My year in industry at Hammersmith Medicines Research

The University of Sheffield was my top choice of university because of the amount of support given to me. As an international student, the fees and being abroad – the impending homesickness and cultural differences – were unsettling initially.

However, the number of scholarships available to international students was extremely helpful and eased my worries financially. Moreover, being consistently voted number one for student experience, the Students’ Union boasts a range of clubs and societies. The international student scene is vibrant and I was able to meet a lot of friends through mutual interests.

Biomedical Science in the University of Sheffield is incredibly rewarding because it incorporates cutting edge research by lecturers into the course. This allows me to learn about the breakthroughs that happen and inspires me to contribute to the medical field. Being one of a few universities in the UK to offer full body dissections, I was ecstatic to be given the rare opportunity to learn hands-on about human anatomy.

I was extremely excited to partake in a year in industry because of advantages that I will obtain through acquiring character-building skills, such as discipline and determination. I also needed more time to reflect on a career path that I want to pursue and hoped that a professional setting will give me the advantage to seek advice from my colleagues.

My role in the placement is as a Student Biomedical Scientist, responsible for receipting, analysing, and storage of clinical samples... Some of the tasks that I have undertaken include processing pharmacokinetic samples, creating a summary of laboratory procedures from sponsors’ manuals, running manual enzyme immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), validating methods on a back-up analyser, and self-taught blood film reading and preparation.

Samuel Liew

BSc Biomedical Science with a Year in Industry

The support given by the University’s Careers Services throughout my applications, such as interview preparations, successfully helped me land a placement with Hammersmith Medicines Research (HMR). HMR is a contract research organisation specialising in Phase I and early Phase II clinical trials, from design to report.

There are many departments within the company, such as a pharmacy team that prepares the investigational medicinal products (IMPs), quality team to ensure that the company complies with MHRA and FDA regulations, and my team, the laboratory. My role in the placement is as a Student Biomedical Scientist, responsible for receipting, analysing, and storage of clinical samples.

This placement year has moulded me into a more reliable and responsible individual

Samuel Liew

BSc Biomedical Science with a Year in Industry

Every month, I am given the opportunity to rotate in four different sections of the laboratory. Some of the tasks that I have undertaken include processing pharmacokinetic samples, creating a summary of laboratory procedures from sponsors’ manuals, running manual enzyme immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), validating methods on a back-up analyser, and self-taught blood film reading and preparation.

Recently, I had to perform an internal audit on the laboratory’s reagent inventories and deliver a presentation on screening for drugs of abuse in clinical trials. The multitude of tasks available has allowed me to have a clearer understanding of the clinical trial industry.

This placement year has moulded me into a more reliable and responsible individual and I am looking forward to coming back into my final year with more positivity and confidence. My ambition is to continue discovering and learning because the challenge excites me. Thus, I have decided to pursue a post-grad degree wherever life takes me.”