Arwa Al-Robeye

The MRes offered two things: firstly and obviously, it was a masters rather than a BSc which came with its own opportunities and advantages and secondly, it allowed me to carry out a year of research of my own choice where I was in charge and control of my own project with the help and guidance of supervisors. Research is applicable to all fields of medicine no matter which career pathway I will later choose, the MRes was an opportunity for me to develop my critical thinking and skill set.

With the MRes I felt like there was a good balance between being challenged in the world of academia and being supported by supervisors, the MRes coordinators and the rest of the MRes team. I learnt a lot from being thrown into the deep end of designing my project and experimenting with research ideas before starting and throughout the year of as the research developed and adapted. The independence in the MRes and the opportunity to work in a laboratory setting with PhD students was something I would not have otherwise had the chance to experience if I had not intercalated.

The MRes is a year of independent academic research in an area of your choice which pushes you to develop a range of skill sets that you may not necessarily have the chance to develop in medicine. Learning how to adapt, think outside the box and problem solve when faced with barriers; how to communicate with supervisors and colleagues and disseminate the results of your project through presentations; and how to network with others to gain ideas on how to move forward are some of many attributes that you may develop.