we have had the opportunity to talk to colleagues about our career plans. We have been encouraged to pursue further education (e.g. a PhD) before applying for a full time job as a scientist, although we have been told that this is not essential. We have had the chance to engage with students on the graduate scheme and learn more about their experiences.

There were 14 placement students in Biosciences and Chemistry in Cambridge this year. Therefore we had the opportunity to live with fellow placement students. I am very glad I got this opportunity, as it was nice to live with people having the same experiences as you. AstraZeneca has an early talent network, which organises social outings which have included trips to fireworks, and meals out.

The cost of living in and socialising in Cambridge is high, as would be expected. Accommodation is expensive here. However, on our wage it is affordable to live near work, away from the city centre. It is possible to find cheap things to do in and around Cambridge, which can decrease the cost of living.

I enjoyed the nightlife in Cambridge. Although there are very expensive places, we found we could also have a cheap night out quite easily. There is a fair variety of bars and clubs, but not as many as a larger city. We found that there was plenty to keep us entertained.

As with living in a city there was lots of do outside of work. Some of these I found out about through emails at work, some just through looking for things to do in Cambridge. I was able to stay very busy this year, and get involved in the Cambridge community, which I enjoyed.