Synthetic Organic Chemist Review

My placement was a synthetic organic chemistry placement - it was highly enjoyable I was able experienced to a wide range of new reactions and the opportunity to be involved in key meetings about the project's medicinal chemistry outlook. The placement let me do much more practical chemistry than at university.

For the first few months you are still being trained to use equipment and how to setup reactions etc. So it's understandable that you would feel less valued because it feels like you're just doing what you have to. without going through those first few months though you wouldn't get the experience needed to be able to plan experiments for yourself. After this period you are tasked with the same sort of things that other full time employees are doing and they start to rely on you for the products you're make just as much as you did. In short by the end I felt highly valued by the end of the year, not so much at the start but that's unavoidable.

There was excellent management and support given to me throughout the entire year. My supervisor was always on hand to answer any questions and help me out with any techniques or concepts I wasn't quite understanding. My supervisor would often go beyond the call of duty to help me out with distance learning from university that I wasn't quite getting if I asked for it.

There was no shortage of work to be getting on with, and the amount of work you can manage changes throughout the year but there was never any pressure to be given work you wouldn't be able to handle.

For a lab based chemistry placement there is a need to be supervised for safety reasons so there wasn't total freedom in what we could undertake. I was given an idea as to which compounds were higher priority than others but then I was given freedom to make them as I wanted.

The practical knowledge for a chemistry degree is invaluable. Getting the practical experience doing this placement has definitely made me feel more confident to undertake a solo research project next year. The year has significantly help me with personal skills and how to work in a multi generational environment in the future.

We would have tea breaks normally in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon together as a team where we would chat and relax with other full time employees. During the work day in the lab we normally would discuss work, with other placements students though we would always be more relaxed and friendly in the lab so there was a good balance of professionalism and fun.

There was little to fault. There was a day before we started in the middle of summer for everyone to meet up at GSK and to get to know other IPs, we got to meet our supervisors too. we also had time the day before to go to the pub to get to know other students more informally. From that day we got to find other people to look for a house with and there are quite a few estate agents that cater specifically to the student population moving in and out each year so there's not a lot to stress about. In the first week we went to Bristol university to get to grips with research and cementing some basic laboratory techniques and throughout the year there was a group called IPUnite which were basically a society that would organise social events for the students.

As the year goes on it seems more obvious that after initial training not a lot more is offered as you're expected to just be in the lab. It seems fair though as you do get excellent initial training with help constantly available to you when needed.

Specifically for what I was doing not a lot of future employment seems available at the time. It seems a lot of people are only hiring if you have a PhD but that's just for the chemistry aspect. Having a foot in the door is great and throughout the year GSK offers a lot of information about their 'future leaders programme'. This is a graduate scheme that they offer to IP students first which would help you to get a graduate job in other areas of the company.

We would go on department events every couple of months, charity work days, Christmas parties or celebrating excellent achievements in science. Within our team we would go out for lunch or breakfast aprox. every month for some reason or another so there were chances for team integration outside of work. There were quite a few other students across the site so there was always a party or a bowling trip or something going on if you were inclined.

Close to London so more on the expensive side. Some bars were reasonable priced in town - if you go into London could be more expensive.

Not a lot of clubs in the town but some nice bars and London is only a 25 minute train ride away for anything of that sort.

Some sports clubs available but I wasn't one to get involved. A gym was available too for other sporting activities. Also students were encouraged to get involved with other events the company ran just as much as full time employees were.