Summer Research Student Review

I have just finished my summer placement working at GlaxoSmithKline. Here, I have been researching chemicals for drug discovery. This has been very useful for me personally at an academic level but also in terms of my employment prospects. Typically, I would start the day off in the lab to get a few results from previous days or set up new processes. I would then write up my findings. I would spend time discussing with my colleagues these results.

I have learnt a lot of skills which will set me up very well for a career in science and research. I have learnt to interpret the result of experiments in a commercial environment. This specifically means I have learn to be able to view the results of an experiment from a profit maximising point of view. This is somewhat controversial but it is necessary for pharmaceutical companies to exist. I have learnt how to code as well.

I was given responsibility to conduct experiments, independently write up my findings, and to make judgements based on those findings. These were in the context of working as part of a wider team, but my input was valued and therefore I did have a lot of responsibility. I was trusted to work safely with equipment. I was also given the responsibility to train others placement students in processes that I had become confident in myself.

I received a lot of support and guidance, particularly towards the beginning. This was necessary for health and safety reasons. I was given a lot of training on interpreting the results of experiments from a commercial point of view. This was useful because I am not particularly business minded, so the concept of revenues, costs and profits was still alien to me before the internship. I also learnt how to communicate my findings effectively to a wider audience.

The atmosphere is great. There are regular socials. There is a mixture of youth and experience among workers at GSK. This makes for a nice atmosphere because it provides a balance. I got the impression that a lot of people at GSK are ambitious but rightly so because it is a competitive company requiring a high barrier to entry. I also found that most people were willing to help me when required, with no qualms.

I really enjoyed my placement at GSK. It was a chance to put the skills I had learnt throughout the course of my Chemistry degree into practice. There was a lot of learning on the job, and this made for a great experience. I got on very well with my colleagues, when necessary because they were always willing to help me. Moreover, I enjoyed the regular social events that the company organised for us interns.

Yes

Try and be open to the commercial side of the pharmaceuticals industry. Many people disagree with this but ultimately profit is what keeps these companies in business, and allows the public to benefit from new discoveries. Try and show that you are commercially aware by being aware of concepts such as revenues, costs and profits. These are basic but it is useful to show that you are, as a science student, also aware of business.