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The “value” of the degree has changed over the years as the ways to make money increase, and career paths become less linear. In a society where impact or success is measured by monetary value, the changing world makes it even harder for life science graduates whose pathways have never been linear to to feel a real sense of value. The formation of the STEM industry has created a false sense of job security that isn’t translated across all disciplines. In a recent report by the Nuffield Foundation, of STEM graduates only 46% of were employed in highly skilled STEM positions. Even without the report ,this statistic is validated by the online postings of recent graduates who can’t find careers where they can use their degree skills post graduation. As a biological science (BS) graduate this outcome is even worse with the report stating only 32% of BS graduates were working in STEM roles. Having graduated and creating a blog to tackle issues dealing with careers and pathways of life science graduates, I want to discuss the potential reasons in this post : The miscommunication between graduates, universities and employers The awareness of potential career paths The immediate skills gap and the number of places available Navigating the ever changing world The miscommunication between graduates, universities and employers University is a bubble where the support you get is highly dependent on the expertise of your careers service team. While many do a great job at showing the main options available to students, such as : internships, year in industry and graduate schemes. When the student pathway goes off this road, it can become difficult for students to know what to do next. Universities project a false sense of job security and calm onto students leaving them feeling lost post graduation when this doesn’t happen. Having faced the job market, entry level positions ask for a range of things that aren’t easily identifiable from your degree. Not having metric based work is sometimes not valued by employers that want someone essentially “ready to go”with little training. As the number of university degrees increases, what is taught at different institutions can vary greatly and the recruitment process then becomes highly flawed. The famous phrase “ they only take two minutes to look at your CV” will continue to cause chaos and widen that gap of potentially great graduates into roles. As shown by the career profiles there are many routes for life science grads but staying the course or even gaining training of relevant skills seems to happen by chance rather than by design. The awareness of potential career paths TCIM was created almost 5 years ago due to my personal lack of understanding of potential life science careers and options. This is still a problem and even though there seem to be more opportunities available to learn about different pathways, could there be an information overload where students aren't getting balanced opinions to make decisions? As someone that has had multiple interests, finding relevant jobs has been difficult as even searching for one role can lead to job postings that seem so far out of reach. In the simple sense just knowing the appropriate job title to search for can be a game changer for many students. Did you know: A “technician” can be : A research technician, science technician, research associate and scientific officer . For each of these technician roles the job descriptions and responsibilities may slightly differ but where one description at one job posting may be too much for a recent graduate the same title at another institution can be a perfect fit. Universities further that false sense of security with surveys that all graduates gain “employment” after graduation - even though when you look at the data and having interviewed many people for TCIM the steps to finding the “right role” post graduation can take as long as the degree ! "Keep on learning and at first it may seem like it doesn’t lead anywhere but after a few years there will be a massive difference propelling you to further success. It took me about 3 years after leaving university before I realised what career path was best for me. This was mainly due to being a Lab Scientist during those early years and still learning new techniques, but once I figured that out, I was then able to explore how to build on the foundations laid and accelerate my career. " Dami , Head of scientific Business development The immediate skills gap and the number of places In the job market, there seems to be a form of miscommunication between the graduates and employers and a skills gap that isn't being filled by the content being taught. Universities promote transferable skills but identifying employers that understand the value of them is quite difficult. The infantilization of graduates that seem to “know nothing” even having completed degree based training is also a major problem. Employers and universities aren’t communicating enough to address that skills gap. In pathways where there are skill logs such as biomedical sciences, the number of trainee positions available are far below the number of graduates that need them ! In a recent policy lates event by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) : bioskills of the future were discussed,and the current skills gap needed to maintain and grow the bioscience industry in the UK. The event highlighted the change in workforce demands which is also supported by the Future skills for life science report. The types of skills and needs are changing, we are categorising less and working together more as an industry to have the desired impact. Entrepreneurship through the growth and creation of biotech companies alongside data skills to deal with the large amount of data being processed were fields mentioned. The field of data science, entrepreneurship and bioinformatics is massive. Even with a focus on these new skills the older skills need to be maintained in order to keep robust science and discovery. While computational skills are here to stay, the identification of markers of disease and analysing big data all comes from the generation of quality data that only happens as a direct result of a highly trained and skilled workforce. Some of the event went on to further talk about how we categorise skills and people at an early age not allowing for individual growth based on genuine interest but rather based on university requirements. TCIM profiles have been able to show through the range of A levels done that you don’t have to fully box yourself into the “STEM” world to be successful in the life science field. Being skilled in multiple things and industry opening up to people switching careers and allowing that crossover to bring in new perspectives is currently working really well to lead new discoveries and can only grow in the future. Navigating the changing world “the Cinderella moment where all fields merge and then truly begin to create magic”. - Professor Neri Oxman, Netflix Abstract art of design S2 Where lines become more blurred and fields continue to overlap and exchange technology, the science industry becomes more creative. The outcomes of graduates are only partially dependent on the degree and skills acquired but more dependent on a stable job market and economy. In an ideal world, everyone will have a job that is both fulfilling and financially rewarding to them. In the UK , it couldn’t be clearer with the wave of strikes on pay and workers conditions across industries that things aren’t based on what seems fair but instead a grander scale of things out of the control of a new graduate. To finally answer the question of: is a bioscience degree a scam? : In simple words no, as the degree provides a foundation of knowledge which is what it should. Expanding on that, the job sector needs to change as the current retention rates are not acceptable. Universities need to play a bigger part in ensuring graduates are being taught and provided with experiences valued by employers. With such a vast range of outcomes, I couldn’t tell you what a neuroscientist needs to be successful or an epidemiologist,imaging scientist, AI specialist or more. The opportunities are endless and your degree is what you make of it ! Subscribe to the TCIM newsletter for monthly summaries on life science careers and more here. References Read the Nuffield Foundation's Report (2018) on career trajectories for STEM graduates Read our Future Skills for the Life Sciences conference report (2019) RSB Policy lates event page and youtube

As a life science/ biological science graduate you worked really hard but post university can sometimes leave you feeling as if your efforts were in vain especially if you seek monetary satisfaction. Looking for jobs post graduation often had me screaming when I saw some salaries on offer. Some of the jobs if not most required postgraduate study when a decent salary in my opinion was offered, which can sometimes not be the route you want to take. This post is updated yearly ( last update Jan 2022) : Subscribe to the TCIM newsletter for unique insights on the life science industry here As my blog highlights through the numerous career profiles, there are a wide range of careers that life science graduates can go into. These can either directly use skills taught during our degree or the transferable skills that are always so often spoken about. Lets get into it ! Pay Bands Pay bands are pre defined salary ranges determined by organisations ( example NHS in the UK) or institutions. Many academic establishments have pay bands related to roles. This is free to find on the website and gives you a good idea of what you could be given. The minimum pay point on the band is usually given with the least amount of experience. With more experience, you can grow within that pay band and usually a new qualification or further study or training leads you into a higher pay band. Examples of Pay bands NHS Universities: UCL, Imperial, Manchester . These are just examples to give you an idea of where you will fall. Categories Jobs where a Bsc is sufficient Jobs that require post graduate qualifications (Msc) Phd graduate jobs Jobs where experience can balance out post graduate qualifications A lot of the information in this post will relate to the UK, the overall ideas on how to handle expectations should be applicable. The average salary across the UK is £37,428 according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) with the top 10% of earners averaging a salary of £60,890 for both genders but when split, men earn an average of £41,185 with the top 10% earning £67,4589 and females in full time employment earn £31,819 with the top 10% earning £50,909. You can already see the discrepancies between genders. This data was taken across all jobs in the UK. For life science graduates it is quite difficult to get a realistic expectation of your earning potential, which is an incredibly important piece of information as you did leave university with the aims or hopes of finding employment. Most of the most recent reports across platforms like The telegraph , save the student and BBC in relation to life science graduates, there are never any clear statistics and we are generally left in the shadows. Medicine, the pharmaceutical industry and biological sciences are usually grouped in broad terms but but never an in depth review of what should be expected according to different fields and based on specific job titles. This is something this post aims to address without