Industrial Plcement Student Review

The development of immunohistochemistry assays to aid in drug development within oncology required a mixture of lab and office-based work. A typical week would consist of running experiments in the lab (eg: western blot, immunohistochemistry) accompanied by office work which included planning experiments, admin, reading papers, writing up experimental results and preparing presentations. Presentations and regular project updates would be given to my supervisors, pathologist and additional senior members of staff.

During the placement, I was given a large number of opportunities to develop my skillset. In particular, I greatly improved on soft skills such as team work, organisation, communication and problem solving. I also developed my skills as a scientist and became competent in critical thinking and a range of laboratory techniques (eg: cell culture, western blot, immunohistochemistry).

During my placement I was given a large amount of responsibility and allowed to run my projects by planning my own experiments and working week. Despite having support from my supervisors whenever needed, I was not micromanaged which allowed me to challenge myself and develop my skills and confidence independently.

During my placement, I had weekly meetings with my supervisors who provided advice and helped me to analyse existing data. I also received support from my line manager and pathologist who helped me to plan the next steps, and ensure that my assay was of good quality. The rest of the TransPath team were also very supportive and willing to give advice and help wherever needed.

The company has a very inclusive culture and every member of staff is treated as an equal. In my department, the atmosphere was extremely positive and supportive, with the achievements of others being celebrated. I particularly liked the no-blame culture practised by the more senior members of staff and the quick yet thoughtful responses that were given to any issues which arose.

Despite being given challenging projects, I thoroughly enjoyed the placement year as a whole and felt that the experience I gained will be extremely useful for my career progression. The challenging nature of the work made the completion of my projects very rewarding.

Yes

Be yourself, teamwork is critical and a large part of the role so it is useful to know how you might fit in from the beginning. I believe it is important to show your passion and curiosity for the science and drug development during the application process.