Medicinal Chemist Review
by GSK
This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
-
The Role
4.4
-
The Company
4.3
-
The Culture
3.6
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
My work placement was very interesting while synthesising drug-like molecules and for this reason I enjoyed my placement at GSK.
My colleagues would give me regular feedback and credit me for the amount of work I had done even if the chemistry did not work perfectly.
At the start of my placement I was provided with a lot of support and guidance by my supervisor, which allowed me to excel after 3 months. However, I had to do be more keen on what I was doing after this time period.
I was very busy on a daily basis, on average; however I feel that I had the right balance due to my own planning of the day. This helped me to finish a majority of the work I had been set to do.
I was given a lot of responsibility to carry out the work I was set by my supervisor, but at the same time ideas of set task were usually given by my supervisor. Some work was proposed by me, which I managed to perform.
The skills I have developed will assist me to a great extent for the remainder of my degree and beyond this. I have not only learnt lab based skills but also taken on board some life lessons.
The Company
During my placement the majority of the work was carried out in the laboratory and very little in the office. There were some dull days where I had to write up my dissertation, however it can be fun at times.
There is no doubt that my overall work placement was set up very well and allowed for a very high work efficiency.
GSK invested a lot of time and effort for the personal training of equipment and facilities. In addition, there were safety courses and lectures that helped develop the understanding of lab work and the current research that could help for pharmaceutical synthesis.
Flexi Time
Subsidised/Company Gym
National Travel
Company Parties/Events
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
Working from home
It is very difficult to secure a job with one of the world's leading pharmaceutical company like GSK. However, this experience can help when applying for other jobs within the pharmaceutical sector.
The Culture
There were several social events that took place every week that most placement students were invited to.
The cost of living is very cheap compared to places such as London. The rent of houses in the area are usually between £250 - £350 per month.
The nightlife is not too great, although there are a few clubs around. There are however a lot of pubs around to go for a drink after work with colleagues.
There are sports clubs and other types of clubs in the area, however this is of your own expense.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
South East
November 2013