getting too long. Jobs where a Bsc is sufficient This is the easiest point to branch into other fields, that can be working as an events organiser or building your skills as a project manager. Entry level positions in labs or the pharmaceutical industry will be most directly related to your life science degree. With courses such as biomedical science and any NHS schemes offering easy progression. Here is what pay could look like Outreach officer - entry level with some experience in education £26,000- £30,000 NHS STP trainee - start at band 6-- £30,000 and progress to band 9 entry level biomedical scientist starts at band 5 £22,000-£26,000 and progresses to band 7 orr 8 = £31,000-£49,000 and consultants earn more teacher - trainees are paid between £17,000- £28,000 and qualified pay ranges are £24,000-£35,000 with head teachers earning more than £100,00 Medical sales: starting between £18,000-£24,000 with senior roles at £40,000 excluding possible bonuses on sales Jobs that require post graduate qualifications (Msc) A masters degree will provide that extra sprinkling of expertise in a specific field. This is also an opportunity to branch into an are that interested you during your undergrad degree E.g of career journeys on switching from biomedical sciences to law or psychology and medical ultrasound. Psychology - trainees start at NHS band 6 - £30,401 and can grow within this role to band 8- £80,000 Patent law attorney pharmaceutical industry - trainees can earn £30,000-£37,000 and top roles have you earning up to £500 000. Clinical Scientist trainees - these cover a range of roles from cardiac scientist to immunologist and microbiologists. Entry roles start at nhs band 6 (£30,000) and can progress to bands 7/8 - £70,000 Communications manager / public relations - early careers can earn £22,000 and can increase to £40,000 and senior roles earning £100,000 Pharmacist - pre reg trainess £16,000-20,000 and starting salaries post registration at £35,000 and senior roles £70,0000 Science education officer - £30,000 Phd graduate jobs Phds are often sold as student roles, when i think they should be considered as a job. In the past a Phd was seen as the stepping stone into academia, but in reality they are now the stepping stone into almost anything. The only major con is that you could be earning significantly lower than your peers and in some cases take a pay cut if you had previously been working, but this is something you should consider before pursuing one. With a phd, you can work within academia as a post doctoral researcher, research assistant or pharmaceutical industry. You can also work outside academia in science policy helping advise government on key issues and help with desicion making. Researchers in schools - with several routes they offer a tax free bursary route of £28,000 or the salaried route where you may have already taught in schools. Science education officer - £30,000 Science policy - assistant roles at £22,000 and senior roles in excess of £50,000 Postdoctoral researcher starting at £27,000 and can earn at high level positions as seniior lecturer £43,000-£58,000 and professors at an excess of £100,000 Note with phds, you are often in control of your own time and therefore could supplement income doing other jobs such as brilliant club, paid outreach, literally anything !! Jobs where experience can balance out post graduate qualifications: Roles where your day to day may not use your degree. But the base knowledge and transferrable skills are definitely a plus Science communication/ medical communication - £30,000 - £35,000 Marketing within the science industry - at assistant level start at £18,000- £22,000 but senior roles can lead up to £60,000 with marketing directors earning more than £100,000 Science writing/ journalism - starting at £15,000 but increase to £35,000 for more senior roles. This can also be a freelance opportunity. Museum and exhibition curator - salaries can range from £20,000 and at senior roles lead up to more than £40,000 Food For thought Is it impossible to want to be a high earner and pursue a career in science thats is not trying to be a medical doctor Are we underpaid for our efforts especially in the early stages? Should we accept that in our fields it is common for it to be a slow burner vs high monetary reward since the work we do does contribute to the betterment of human life and is there an actual price you can put on this? Do you believe only high risk jobs should lead to high reward? Find out my thoughts in the next blog post and be sure to subscribe Prospects is the most comprehensive site that gives information on graduate salaries in the UK. NHS Afc pay band scale and NHS careers are also incredibly useful resource once you understand the bands you can find yourself on and how far up these bands you have the potential of progressing. Searching Job titles can also give you a feel of a realistic salary expectation. References - https://www.findcourses.co.uk/inspiration/articles/average-salary-uk-2018-14105 https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/ashe1997to2015selectedestimates https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/teachers-salary-and-teaching-benefits/teachers-pay-scale-salary https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/working-health/working-nhs/nhs-pay-and-benefits/agenda-change-pay-rates https://www.prospects.ac.uk/

Favourite science fact: Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion: To every action there’s an equal but opposite reaction. Journey in 3 Words: Overall, i’ll say my journey has been fast-paced, challenging, and rewarding. Briefly describe your course: I completed my undergrad in 2yrs 6mo as it was an accelerated program. It was combined with clinical internships of 8 hours every other day and as an intern you were required to be fully involved as you’ll be if you were employed. Currently doing my Graduate degree in public health is very stressful and requires extra effort and determination as it is online. What motivated you to pursue a career in science?: My love for Biology motivated me but at the end of it I developed more love and interest for physics. What advice would you give someone wanting to study the same degree? Go for it but be ready to dedicate your time and effort in reading and finding out things for yourself. As a radiation therapist, you’ll be treating cancer patients with high energy radiation therefore you need to be attentive, focused and ready to think outside the box. As a public health agent you’ll need to invest your time in research and developing policies and strategies that will provide a safe and thriving environment for the community. What advice would you give on picking universities: Do not pick based on ranking or friends. Compare course outlines with the various universities before making a decision. I picked Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences because they offered a very gainful course structure for both undergrad and Graduate. What do/ did you enjoy the most about your masters course: I’ll say I mostly enjoy studying a range of courses and learning from each one the importance of Public Health and how broad it is. At first I thought Public Health was only focused on health and hospitals but it also includes promoting healthy lifestyles, ensuring public safety etc. What advice would you give your younger self: Don’t beat yourself up about the things you love but don’t know how to learn. It’s a process that requires hard work and dedication. I loved science but I had no idea how to learn and appreciate until about 3 years ago. At the end of the day, everything fell in place. My hard work and dedication started being visible to myself and others. How do you feel the Science world has evolved throughout your career? ( what are some hard truths you have had to face?) The science world has evolved twice as much as I thought it would. The hard truth I've found is that it takes constant research and new knowledge to stay relevant in the science world, especially in my career path. New machines and treatment techniques are being developed and implemented every now and then. What is your biggest pet peeve about how the world perceives science. It’s too hard and you have no social life if you decide to go into it. When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? It has had one of the greatest impacts because to be honest, no one wants to spend thousands of dollars acquiring the knowledge and skill but be paid the bare minimum. I hope this post inspires you to follow your passions and acknowledge that at every stage of your career will involve perseverance, consistency and discipline to help you achieve your desired goal. Never forget that “ no accomplishment is too small and no goal is too high” To never miss another career profile subscribe :) The following links will further help you with your career search: https://www.visibilitystemafrica.com/ https://www.prospects.ac.uk/ https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles https://www.allaboutcareers.com/careers/career-path/life-sciences https://www.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/job-profiles/2418/what-jobs-could-i-do-in-life-sciences

In the UK, summer begins when Love Island starts ( for me x) . Love Island is a dating show but as a careers blogger I've noticed an interesting trend on the wide range of careers represented on the show. For those unfamiliar with what I am talking about, Love Island is a dating show with adults 18+ looking for love and a cash prize of £50,000. The benefits from the show stretch past the money, the winners go on to sign multi million pound deals with many brands and contestants can dramatically change their lives after the show. A notable example is Molly-Mae who is now the UK’s creative director of fast fashion brand pretty little thing alongside her other ventures. Many contestants go on to become media personalities and gain a massive following across various media platforms. Over the years, it’s the increased representation of science careers that has caught my eye: The first scientific career represented by Dr Alex an A&E doctor and2018 cast member . Ever since, there has been at least one contestant with a science background each year. 2019 - Yewande an oncology vaccine specialist and Anna a Pharmacist 2021 - Dr Bret - PhD student at the time who focused on sports therapy and cardiovascular disease and Priya a medical student. 2022- Dami a Senior Microbiologist, Ikenna who works in pharmaceutical sales and Paige a Paramedic. The range of careers offered and personalities show science graduates as more than just boring people with no lives. Their presence on love island and trajectory after the show can highlight the way young people now view careers and working. A life-long career is something slowly of the past with people wanting to explore different parts of themselves and utilise the power of the internet to live fuller lives. The islanders mentioned here have already started building a social following as bloggers or entertainers. Some have gone on to continue to grow in the entertainment field while others have continued to utilise their scientific knowledge showing the flexibility available to science graduates. This desire for flexibility is also a theme seen across TCIM career profiles. 