Blog posts

Just a note…

Medicine

It’s about 1am, I can’t sleep, so I thought I might as well blog.

The blog’s been a bit quiet lately – the opposite of everything else in my life. I can’t believe it’s been over two months – it feels more like two minutes.

Since then, ICSM will have made all their offers to potential Freshers. So, to all of you who received offers…. CONGRATULATIONS! Welcome to the best medical school on the planet (I’m not at all biased…)

For those of you who didn’t, don’t give up. I didn’t get into med school first time round, so I took a gap year and worked as a healthcare assistant.

Changes

Nebz

MSc Preventive Cardiology

So.. recently in my course I’ve experienced some changes.

Research Project

My MSc in Preventive Cardiology is a taught course where we have to do a research project worth a 3rd of our overall grade. Those who want to do a PhD or go into research after their masters understand the importance of the research project and choose something that they may like to follow up afterwards. As I’ve said in a previous post, I am interested in cardiovascular disease and mental health, and I was hoping that as part of my research project I could actually have patient contact and carry out some interviews.

End of third year… almost

MSCi Physics

My exams finally finished today!

I think they went pretty well in general, although third year exams are hard (as you might expect!)

This was the first exam season where I’ve consistently struggled for time during the exams—normally I finish with a bit of time to spare and check things over, but this year has been a mad rush right until the end for almost every exam, which was disconcerting.

Except for one day of lectures related to next year (that I am accidentally missing by going to Cheltenham Science Festival next week) and the summer balls, I am now done with uni for the year!

Study Breaks

Isobel profile

BSc Biology with a year in Europe

I am a strong believer in the study break. As the weather gets more gorgeous and my exams get closer, I think I would end up hating life if I didn’t make time to get outside and enjoy it. Some people prefer to power through the exam season in the library but that’s just not my style. So here’s a run down of my fave ways to enjoy a break from revision.

Tea at the V and A seems like something that you would only do as a tourist or when your parents come to visit but this amazing, beautiful museum is literally next door to us so I think it makes a great break from revision to have a little wander and enjoy a delicious cup of tea in the café.

Soil, microbes and pasties

Victoria Burton profile

Science and Solutions for a Changing Planet Doctoral Training Programme (PhD)

Last week I was pleased to have another day of fieldwork, this time in the New Forest National Park in south England. The New Forest includes one of the largest areas of pasture, heathland and forest in south east England and the site we visited is Whitley Wood, a oak-beech wood pasture woodland with grazing deer and ponies. The Natural History Museum Soil Biodiversity Group have been sampling at this site for soil and leaf litter invertebrates nearly every month since 2002.

A 100 meter transect line is laid at random in the forest and a sample is taken every seven meters.

Post Second Year Medicine Exams Mindset

MBBS Medicine

At first when I finished exams I was like…

And days and nights would merge into this…

And this…

And when my parents would ask me what useful stuff I was doing with my life I’d just be like..

But then the days passed, 3rd term work started and my money began to disappear…

But that didn’t bother us much and we continued to just…

and…

Until, really, we had no money…

and we ran out of cheap things to do..

and we actually had tutorials and practicals to prepare for…

And having so much free time we all expected to be..

London Adventures!

Nebz

MSc Preventive Cardiology

At the beginning of May I had the opportunity to go with my friend to see the Lion King for her birthday! I often tend to talk about cheap and frugal things to do around London, as I’m often pinching pennies due to working part time and paying for my own rent while studying my masters here at Imperial.

With tickets starting from £30, this would be considered a very special treat for me and not considered within the normal “Hey – let’s hang out!” type of activity. Nevertheless, it was a great experience, and if you liked the movie at all, I would suggest you go and see it!

Lyme Regis fossil festival

Victoria Burton profile

Science and Solutions for a Changing Planet Doctoral Training Programme (PhD)

I’m a closet palaeontologist and have always wanted to visit the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival, an event which happens each early May Bank Holiday and features exhibits from scientists as well as talks, walks and a Fossil Fair were minerals, fossils and jewellery can be purchased.

I attended with the Natural History Museum to talk about my research on soil biodiversity, bringing along live specimens of earthworms, woodlice and other soil and leaf litter animals and a microscope for people to look closely at them. I was joined by Natural History Museum Soil Biodiversity Group volunteer Silvia and we took turns in enthusing the public about earthworms and other invertebrates. 

TBL..what even is it?!?

MBBS Medicine

We are well into the final course of 2nd year, Science and the Patient!

Science and the patient is actually really interesting as it is the transition course from pre-medical into 3rd year on firms. It means we are learning a lot more about diseases and less about the nitty gritty bits of cells and drugs etc.

This year TBL has been introduced and I wanted to talk about it a bit. I think it is amazing, and one of the best learning tools the faculty of medicine have introduced. Why? Because it actually takes into account what medical students are and utilises it to teach us something.

Exams, Dinos and next year :)

MSCi Physics

It’s almost the end of third year now which is really strange! I’ve still got one more year at Imperial doing my masters, but many of my friends are leaving this year. Integrated masters are a good thing to consider by the way for anyone thinking they might want to carry on in science– you can always transfer off the masters course if you change your mind, but if you do want to do a fourth year, this way it is counted as your first degree so you can take out a student loan, and it is also charged at the same price as an undergraduate course.

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