October 12, 2021, by School of Medicine
Roei: My experiences with Cancer Sciences
Tell us a bit about yourself? (Home city, year of study, and so on)
Originally, I was born in Ramat Gan, Israel. But I moved to Beverley, a town in Northeast Yorkshire when I was 4. In my free time, playing football is one of my favourite ways to relax and have fun. Unfortunately, as a Manchester United fan watching football is not always as fun or relaxing.
From a young age, I have been interested in cancer and wanted to have a positive impact on the world by studying it, in hope of helping to find a breakthrough.
I am now starting my second year of university.
Why did you choose to study Cancer Sciences at Nottingham?
Cancer sciences is truly a unique and fascinating course. There are no courses at any university where I would have the opportunity to learn so much about cancer in my first and second years. This was the perfect course for me, as I couldn’t wait to get started on studying cancer.
When I arrived at the open day, I felt very welcomed by the professors and all the staff. They were very passionate about the course which enticed me to enrol even more. I believe it will provide me with more knowledge and understanding of cancer than any other course. This of course will be useful when I look for jobs later in life.
Furthermore, Nottingham is an amazing city since it has plenty of modern buildings as well as beautiful parks and historic buildings. The campus itself is just as beautiful with an amazing modern sports village, providing so many options of different sports to try out.
What do you like about studying cancer sciences at Nottingham?
Practicals are one of the things I enjoy most as a Cancer Sciences student. They are always interesting, and I really love being able to work in a lab with high tech equipment. We have learned techniques that we will be using for many years to come if we carry on working in labs. For example, isolating RNA from cells and tissues and converting it into cDNA to run qPCRs.
Last year, I particularly enjoyed the lectures from the Hallmarks of Cancer and Causes and Consequences of Cancer modules. They were so fascinating and very well explained. We often did Kahoots (quizzes) to consolidate our knowledge after the lectures which is always a fun way to recap what we have learned. Also, I greatly appreciate the fact that I could e-mail the lecturers about any queries I have or bring them up in the Q&A sessions that were held. These sessions were also useful because we discussed ideas surrounding the topic of the lecture. Such as, how a certain oncogene can relate to current treatments of cancer or even future possibilities in therapies.
Additionally, weekly seminars in which we gained extra knowledge from scientists, charity workers, industry workers and many others were so interesting. They gave us an insight into what careers we could possibly take up in the future.
If you have got involved in extra-curricular activities, what are they and why did you get involved?
As a student ambassador, I take part in introductory talks for offer holders and open days. The reason that I got involved was to help in inspiring others to enrol in this course. I believe that it is important to keep inspiring future generations to study cancer. If there is a continuous flow of young scientists who are interested in cancer and wish to make a difference, the development of therapies and treatments for cancer patients will keep on improving.
Where do you hope your degree in cancer sciences will take you? What would you like to do after you graduate?
After I graduate, I know I would like to make a difference in finding a cure for cancer. I am also sure I would like to join the master’s course, should I get the required grades in second year. However, I am undecided on whether I would want to stay in academia and work towards getting a PhD or gain some experience in industry. I hope as I continue progressing through the years at university, I will get a clearer image of what I would like to do in the future.
What advice would you give to anybody thinking of studying cancer sciences next year?
I highly recommend trying to stay on top of lectures as much as possible. It is the best way to keep a good work-life balance. Also, it would help prevent becoming stressed before exams because you will have a lot of time to revise. But also make sure to enjoy first year as much as possible. It is the best time to meet new people in societies and on your course.
Do you have fun fact about Nottingham?
The Dark Knight Rises features Wollaton Hall as Wayne Manor. Wollaton Park is also a great place for walks as student. There are usually very tame deer walking around the park which are beautiful to watch up close.
No comments yet, fill out a comment to be the first
Leave a Reply