5 years from now I see myself working as a working as a senior biomedical scientist, training to become a clinical scientist working in Public Health, alongside healthcare professionals in order to treat disease and assist with public health investigations. I also see myself running a successful fashion boutique, whilst inspiring the next generation of future scientists/healthcare professionals. - Ayodele Osobu ( Biomedical Scientist) This year a fan favourite and my personal favourite Dami ( Senior Microbiologist) has been a real entertaining force for the villa. But let's break down his route and his fellow islanders. Biomedical science is one of the most common undergraduate courses by life science students that covers a wide range of lab, written, analytical and personal skills. A key route to be successful down this route is making sure your course is accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) in the UK as it gets you closer to filling out your portfolio and ready for the working world. The biomedical science route can be very fulfilling as a key part of the healthcare profession. It is high in demand in both the public and private sector. As with all roles there are pros and cons which have been highlighted in TCIM profiles below. Biomedical Scientist to Biomedical Science ( Microbiology) Operational Lead ( Biomedical Scientist) Dami could return to his role post love island as a locum scientist while also freelancing as whatever form of media professional, but from his Instagram fashion blogger seems to be the likely path. Ikenna (pharmaceutical sales professional) and Dami have similar pathways and as a biomedical science grad himself could have followed the path of Dami, but interestingly chose the world of Pharmaceutical sales. Pharma seems to have a role for everyone in different paths such as: scientific discovery, sales, data science, marketing and more. As a recent grad, Ikenna could have gone down a graduate training programme to get into this path as many companies do advertise exactly that. A good way to set yourself up for understanding the word of Pharma is to do a degree with a year in industry which has many benefits as described in TCIM profile:Biological Science with Year in industry at GSK Some of the other routes also described on TCIM can be found below: Medical Science Liaison Clinical Data Management Life science consultant and marketing strategist: Pharmacovigilance Specialist I manage pharmacovigilance (drug safety) cases through intake, documentation, case processing and submission. I determine the seriousness, expectedness and causality of each case and perform follow-up if required. - Chude Obuaya( Pharmacovigilance Specialist) Yewande ( oncology vaccine specialist) started university at 16 and with pandemic pushing vaccines to the forefront of public attention, an explanation of the impact of her role isn’t really needed. Her early route into science gives her the added advantage of being in the working field for longer. Her route to specialist without a PhD also shows the fluidity of science roles. For a similar role working in therapeutics and some wet lab work, TCIM profiles also cover this. Graduate Research Associate Visiting scientist to Graduate Medicine Anna (pharmacist) went on to work during the pandemic when there was a call for people to help. Pharmacists like doctors and biomedical scientists are a skill- set based role with the skills always in demand making it easy to transition back into the working world. Anna directly showed the flexibility of science careers as she continues down the path of influencer/ pharmacist. The Doctors : Alex, Priya and Bret. Let's start with Bret whose PhD focused on exercise and health has then gone on to notably advocate for climate issues within the fast fashion industry alongside modelling. Pursuing medicine might be the most flexible of all. Dr Alex saw an easy transition into the working world but as an A&E doctor and his season happening just before the pandemic allowed him to become a force in science communication and health advocacy. This pathway isn’t limited to medical professionals as many TCIM profiles have shown. Science communication is a rapidly growing field in the science world and many life science graduates sought out to explain complex scientific information. The rise of social media and ease of access to information and misinformation shows the need for scientist to have large platforms. Pharmacovigilance to Medicine Public Engagement Lead Freelance Science Communicator My experiences and career to date only motivate me further to develop opportunities for a broader range of people to have a say in how HE and research enriches our world. It’s easy to forget sometimes how much we still don’t know because we are so saturated with information, the next big challenge is working out how we best use what we know to create a more equitable, sustainable way of living. - Marie Nugent ( Public Engagement Manager) Whether you watch love island or not, the exposure scientific graduates get from the show can spill over into science circles. The representation can change the perception of scientists, this puts people with the knowledge in positions of relatability and trust bringing science into mainstream and everyday conversation which I support whole heartedly. There are still 4 weeks left of this season and more room for some science representation. Subscribe to the TCIM newsletter for science careers and science topics straight to your inbox on a monthly basis: here. I am always looking for new people to interview: If you are a life science graduate with journey to share don't hesitate to email : thecatalystinme@gmail.com

Name : Damilola Aboyeji (He/Him) Job Title : Head of Scientific Business Development A levels/ equivalent : 1A,1B, 1C, Maths, Biology and Chemistry respectively. Undergrad and post grad degrees : Undergrad in Microbiology (Bsc Hons). Postgrad in Stem Cells and Regeneration at University of Bristol (MSc) Journey in 3 Words : Dramatic yet exciting. Briefly describe your role: I use science to drive business decisions in relation to healthcare services. What motivated you to pursue a career in science: I’ve always been curious about the universe and trying to figure things out since I was a kid. That curiosity led me down many paths and I had to choose between technology and biology. I went down the biology route after my A Levels.During my A-levels, I remember speaking with a family friend regarding career paths, and he mentioned that you can't always go wrong with healthcare. A part of me still wanted to be involved with science rather than going the clinical route and that paved the way for me to go on to study Microbiology. How did you decide on your Msc? and do you feel you made the right decision for your career? I made the decision as I had spent most of my career working with stem cells at the time, so it made more sense to focus on something I was passionate about and had experience with as well. So far it has proven to be a great decision. What advice would you give someone wanting to study the same degree? If you are keen on studying and passionate then it becomes less difficult. Pay attention to the individual modules studied during your course. a huge part of the two modules I studied came to be very beneficial for my next role which required the setting up of a laboratory and PCR. These two modules were Molecular Biology Techniques and Cell Signalling. I also found that during my MSc, many of the students were in the industry or were surgeons, which was quite interesting as they had a lot of practical applications different from what I have done, but we were able to share experiences and learn. What is a typical day like for you and which skills do you enjoy using the most and which ones have you needed to learn and work on to suit the role? A typical day usually consists of at least 5 meetings, where business challenges are identified and resolved. My problem-solving skills tend to come in handy the most and being able to apply a scientific approach. Work- Life Balance ( what are working hours like? And how do you strive to maintain balance?) - I usually work 9-5 but at a managerial or director level this usually extends into your personal time. I have learnt to allocate time better so that all work I do is mostly done during working hours. What resources helped you most during your career journey ( you can also talk about the lack of resources if applicable). I found that being able to sign up to a CPD programme with the Royal Society of Biology helped. Having a mentor was also very key in my first scientific role. My mentor used to drive me home from work and became a close friend of mine from our drive-home conversations. He excelled in his own career and told me how to optimise my CV, work hard, make connections and keep researching. He said, if you keep researching, then you are either on the right level or ahead of the curve. You have been in many positions of leadership and set up a Covid-19 testing lab. What were the thoughts that led up to that and how does that lead into where you see yourself in 5 years?. Over the last ten years, I have been fortunate to be rewarded for the extra effort put into my personal development so leadership opportunities came naturally. In the next 5 years I see myself as a director in one of the largest scientific or healthcare companies in the world. What advice would you give anyone wanting to follow your career path and working in a highly regulated industry. Keep on learning and at first it may seem like it doesn’t lead anywhere but after a few years there will be a massive difference propelling you to further success. It took me about 3 years after leaving university before I realised what career path was best for me. This was mainly due to being a Lab Scientist during those early years and still learning new techniques, but once I figured that out, I was then able to explore how to build on the foundations laid and accelerate my career. Why didn’t you go down the PhD route ? I I wanted a more direct experience in the industry rather than getting it through academia first. With years of experience: How have you grown from rejection and what advice would you give Believing in yourself is key, so even with rejection you just see it as another step in the journey rather than a stumbling block. What were your perceptions of being a scientist before you started your course and how do you use your stem ambassador role to create an image for people interested in stem ? I’ve always thought being a scientist was cool but when I started studying I realised there were many stereotypes which hinder people. This is why I decided to become an ambassador to hopefully motivate people like me and those that are challenged when pursuing a career in STEM subjects. Outside science how would you describe yourself? Love to have a party and see myself as an extrovert. Have your passions and interests changed since you started thinking of careers? Was there a defining moment for you?. My passions have become more tailored to my career. When I was younger it was more focused on Technology but now my passion is to help improve the quality of the human lifespan. The defining moment was in 2017 when I went to a conference and saw the future of what healthcare could be. When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision Once I became a manager there was an expectation of what my base salary should be as I started to realise what my input brings to an organisation and I now had experience behind me and a Masters degree to back that as well. Sometimes I simply look for similar jobs and see what the top and mid-ranges are. And also take into consideration what the company might be paying people on similar level on Glassdoor.

