Ekaterina Khaleva MSc Allergy 2019
I like to think of myself as an ‘Allergy fighter’ and I was excited to learn about new therapeutic tools from word-leading experts that can provide an escape route for patients with severe and life-threatening allergies
I chose the University of Southampton because it has an excellent reputation. It is one of only two World Allergy Organisation Centres of Excellence in the UK and the programme is endorsed by the British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
I am energized everyday by the new scientific discoveries and their clinical application that make a positive impact on the quality of life of allergic patients and their families. I like to think of myself as an ‘Allergy fighter’ and I was excited to learn about new therapeutic tools from word-leading experts on the MSc course that can provide an escape route for patients with severe and life-threatening allergies.
The facilities and support here are excellent! As a full- time student and student representative I had the opportunity to learn more about structure of the modules, bring feedback to the Faculty, be involved in the development of the course to enhance the academic experience for current and future MSc Allergy students. The library offers a lot of additional master classes, such as academic writing and critical appraisal of the literature, conduction of systematic review and meta-analysis which I found very useful for my future academic career.
Throughout the course, I have received invaluable help and support from teachers and staff of the MSc allergy whose guidance enabled me to make the most of the course. I have met so many amazing people here at Southampton including clinicians, dietitians, nurses and researchers, and I’m very grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had. Students here are from many different health disciplines and I have enjoyed interacting with them and sharing experiences as part of a multidisciplinary team.
The course is fantastic and the content is delivered by inspirational academics who are extremely enthusiastic and passionate about the subject. It has the right balance of clinical experience, theory and research and I have learned knowledge and skills in all core areas of allergy and leadership. Being passionate about teaching, I took “Teaching the teachers to teach” module. On the module I explored a variety of teaching methods, technology tools and learning activities. During this module I had an opportunity to apply knowledge into practice and teach medical students about anaphylaxis and use of adrenaline autoinjector. This very unique and unforgettable experience has helped me to prepare for my future career as a clinical lecturer.
For my dissertation project, I conducted and coordinated a European survey about the current adolescent and young adult transition practices in allergy. I was extremely fortunate to be supervised by Professor Graham Roberts, collaborate with European experts in this field and be part of European Allergy and Clinical Immunology Task Force. I had valuable opportunity to learn more about advanced statistical and quantitative analysis which are must have skills for a successful researcher.
Lectures and workshops about communication skills were a particular highlight for me, especially learning about delivering patient-centred care and how to effectively communicate with patients and their families. These new skills will make me a more effective clinician and improve the care of my future patients. I’m looking forward to put all of these tools, skills and knowledge into practice!
I aspire to become a principal investigator in the allergy research and believe that studying for this MSc Allergy is the first step towards my journey to becoming a clinical academic, with a passion for teaching and research. I would strongly recommend this course to any healthcare professional who wants to boost their career and learn more about allergy and immunology.