PhD Research Degree
Finding the right PhD
Your journey to becoming a research scientist will take you into the unknown, so you must choose a sensible 'launch pad'. This should consist of a good subject, and an excellent supervisor. In selecting the subject for your research you should weigh a number of factors:
- Some areas of research are well funded, and result in your gaining understanding or practical techniques that will lead to good further research or employment opportunities.
- How interested are you in the subject? By the time you complete your degree you will have to understand the area in depth. If it doesn't interest you now, it will be very hard work to complete the course.
- What will research in this subject involve? Are you strongest in laboratory skills, or computing? Will you need to communicate well with people? Pick a subject that will allow you to use your talents to their full extent, to develop areas of knowledge that interest or excite you.
- Assess the people and the environment. Make sure that you understand both where you will be working and the people you will be working with. It will be hard to complete your chosen subject if you don't like either your supervisor or your environment.
You should be able to answer some of the general points above on the basis of your undergraduate studies, and general interests in medical sciences. To get a feel for the dynamics of the research group, and detailed nature of the work, however, it will be important to talk to the people engaged in this work.
There is a wide range of highly regarded research ongoing at the Medical School, which comprises the five departments of Cardiovascular Science, Human Metabolism, Infection and Immunity, Neuroscience, Oncology and the Academic Unit of Medical Education.