Name ( pronouns) Benjamin Forson (He/Him) Course/ job Clinical Data Manager A levels/ equivalent Biology, Chemistry, Business Studies, Maths Undergrad and post grad degrees BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science MSc Clinical Drug Development Favourite science fact Human beings are more than 99 percent identical in their genetic makeup Briefly describe your role As a data manager I'm responsible for all data management activities small to large complex studies. I facilitate the setup and development and maintenance of the trial database and case free report forms, through working with numerous vendors and departments. I manually review, and analyse data, as well as running listings and reporting data to study sponsors.I am also the primary communication point for project teams and company departments with regard to clinical data management. I provide a communication line for clients/vendors for all data management aspects of clinical projects and clinical data management reporting. Journey in 3 Words Laborious, Fortunate, Rewarding. What motivated you to pursue a career in science I enjoyed science lessons in school and typically achieved good grades in exams. I was also intrigued by the ever-developing nature of science. This led me to consider science early on as a career option. How did you decide on your MSc? and do you feel you made the right decision for your career? I decided to do an MSc in order to specialise in a scientific discipline. I took an interest in clinical trials following an engaging module in my undergraduate. I sought more information through research and decided to do an MSc as I believed it would help distinguish me from other job applicants. I feel I made the right decision, as I've been able to get opportunities through achieving this qualification and the network I developed whilst studying. You’ve worked both during your BSc and managed to publish work in this time and Full time during your MSc : What advice would you give in terms of managing time and was it possible to maintain a work-life balance? Prioritise what is important to you and be prepared for opportunities. Although I am no stranger to procrastination, I set deadlines for tasks and ensure I meet them. There's often time each day that we all could spend more productively. My advice is to set realistic targets and start small in order to develop healthy habits in the way you work. Working whilst studying for my degrees did not drastically have an impact on my work-life balance. I endured to make time to socialise and relax during the holidays. However in my experience a healthy work-life balance in full time positions (post-university) has been more difficult to achieve. However flexible/remote working and developing routines has drastically improved work-life balance. What is a typical day like for you and which skills do you enjoy using the most and which ones have you needed to learn and work on to suit the role? A typical day for me can vary slightly depending on different phases of each project I'm working on. I usually start the day by going through unread emails and any messages from colleagues and vendors. I'll also check my to-do list and prioritise any tasks that are urgent, whilst setting out a plan for the day. I may have a catch-up with members of some of my project teams if there are any urgent/complex queries that need addressing, ensuring to account for working hours in different countries. I'll also run metrics, listings and other data reports for different studies. I'll analyse data to give feedback to sponsors and/or appropriate team members. Depending on the studies I'm assigned, I may also perform some of the following duties such as user acceptance testing, reviewing clinical trial data, managing queries, reconciling SAEs and other data related tasks. I'll usually try and finish tasks to end the day, or get to a point that I feel is a suitable endpoint. I'll then review my to-do list and amend as necessary, catch up with any remaining unread emails/messages and then sign-off for the day. What is your biggest pet peeve about how the world perceives science ? That all scientists wear lab coats to work. Outside science how would you describe yourself? I'd describe myself as someone who likes to try new experiences (e.g. travel, food, activities etc.) Where do you see yourself in 5 years? I see myself in a higher level role developing data management/science skills in order to become financially independent. I hope to either be working as a contractor (especially if I've further developed programming skills) or part time, whilst balancing other business ventures. Having experience in both academia and the pharmaceutical industry . Do you ever see yourself transitioning back into academia? I'm not ruling out a transition back to academia. However salaries and contractual benefits (i.e. flexible working and bonuses) would have to improve. Both are enjoyable, however with the rising cost of living, and career options for my skill set, the pharmaceutical industry is my current preference. What are the main differences you have learnt between academia and the pharmaceutical industry? Depending on which organisation you work for in academia, career growth can be limited, due to the number of roles available and funding. Pharmaceutical industry roles seem to offer higher salaries than jobs in academia (although this does not apply in all cases). Also in pharmaceutical industries you may often be dealing with numerous sponsors for studies, whereas my experience in academia was the opposite. Sometimes dealing with a single sponsor is preferred as it enables you to better understand their working practices and studies. However with that said, both academia and the pharmaceutical industry have roles that cater to a similar skill set in clinical trials. What resources helped you most during your career journey Training resources provided by my employers have been extremely helpful. The resources enable me to keep up to date with current regulations and working practices as well as help me develop for career progression. How have you grown from rejection? I take every interview as a learning opportunity. It helps me continue to build a bank of information about what organisations are currently looking for and how best to present yourself as a solution to an issue. Though rejection is oftentimes disappointing, there is typically knowledge that can be gained from the experience. What are your experiences on mentorship and what advice would you give? I've been a mentor and a mentee. I think mentorship is a great way to assimilate new starters in a company. I also think mentorship provides an outlet for information, ideas, feelings and general discussion to be exchanged, that may otherwise be avoided in a more public setting. What advice would you give to people regarding salaries in your field? If you don't ask, you don't get. Research the market before applying to jobs and negotiate salary or other benefits where appropriate. How have your passions and interests changed since you started thinking of careers? Was there a defining moment for you? Since starting my career I have taken a keen interest in financial independence. The pandemic further highlighted the importance of this. However most of my other passions and interests have not really changed since starting my career, they've just become more affordable.

