Analyst Review

The placement was very enjoyable. I immediately became part of my team. Most of my colleagues were young scientists yet very experienced - they were always available to help, to answer any questions I had and we had a couple of social nights out as well. In terms of work, I have been exposed to a variety of different opportunities (eg. different analytical techniques) and projects which allowed me to develop both scientifically and professionally. Finally, I was also given a 10 week project to work on autonomously, which is pretty cool !

My colleagues welcomed me in the team and provided me with plenty of support from day one. I was assigned tasks of equal importance and responsibility as everyone else's. They trusted me and included me in meetings and conversations about projects. Although there were a couple of colleagues who did not really make use of my time there, I would say that most of them did actually make an effort in making me join the team and contribute to the work.

Both my manager and supervisor provided me with plenty of support. At the start, I had daily and then weekly catch ups with my supervisor. My supervisor would make sure I was given all the appropriate and necessary training; introduced me to different aspects of drug development and the industry (she was happy to go over any topic I had on mind!) and finally she was always available to have a chat whenever I needed. Similarly, my manager set up monthly meetings with me. My manager encouraged me to create a list of goals, so that he could know exactly what I wanted to get out of my placement and he helped me in making this possible.

My work was quite balanced. There have been times of boredom and stress (going from one limit to another) but during the year I learnt how to manage my time. How busy you are really depends on how good you are in scheduling your week. There is always something to do at AZ, whether it is your daily work, or extra training sessions or seminars and poster presentations.

I was given the correct level of responsibility. In other words, my responsibilities matched my role - I was never given tasks that went beyond my scope of practise (and at the same time, I was not given "easy-peasy" jobs). If for any reason things went out of control, there was always someone to support me, eg. my supervisor or the lead analyst on the project.

The skills I acquired (both soft skills, and practical) will accompany me throughout the rest of my degree, and I am fairly confident that they will help me in the far future as well, eg. when applying for jobs, and when working. While at AZ I have developed both professionally and as a scientist.

The atmosphere was really good. Although we were all very busy and focused on doing our job, we often had coffee breaks and would have lunch together. People would bring in cakes, they would always have a chat at the start of the day and would never project their stress against you.

It was very well organised. I was given the appropriate and relevant training from the very start, which meant I was able to work autonomously and make the most out of placement quite soon. I was assigned my 10 week project at about mid-way throughout my placement; this was good timing, as I was confident enough to lead the work but it also gave me time to extend the project if I wanted to.

There were a lot of placement students starting at the same time. About 20 or even more! Furthermore, there were many young apprentices in the company, as well graduates (graduate scheme) and in the summer we also had summer students joining us. It was great, we basically created a sort of "student community" in and out of work.

The area in which I lived was quite quiet. I would define it as a residential area, great for families and the outdoors. However, the town did have one club !!! Also, there are plenty of good pubs. Although the town was not the busiest, there were options for a night out. Finally, the town is 20 minutes away on the train from Manchester - and in Manchester the nightlife is great.

The town has a leisure centre and there are several gyms to go for (including a gym at work!). There is also a bouldering and yoga centre which is very popular. The town is not far from the peak district, and so for people who like hiking there are several groups that can be joined.