Thursday 3 November 2016

6 weeks in research- My experience

Izzy Faulkner
Izzy is a second year medial student who attended a 6-week placement with Miss Lauren Powell. It was her first experience of working independently within a research setting...

Having never properly experienced research before, I was apprehensive about starting my research attachment. The world of research seemed a scary place to just a second-year student, having come to University straight from sixth form. My school was a relatively small school with small class sizes and plenty of guidance, so 6 weeks of independent learning was a new concept to me.

The main thing that my time in research has taught me is that time management is key, this is the part I struggled the most with, as the majority of my past learning experiences (school and lectures) were fairly structured. I think that my time management skills improved as the 6 weeks progressed and I hope that the experience has made me a more independent learner and made me less reliant on structured timetables.

The 6-week placement has also made me appreciate the importance of research to the practice of medicine. Having researched the use of apps for ADHD for my placement, I now (think) I understand how much technology can impact on your practice as a doctor. This will hopefully mean that I can use the research skills that I have gained in the future to keep up-to-date with the latest research, in order to be the best doctor I can possibly be. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have a brief encounter of the research world and hope that it has made me a better doctor-to-be.


Written by Izzy Faulkner

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