Name :James Bolaji (he/him) Job Title: Medical Science Liaison A levels: Biology, Chemistry, Maths and PE Graduate degrees Pharmacology BSc PhD in Clinical Research Medicine Journey in 3 Words: Marathon not race What motivated you to pursue a career in science? I was always interested in science but wasn’t keen on studying medicine (didn’t want to be that type of doctor). I saw pharmacology as a great way to understand the way medicines can be used to treat disease and save lives on quite a large scale. Briefly describe your current role I work within a medical affairs team to be be a bridge between the pharmaceutical industry and clinicians (doctors, nurses and pharmacists) and act as a point of contact for non promotional/medical queries. Within this role I also run medical projects such advisory boards and scientific workshops within my therapy area to further scientific knowledge and also understand the needs of clinicians and patients in this area. What transferable skills do you use from your degrees ( Bsc and Phd) now in your job? The ability to research and run simultaneous projects. No day is the same and it’s always important to stay on top of the latest data for when it comes up in discussions with the clinicians you work with. You’ve had a few roles within the clinical research field ( Medical Science Liaison, Scientific communications project manager and Account executive ) what advice would you give anyone wanting to follow your career path If medical affairs is a long term goal, then there’s no rush to get there. Working in a startup was a really good opportunity to learn a few different skills before starting in medical affairs. I’m able to use those skills now in the various projects I’m involved in. How did your internship abroad better position you for roles within clinical research? Really gave me a deeper understanding of the industry and all the different jobs you can do with science degrees. How did you know a PhD was for you? I wanted to get the doctor title and was also quite young after doing my BSc and really wanted to get most of my studying out of the way before working. I also found a really great supervisor who helped guide me through and I think that’s even more key than the subject you do your PhD in Reflecting on your journey ( the good and bad) What advice would you give someone wanting to apply for a PhD? A few different aspects you should consider (in this order of priority): the supervisor, the institution (useful for building your network), the subject (try to be as broad as possible, if you don’t want to stay in academia forever) How have you grown from rejection? And what would you tell a younger version of you? Rejection is a part of life and though it can hurt, you need to learn to carry on until you achieve whatever it is you are trying to do. Important also to reflect on rejection but purely through the lens of how to improve for after. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Hopefully, I’m still loving whatever I’m doing, involving all the things I love: medicine, research and digital projects. What advice would you give to people regarding salaries in your field? Talk about your salary with your peers and with people you want to work with. You are not a charity and a salary is important as it can help with whatever life you want to lead outside of working. That being said, money will always come when you’re happy in what you’re doing and can excel. What is your biggest pet peeve about how the world perceives science That pharma is purely out to get money. There are divisions (e.g. medical affairs) who’s sole purpose is non promotional (commercial) that you can still really contribute to making sure patients have access to the best medicines they need. Outside science how would you describe yourself I would say I’m quite easy going and try to have as much as fun as possible. It’s important to work hard but keep some balance, which makes it all worth it.

My first conference experience was at 17, a science competition in Boston, USA . 17 year old me felt out of place; rightfully so in a room of scientists when I hadn’t even finished A- level biology. My sessions were spent collecting freebies and just soaking up a new environment and new city. Fast forward to my current experience, I’ve only ever attended online conferences and as I've understood more, I couldn't help but notice all the things I’ve gained , without leaving my house ! Conference: a formal meeting of people with a shared interest, typically one that takes place over several days. The rise of online meetings might be the best thing to happen to early career professionals finding their feet. In the academic environment knowledge has been hidden behind paywalls but the pandemic brought about a sense of urgency to share information quickly and accurately among experts, industry leaders and the general public. While conferences are a space to exchange and build upon ideas, the benefits of attending span greater than networking and knowledge exchange for the early career professional. Interview preparation The job searching process IS exhausting so being ready for an interview in advance makes it a little better and hopefully a much shorter process. Preparing for interviews shouldn't be focused on when you “need” the role. It takes time to find the perfect role at the right time so conferences are a good time to passively gain knowledge and essentially “shop around” for new roles. What do you gain and how does it help at an interview? Answering industry based interview questions: Entering a new field means your gained experience is limited but that doesn’t mean your knowledge on the field and challenges have to be gained from real life experiences. Typical interview questions include What are the challenges you expect in this field/ role ? Can you explain the process for e.g The publishing process By attending conferences these questions can be easily answered. Most likely a speaker would have outlined the challenges of a project or explained a technique, process or work-flow. Understanding progression within a company: This may apply to online “talks” rather than the typical conference format. Depending on the event , many conferences now have career panels alongside poster sessions or structured talks. Before leaving one role for another, seeing your potential growth can really help you weigh up the pros and cons of your next steps or industry. Did it take 5 years to get to the next job role? Are the employees unclear of what their next steps could be ?. Are entry level employees content and do they all come from the same background? Asking questions like this can help you answer sometimes the dreaded question of interviews like: Why did you apply for this role? Where do you see yourself in the future or how does this role tie into your long term plans? 2. How to pitch yourself Tell us about yourself ?... Whether at an interview or in person, perfecting your “elevator pitch” about yourself can be a daunting experience if you haven’t thought of what to say. For early career professionals you may feel like you don’t bring much so the anxiety of it all can also be a hindrance. Conferences and online talks are a perfect place to refine your pitch by observing panelist and hosts then essentially coming up with a combination of your favourites. All conferences have introductions. Panellists, hosts all introduce themselves and in this you can pick up words, cues and styles on how to present yourself and what skills or experiences people focus on when they talk about themselves. Pitching myself is something I personally still find quite awkward but through “borrowing” I’ve found a style that suits me. In planning an intro, the people you are introducing yourself to matter. So before you start think of a few things. What is this event about and who will be attending? What skills do I have / projects I am working on do I want to share ? What am I trying to learn and can I categorise them into fields ? E.g My name is X, I just graduated XYZ / I work at X doing ABC and I am really interested in ABC or I am working on ABC and would like some input . I have recently been doing ABC and have found something difficult/ interesting? 3. Find out about new fields / Job titles / companies The definition of a conference is: a meeting of people with a shared interest . With this we focus on the people attending and the work they do. Focusing on the attendees you can directly find out about companies and job titles but for this section its paying attention to the list of sponsors and in the more formal setting vendors. Career building is a two way street where companies are looking for talent and talent wants to be found. I think it's a good way to identify organisations that are interested in causes you are passionate about and in the sense of talks / short panel events - these are more intimate settings where you get a deeper understanding on the goals of a company and how collaborations come about. Now back to the people that attend conferences. That trusty name badge that's sometimes peeling off if its a sticker or propped up perfectly if its a pin holds valuable information. : The JOB TITLE. One thing I’ve come to learn about the world of careers after many career interviews. There are an endless range of job titles and you sometimes know what you want to do but haven’t really placed a name on the role. Keeping an eye out for titles that align with your interests can make future job searches much easier or even highlight something you were unaware of. 4. Building your presentation skills As a visual learner and with my growing interest in design. I’ve gained a greater appreciation for how things are presented and communicated. The range of talks and styles conferences expose you to can help you either find your personal style or inspire you to even greater heights on how to really get your work across. There is just something so amazing about a well put together presentation where everything is very interesting, I remain engaged but I can tell the speaker put so much detail in making it visually pleasing. Back to my “ borrowing tip” . Try new styles, paces of presentation and if you dare put more thought into the colour scheme. As an early career professional / graduate conferences set a picture of the standard of presentations required in your field and most importantly noticing how people answer or deflect questions posed to them. I think the best skills gained are those over time in a passive rather than rushed manner. What can you take from presentations? Style: What caught your eye and why? Questions asked and how they are answered Pace and tone of the speaker 5. Gain new knowledge and network Okay now we're back to familiar territory ! Gaining new knowledge I wont even keep it specific to your direct field but something that you are mildly curious about. I find these talks/ conferences the most enjoyable. Your pursuit of new information can really stop at attending, enjoying that space and passively picking things ups. My highlight was attending the WHO infodemic conference at a time when I was building my sci comm and sharing Covid-19 information. While this was a very new field to me, it gave me confidence to continue as my thoughts were in line with the experts and I was gaining knowledge of new resources to read and share in a way I had’t thought about before. The beauty is people are talking passionately about things. If you aren't familiar with a specific skill, the knowledge gained in a conference can be translated into light interview discussions as well. How can you use this knowledge ? Learning new things passively with up to date information A talking point in interviews / CV's and can help contextualise things Stay up to date in your current field Learn something new about a new field Gain access to new resources Networking the exchange of information and ideas among people with a common profession or special interest, usually in an informal social setting Now networking will always be a thing you either love or hate or just don’t know if you’re doing it right unless you are a LinkedIn pro. The pressure of getting something out of networking in your early career days and being able to offer something back is what makes it long. TCIM has two posts on networking : Networking on social media and Maintaining relationships which are good stepping stones on navigating the networking space. While the definition is the exchange of information. Online networking means you can really gain a lot of information before ever actually speaking to the person. But how do you make the most of networking in a conference setting, online or in person? I’ve found going with an aim makes the process much easier and you don't have to really feel like you have much to offer because someone will be interested in what you do based on how you pitch yourself ( go back to point 3) Networking with a plan Are you interested in understanding the work ethic and environment in a new country Want to ask about funding and Visa requirements Share more about your own work and finding people interested To end put them all together and use this approach with in person events, online events outside of conferences and the process of finding what you want naturally becomes a lot easier and less pressured. The career path is a journey that you should try and enjoy regardless of the intended destination.

