Placement Student in Medicinal Chemistry Review

My day-to-day role was to conduct research towards ongoing medicinal chemistry projects within GSK. It involved 90% lab based working once the planning and organisation around work places within COVID was sorted. I would spend my entire day at work in a lab planning reactions and synthetic pathways before conducting them. My role was very much to be a part of a team effort towards thinking of new and innovative target molecules and routes to them.

I mainly learnt about how chemistry was conducted in an industrial setting. By this I mean the considerations around chemistry and the planning of routes. Before now experiments were very much planned by university whereas at GSK it was my job to research and design them. Whether that's the sourcing of starting materials or the techniques used. I have seriously developed my thinking on the spot or on the go as, unlike university, you don't always have time to sit and meticulously plan before you do.

I think this is where GSK may differ from other placements as once training is complete you're very independent. With things like direction and maybe targets given in project meeting, the planning of time and contents of your day is very much up to you. You have the responsibility of contributing reliably to your projects and really pushing it forward. As a placement student you're not just lab hands but a proper member and working part of the teams that's expected to pull their weight.

As much as I needed. By that I mean, at the start I received amble support and guidance with my manager really taking the time and effort to make sure I felt comfortable before giving me more and more independence. As time went on the support didn't stop but changed to fit my needs, as with more time and experience I needed less guidance and so was given less. It's very much going to be different supervisor to supervisor but in general the support and guidance is there when you need it and doesn't feel patronising.

Given the year I've been at GSK, during the height of the pandemic, I find it hard to comment properly on the culture and the atmosphere. In general it has been happy and determined but at times I've sensed low moral among full time employees and sometimes discontent with how certain aspects of the business were managed. That being said I think it's important to note that my experience of the environment is not typical given the circumstances of COVID.

This is hard question as during my time at GSK the country has come in and out of national and local lockdowns but in general I've enjoyed the actual work and chemistry I've taken part in. The aspect I've not enjoyed as much has been the social element, with most of my time spent indoors and distanced from colleagues, it's been very difficult to meet people and build relationships. That being said, the actual job has been enjoyable and academically stimulating.

Yes

Be yourself. GSK, although it definitely helps, doesn't just look for grades or which university you come from. They put a lot of emphasis on personality traits and ability to communicate effectively in a work environment. Essentially what I'm saying is they employ and look for people not grades so although they do help in getting your foot in the door, during the actual application process itself its more about who you are and whether or not they see you working well in a team. So to get the best chance, just be yourself and show that you can communicate effective and contribute well in a team setting.