Sandwich Student - Oncology Bioscience Review

The company was really good to work for - got a really good insight into what a career in pharmaceutical industry would be like, and felt as if my projects were well organised to help me get the best out of them.

My colleagues treated me as if I was another permanent member of staff - felt very involved and part of the team.

Generally good - my supervisor was usually available to answer questions and give help. However, I found that sometimes he could be very busy and could not always give me the time with practical lab work.

Most days I was the right amount of busy - occasionally there were quieter days, but these were balanced out by days that were a lot busier.

After the first couple of months, I was very independent in my work, and was expected to carry out my day-to-day practical lab work by myself. However, I never felt out of my depth of that I had too much responsibility.

I learned a very wide range of skills, both specifically in practical lab work and more general work place skills. I think this placement year has been extremely helpful for preparing to start my final-year project, and has made it clearer to think about what I would like to do following my degree.

Overall, it was a fun and relaxed atmosphere, and everyone was very social. The only issue was that some people were slightly disrupted due to being at a temporary location due to the company being in a transition period, so there was some detectable feeling of irritation at times.

While on placement, the project itself felt very organised. However, prior to starting the placement I felt like I could have done with more information and contact with the company, as I was very uncertain about what I would be doing up until I actually started.

A great deal - plenty of opportunities to get involved in networking, training, and an early-talent network that had a lot of enjoyable and development events. We were also well-encouraged to get involved with personal development.

From doing the Undergraduate Placement Year alone, there is no prospect of getting a job directly with the company. However, it may help put you in a better position to successfully apply for the graduate scheme.

There was a large group of other students, and generally very social. However, due to being spread across different sites, we didn't meet up quite as often as we may have if we were all working in the same place. Also, I was not living with fellow students, so did not have quite the same opportunities to get involved with social events outside of work. However, there was generally a good social scene with my colleagues, particularly during the second half of the year.

Quite high - the rent in Cambridge is much higher than I was used to, as was transport and eating out. Could be a bit challenging especially if you want to save some money during the placement year.

Clubs were not very good (although close to London so able to go there). There was a good bar and pub scene though.

I was able to join a choir as well as volunteer weekly at the hospital. There were also plenty of talks and weekend events, especially during the summer months.