Name - Nonsikelelo (Ntsiki) Sackey Job Title - Founder of Siakhula Digital & Host of SciComm Chats with Ntsiki A levels - Biology, Physics, Chemistry, History Graduate degrees : BSc Molecular Biology & Biotechnology; Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing; MPhil in Science & Technology Studies Favourite science fact -Most of what releases endorphins is free, like a smile or a hug. Journey in 3 Words - Challenging; Beautiful; Blessed Briefly describe your role : As a founder of a start-up, all the roles that one would find in a typical company are held by me. So I’m involved with content creation, social media, community management, and web design. I help scientists be better science communicators through training and general consultancy on the science communication side of things. Through Siakhula Digital, I aim to showcase, celebrate and accelerate science and scientists in Africa using social media. What motivated you to pursue a career in science -: I have always been passionate about science. It is about finding a cure for HIV and just being at the cutting edge of major and possibly life-altering discoveries. What made you change paths from a direct science career to pursuing marketing? - In my final year of undergrad, I realised the lab was just not for me. I couldn’t keep quiet during Microbiology & Biochemistry practicals, so I would always contaminate my work. However, I knew that science was and will always be for me but not in the lab. So when the opportunity to do Marketing instead of an honours degree. I jumped went headfirst into the Marketing pool. What resources helped you most during your career journey : The biggest resource for me was my ability to network and create connections. My Microbiology lecturer made me realise that I could be involved in science without being in the lab. She told me about an internship that the university’s technology transfer office had. The internship showed me how the process of how scientific research ends up being a product on a shelf at a store near you. There’s a lot of science behind what we see and consume everyday. It was interesting to watch science being translated for investors, marketers, business developers, policy makers and eventually consumers to understand. Through this internship, I saw how Marketing and Science could come together. Science without marketing just ends in the lab. Marketing puts it out there. Also, networking helped me get my first job as a graduate, which was being a Recruitment and Marketing Officer for a science faculty. What advice would you give to anyone that struggles with networking and nurturing connections? Networking is not as difficult as people make it out to be. Think of it this way: everyone you know now was once a stranger to you. How did they move from stranger to friend or colleague or even partner? At a point of your meeting, one of you spoke to the other, found something interesting and moved on from there. So start there. Whenever you are at an event or wherever, speak to the person next you. I know it can be daunting to speak to ‘strangers’ sometimes but try. In terms of nurturing, well I’m still learning how to get this right because I can be a terrible communicator at times. I will be thinking about you and not call or send you a text. I’m working on it though but what I’ve realised is that because I’ve always been kind and courteous to people; they are always happy to see me, talk to me and even recommend me even if we haven’t spoken in years. So maybe try engaging people with kindness. What advice would you give on picking universities and courses that matched your goals? - Take the time to do your research. Figure out what interests and excites you and pick a course aligned with that. If you can take a gap year before commencing your studies, do that. A gap year will allow you to centre yourself and focus your thoughts. Would you have originally picked this career path if more information was available to you at the time? Yes, I’ve always enjoyed being on stage and always enjoyed science. So finding myself in the science communication space suits me perfectly. What do enjoy most about your postgraduate diploma in marketing? Which skills have you really enjoyed learning and which have been harder to acquire? - I enjoyed how marketing forced me out of structure and into creative chaos. I have enjoyed learning design skills. Photography and videography skills have been harder to acquire, but it is all a matter of practice, practice, practice. What is your biggest pet peeve about how the world perceives science - That science thinks it has all the answers. The reality is science does not have all the answers. We are all learning something new every day. Outside science, how would you describe yourself ? I am fun, loving, and easy-going. I love travelling and trying new things, even if they terrify me. I enjoy meeting you people and engaging with them. You run a digital platform and science communication and consultancy “siakhuladigital “ - What motivated this and where do you see it in 5 Years? - While working as a recruitment and marketing officer, I realised that the high school students I was engaging with had a traditional view of science and what a scientist looked like. I knew the field needed a different perspective and better representation. I figured I could create a platform to showcase science and scientists, not being a scientist myself. And also help scientists be better science communicators in the process. In the next 5 years, I see Siakhula Digital being one of the biggest science communication and science multimedia platforms in Africa and collaborating with STEM organisations across the globe to showcase, celebrate and accelerate science and scientists in Africa. When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? Salary does not factor in much because I barely ever have just one occupation. I have always been one to have my hands in many pies, and that’s just how I function. Would I like the salaries to be higher, yes but for me it has always been about what I can learn from a certain job and how I can leave a mark in any place I work. Honestly, even with a high salary, multiple sources of income are a no-brainer. The more you earn, the higher your standard of living. So you will always need an extra income. Also I think the multiple sources of income should be as passive as possible. You do not want to burn yourself out working five jobs. You still need to take care of you. How do you stay motivated running a platform and what are some of the hard truths you’ve had to face since creating the platform? - The only way to stay motivated is to remember why I started it in the first place. It is impossible to quit when the ‘why’ is bigger than you. It’s heartbreaking to put hours into a video or post and only get a few likes and clicks. The hard truth is that numbers are not all that. Did 1 person like it at least? Yes? Then you are making huge strides in achieving what you set out to do. How have your passions and interests changed since you started thinking of careers? Was there a defining moment for you? - I wouldn’t use the word ‘change’ but rather ‘evolve’. I have always been passionate about science; there was never anything else really. So pursuing a science degree made the most sense until I didn’t like the lab. During my undergrad studies though, I was an ambassador for the university student recruitment office. I got to engage with prospective students that came to visit the campus and realised I loved it. I loved making an impact in young people’s lives. So by exploring my interests that being science, marketing and public speaking; I watched everything come together naturally. From there, I was led to this new science communication space. Everything I have done, been through and learned has brought me to this moment. Realising that there was such a field as science communication was definitely a defining moment for me. Stay up to date with x https://www.instagram.com/siakhuladigital/ https://linktr.ee/SiakhulaDigital Scicomm chats https://www.instagram.com/tv/CUNk8augu9z/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Name : Miss Sandra Ukah Job Title: Physician Associate A levels/ equivalent : Italian A levels equivalent “Diploma di Maturità” - Maths, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, History of Art, History, Philosophy, Italian literature, Latin and Latin literature, English and English literature, PE. Undergrad and postgrad degrees: BSc Medical Physiology (UoL), MSc in Physician Associate Practice (Uclan). Favourite science fact: “In physics, work is the energy which is transferred to and from an object via the application of force along a displacement”. I just love this concept because I believe it can be transposed to real life, where without the consumption of energy no work is done, nothing moves! Everything requires some sort of energy to work, or just be! Journey in 3 Words: Bold, unconventional, intentional. Briefly describe your role: Physician Associates are generalist medical practitioners who are fully qualified to be part of any clinical team in both primary and secondary care. They undergo two years of intense medical training to be able to examine, manage and diagnose patients. This is, providing that they completed a degree in medical sciences and have some clinical experience prior to starting the course. Currently we cannot prescribe medications and ionising radiation procedures, but this is going to change once the General Medical Council (GMC) hopefully gives us permission to do so around the end of 2023. What motivated you to pursue a career in science? Early on in my studies, I realised that people can be helped greatly through scientific knowledge and innovation. Scientific knowledge when applied can, ultimately, be used to help people. This is why I was mostly fascinated by human biology. I loved the idea that I could learn all about how things are and should be in nature, to then speculate on what could be causing things to go wrong. I was seeking something that would flexibly and fairly quickly allow me to work both in clinics/wards, academia and medical innovation How did you decide on your Msc? and do you feel you made the right decision for your career? At the end of my first degree I realised I wanted to work in medicine but was not sure I wanted to become a doctor. I was seeking something that would flexibly and fairly quickly allow me to work both in clinics/wards, academia and medical innovation. When I came across the Physician Associate role I realised it ticked all my boxes: lateral mobility, the opportunity to shape my career the way I wanted to due to the role being fairly new in the UK and the possibility to gain medical knowledge to support the pressures in healthcare Although it has been a challenging journey, I have not for once regretted my decision. Since I qualified in November 2021, I have been able to work in clinics and in education, as well