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The dreaded fourth year MPharm research project
By Rakhee Mistry
22 Jan 2012
I’ve just spent the best part of three months conducting my fourth year research project. It’s been a whirlwind of reagents not arriving on time, lab equipment getting double booked, running between two different labs and going cross-eyed from reading too many journals. Although there were many tears and tantrums, experienced both by myself and my fellow students, I did enjoy myself!
I wouldn’t say that my findings were groundbreaking, but my project definitely gave me a taste of what research is like in real life; especially since I had to write a 5,000 word manuscript in the format of a particular journal.
Although I had a great time working in the lab, I decided at this current moment I would like to practice first and possibly consider entering research later. This made me wonder if many students got encouraged or put off from research as a future career, after undertaking their project. As someone once told me “research isn’t for everyone”.
Are there any students out there that enjoyed their project and as a result want to go into research?
My forth year MPharm project
I carried out my project in the Tissue Engineering department specifically looking at how steriods affect the differentiation of stem cells into bone tissue. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I enjoyed everything from the lab work through to doing a literature review but I think it was the satisfaction of getting results that I understood,that I liked most.
It was two years after I graduated that I decided to go into research, and it was my undergraduate experience that helped me come to that decision. I am now studying for a PhD in a totally unrelated topic to my forth year project (services in community pharmacies) and 18 months into the process I have no regrets. I would encourage more people who enjoy their projects to consider incorporating research into their careers. There are loads of ways to do this and many of them allow you to continue practicing as a pharmacist.
My project
Hi Rakhee,
My project (adventures in drug-polymer miscibility and rheology!) is just getting off the ground. I'm not inspired to study for a PhD yet, but it is early days!
Hope you are well!