as having the opportunity to partner with organisations that set up study apps and mock exams for upcoming physician associates. What did you enjoy the most about your masters course? Were there things that surprised you? Everything about the PA course was surprising: the intensity of the programme, the depth of the content which had to be covered in a short amount of time, the degree of autonomy that the course demands and the lack of holidays! We probably only had 5 weeks off across two years!! However, I enjoyed the fact that it constantly put me outside of my comfort zone. If I wanted to get opportunities to learn new skills, see surgical procedures, assess patients or just take a medical history for my portfolio, I had to constantly put myself out there. I had to ask questions even when they sounded silly and act with confidence even when I had very little of it. The course surely strengthened my character. I am certainly more assertive and, more importantly, I am more keen to seek feedback recognising that mistakes bring about positive growth that can improve my practice. What is a typical day like for you and which skills do you enjoy using the most and which ones have you needed to learn and work on to suit the role? I normally start my clinics around 9 am and finish at 5 pm. Before I start I take 5 minutes to myself to have a look at the patients that are on my list, and I decide who I am going to ring first depending on the complaint presented to the receptionists. Currently in GP most consultations start on the phone, then, if the concern requires it, I could invite the patient to come to the practice for a face-to-face appointment. Every week I get a morning off, and two afternoons for training. I really enjoy managing sexual health and gynaecology cases and performing speculum exams. I say this because although the skill is sensitive, when handled well, it can enable a rapport of trust with the patient resulting in better care outcomes. I definitely needed, and still need, to learn how to document consultations concisely. And, with patients coming in with multiple complaints, I have had to learn to prioritise tasks in a way that does not make the patient feel neglected. What resources helped you most during your career journey? - How did attending events help you to where you are now? Are there any you would recommend? Apps and websites designed to support medical students with question banks, notes and webinars were my lifesaver during my time as a student and even now that I am working! Most especially, attending online webinars has helped me to network with people and gain more understanding of the career path I chose. If you are a physician associate student or medical student I definitely recommend platforms such as PassMedicine, BiteMedicine and MatrixEducation. As a Physician Associate working in the NHS, how do you maintain a good work-life balance? Working in general practice allows me to have a fairly good work-life balance. I generally have time every evening for the gym, or other hobbies and I have the weekends off to recharge, complete extra training and just nap. What advice would you give on dealing with rejection and perseverance? Your chair at the table of your opportunity is just waiting for you to sit on it! Sometimes rejection is a great tool that can be used to reflect on the path that is being taken and the decisions that have been made. Rejection is a hard pill to swallow, but it can be necessary for us to understand why we are pursuing a specific career and can be used positively to drive us to do more and better. Outside science how would you describe yourself? I am a very curious and inquisitive person, any subject I know nothing about becomes immediately interesting to me! Lately I have had the chance to work as part of a team for a finance start-up focusing on helping people to understand money more and gain financial freedom. It’s been fun to meet new people and to learn more about something I did not study in school. Otherwise, I love to travel with my childhood friendship group, even when we are not too far from home it’s an adventure! What are your views on mentorship and how has this played a role in your journey? For anyone that wants a flourishing career mentorship is key. No one is perfect and it is always important to give yourself time to reflect on your practice whatever job you do. Mentorship is an opportunity for you to reflect and actively work on yourself to be a better colleague, practitioner and person. I have to admit that sometimes it can be tough because it entails someone criticising your job or your attitude to it, but it is still essential for growth to take place. In my first year of the PA course I failed my OSCE exam. I was devastated, but that experience was key for me to understand that I was not just absorbing knowledge, I was learning to become a safe and approachable clinician. And this realisation only came after I had an hour long conversation with my educational supervisor. After that encounter the way I studied and the way I approached clinical placements changed. From then on I would seize every opportunity to receive feedback from people who were once where I was and had more experience than I did. As a result I noticed that my performance improved and I grew more confident in my skill set. When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? Everyone wants financial stability, and if you get to do what you like without having to worry about money then that is a plus. For this reason I would say my potential salary was one of the major factors which led me to go down this career path. What is your biggest pet peeve about how the world perceives science ? I think my biggest pet peeve about how the world perceives science is the fact that people literally would take random posts from social media platforms and consider them to be the sacred truth without critically questioning the facts. When I read scientific information I like to know where the evidence comes from, who put it out there, with what intent and if there were any studies done to justify the thesis. Nowadays, any information is real information and I find it very misleading, especially when it comes down to medicine and healthcare as seen during the Covid-19 pandemic. How have your passions and interests changed since you started thinking of careers? Was there a defining moment for you? My passion and interest in being of help within a community have not changed since I started thinking of my career, rather, they have found a purpose. On my first general practice placement in my first year as a PA student, I diagnosed a patient with postnatal psychosis. That was my defining moment: I might now have literally saved a life but I certainly brought about clarity and hope at one’s most weakest times in their life. As said earlier, all I wanted to do is help and with that experience I simply made a decision that I was going to do it by being the best PA that I can possibly be..

Name: Deyl Djama (he/him) Job Title : PhD Neuroscience A levels/ equivalent: French Baccalaureate - Scientific Stream Undergrad and post grad degrees BSc Biomedical Science - King’s College London MSc Translational Neuroscience - Imperial College London Favourite science fact : One neuron may receive up to 7,000 inputs on average. Journey in 3 Words: Rewarding, Challenging, Stimulating. What motivated you to pursue a career in science? One of the main reasons I decided to pursue a career in science was the exciting nature of the scientific process and discovery. I’ve always been fascinated in how the brain works and science was one of the best career options that allowed me to fulfil that child-like curiosity! Briefly describe your PhD research: My PhD research revolves around understanding how a novel Huntington’s Disease gene therapy impacts the functional and structural characteristics of a particular class of neurons. This mainly involves developing functional assays to quantify changes in functional & structural connectivity. What were your perceptions of being a scientist before you started your Bsc and how did your Bsc experience contribute to the scientist you are today? "Before my BSc my main perception of being a scientist was from films & cartoons - which usually portrayed them as villains hungry for world domination! It was only during my BSc I was able to formulate a more accurate picture of what it means to be a scientist. Luckily, my BSc final year project was very fruitful as I started to feel like a mini-scientist contributing to a project the lab was working on. This got me hands-on experience working on a live project (preprint was recently released!) and showed me what it's like to work in research. The rapport I built with my BSc final year project supervisor enabled me to land a PhD a year later! This showed me the importance of genuinely enjoying research and building genuine connections as they can change your life! This also showed me the importance of having great mentors and supervisors, as the lab culture and student-supervisor dynamics played a major role in how I enjoyed & perceived research, which further increased my passion for science. It was very inclusive in the sense I felt part of the team making a real contribution, as opposed to being seen as the stereotypical clumsy undergraduate student who needs constant supervision. This also had a massive impact in building my confidence and independence as a researcher, which was crucial going into my Master's program." How impactful was your internship to your career journey? And what advice would you give to finding internships I carried out a short internship during the summer between my 2nd and 3rd year. It was impactful in the sense that it allowed me to learn a range of techniques which made me more comfortable working in the lab more efficiently, and it started to get me thinking about how to formulate research questions and test hypotheses which I found very beneficial for my BSc project the following year. If you want to carry out an internship in academia it’s really important to reach out to potential supervisors individually and familiarise yourself with some of the work they do by reading their papers. They’re often able to put together some funding or would direct you to other groups. Reaching out to lecturers in your department might be a good place to start as I completed my internship with my Neuroscience module lead! You’re obviously not expected to know it all, but it’s important to show motivation and genuine curiosity and most of the time they’ll help you progress down the line with references and lab recommendations. Are there any regrets from your masters? Not really! But one thing I would’ve done differently is focus more on developing stronger computational skills and coding languages. How did you know a Phd/ research was for you? Doing a PhD fitted into my “5 year plan” when I started my MSc because I knew I eventually wanted to do research, and a PhD is crucial for such a career. My interest in research was based on my general curiosity about the brain and how it worked so carrying on further research seemed like the obvious path to go down!. What are the best and worst parts of doing a phd Best part of the PhD is having the academic freedom to research different areas that you’re interested in and contribute to our understanding of how the world works. Also having the opportunity to teach, motivate & mentor undergraduate and master’s students is very rewarding. The worst part about the PhD is trying to maintain hobbies outside of the lab because your schedule may wildly vary depending on the experiments you’re running, so it’s quite difficult to have a “fixed” schedule. Also having “too much” academic freedom may be an issue in some cases because you may lose track of the aim of your thesis! So keeping that balance is quite important. A PhD is often described as a marathon… not a sprint, How do you stay motivated ? This is very true. As I’m almost two years deep into the PhD, I find it important to reflect on what you’ve done so far and the progress you’ve made and the mistakes you’ve learnt from. Because it can be overwhelming looking towards the future. So, I try to focus on what’s within my control and do my best. I also find meeting up with friends every now and then is crucial for general well-being. Because, most of the time, all you need is a good laugh with friends! With the current academic climate …Where do you see yourself in 5 years? This is quite a difficult question as I now find myself at a crossroads. The PhD opens up many pathways within academia & industry, and you can also carve out unique niches. So I’m still trying to understand what I think would be the best path to go down, but definitely something research related. Outside science how would you describe yourself Outside of science I find myself on the introverted side of the ambivert spectrum. Although I enjoy going out with friends, some of my main hobbies include getting lost in museums & learning about world history & philosophy. When considering your career path, how much has your potential salary affected your decision? It has slightly affected it, but for me it has always been about the work itself and if I find it enjoyable or not. Salary is obviously important, as well as knowing the worth of your skillset, but if you’re not happy with the work itself, I’d find it difficult remaining in such a role. How do you navigate mentoring and networking within your space? Do you have a mentor and are there things you have learnt along the way? I don’t have official mentors, but my supervisors across the years have given me great advice and guidance when considering different career paths. They really helped me expand my network of scientists and some of the cool stuff other groups are doing. I also found having more senior PhD students in your network that you can personally relate to is very beneficial as they have a wealth of experience and are able to give you the big picture. One of the main things I’ve learnt from both groups in my network is the importance of being constructively honest. There’s a lot of things we don’t know in research and as we embark on a journey to answer those questions, it’s important to be able to have a safe environment to have discussions and back and forths about the project. If you don’t have that safe environment where people can share ideas and constructively challenge ideas, lab members may feel like the environment is hostile and they’re being undermined. This stifles progress and creates unnecessary tension and discord, which may drive people away from research and harm their wellbeing. What is your biggest pet peeve about how the world perceives science? People usually want to see the end product and are not aware of the time and effort that goes into science & research. So at times people may be a bit too impatient when it comes to why we haven’t found a cure for disease X for example. And in order to find a cure, we need to understand the basic biology & mechanism first etc… so I think by helping people understand what goes on behind the scenes may help manage the public’s expectations. How have your passions and interests changed since you started thinking of careers? Was there a defining moment for you? I’ve definitely started to focus more on outreach within my career plan and trying to give back to my community in any way I can. There hasn’t been any drastic changes to my interests and the career options I’d consider, but I have started exploring niches within my interests which has opened new and interesting pathways.

The phenomenon of replacing organs began from understanding that blood can be exchanged. The first blood transfusion occurred in the early 1800’s and ever since, science and medicine has evolved to the transplantation of organs . The first kidney transplant took place in 1954 and first heart transplant in 1963. The idea of replacing a human organ with another human organ is easier to wrap your head around than replacing human organs with animals. Oftentimes the use of animals in research is considered a necessary step in understanding mechanisms of disease but with that comes limitations. Animals in science are also linked to the spread of disease and the closer we get in similarity to the animal used e.g chimpanzees it is inhumane to even begin thinking about it. So why are scientists and doctors so keen on getting pig hearts working for humans? Human organ donation is still in a heavy deficit, therefore the possibilities of having other sources is truly life changing. This month many news outlets covered the death of the first man to receive a heart transplant from a pig. - Guardian, BBC news, Sky News. The articles summarise what is considered a breakthrough in science and medicine. The first ever pig to human heart transplant patient died after surviving a precious two months. In that time he was given an extended life. In opting for the treatment he gave scientists and future patients an immense amount of hope. Revolutionary science comes at a time where there are limited options for the patient that chose something of such high risk. In the guardian article his son makes a statement “We hope this story can be the beginning of hope and not the end.” - David Bennet Jr A New chapter in the story of Xenotransplantation. The transplantation of the pig heart into the first human is the beginning of a new chapter in the story of Xenotransplantation. Xenotransplantation is the transplantation of living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another. Focusing on pigs and the heart as an organ. There is a story of many decades to tell. In a 1968 article, researchers mapped out the similarities and differences between human and pig hearts by looking at the gross structure. The heart is a simple and essential organ. Its singular role is to pump blood through it to provide oxygen to our cells that keep us functioning. A main difference between a pig and human heart in the papers published were how their anatomy differed due to the stance positions of the pig vs human and hence placement in the body. A fun fact for the non anatomy enthusiast is that the pig heart most resembles the “valentine” heart we all know and use.A 2014 article further highlights the similarities and differences with the pig going into further detail on circulation and ethical issues around its use. It is evident the pig has been a key focus for cardiovascular researchers for many years and that will continue on. Pig Xenografts : The past, present and future The main challenges for replacement organs are rejections. The Pig-human heart transplant accounted for this as the heart used was genetically engineered to replace some pig genes with human genes in order to account for a more suitable match. Pigs are a cornerstone to cardiovascular research development.Their hearts have been integrated into modern medicine and proven to be successful. Heart disease can present in many forms and not only through the commonly known heart attack. The heart is an organ that allows blood to actively and passively flow through. There are valves in the heart that prevent the backflow of blood to different regions of the heart. A faulty valve is a common phenomenon and while some patients can have them repaired, valve replacement surgeries are another alternative. The replacement material can either be mechanical or biological. Pig valves are one of the biological materials used and once implanted can last from 10-17 years.Science isn’t a one size fits all and treatment is always based on the clinical picture of the patient. Whole pig hearts as a replacement is going to continue to be a focus for future research, other avenues such as regenerative medicine are also making strides in filling the organ donation gap. The main scientific goal is solving the growing need for donor organs in a world that lacks donors. The more treatment options out there whether human, pig or organs grown in the lab will only lead to better patient outcomes in the future. The ethical considerations and general acceptance is one scientist will have to work hard on explaining. Acceptance of new therapies! Heart disease is the number one killer in the western world and with that the discussions around heart health, donations and acceptance of this new therapy will need to be had more often. When is a good time to start discussing public acceptance? The future of pig hearts as a possibility for regular donor transplantation is one of the future. However, the discussion needs to happen now. The pandemic has shown science on speed mode. We potentially get to watch this new chapter evolve at a much slower pace which is very exciting. My personal opinion as a scientist is excitement and hope, as someone that communicates science is putting across this isn't a simple task and will most likely only be available to the minority and as a very complex topic, I hope people will seek out the answers and the science community will be readily available to fill in the gaps they know. If you have pressing questions such as How did they do it? Why did they do it? Will there be clinical trials? What are the potential disease implications? and more read this: Animal-Human Organ transplants Pig-kidney-heart history. Every science article is written to fit a narrative. Create your own story and learn more by clicking on some of the articles below :) References / Extra Reading Science News: Animal - human organ transplants Anatomy of the pig heart: comparisons with normal cardiac structure A comparative Anatomic Physiologic Overview of the Porcine Heart Nature: First pig-to-human heart transplant : what can scientist learn? NHS: History of donation, transfusion and transplantation Ethical issues in xenotransplantation: The first Pig to Human Heart Transplant The potential of genetically engineered pig heart transplantation in infants with complex congenital heart disease.