Poppy Duncan MSc Genomic Medicine 2019
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The variety of lectures has beenamazing. We covered a large range of topics within the genomics area of medicine that proved challenging, but the tutors and lecturers were all extremely supportive throughout the entire course.
Studying at Southampton really appealed to me because of the University’s excellent reputation for science degrees and the research carried out here. I had already completed some genetics modules during my undergraduate degree in Medical Sciences and knew that I wanted to study this area of Medicine further, so this course provided an excellent opportunity to learn more about current genomic techniques and how this area is advancing rapidly.
The course was very flexible and the compressed teaching hours really helped me juggle my study with commuting to and from Southampton, and a part-time job too. The variety of lecturers has been amazing. We covered a large range of topics within the genomics area of medicine that proved challenging, but the tutors and lecturers were all extremely supportive throughout the entire course. We also had the opportunity to hear from a number of professionals, including consultants, researchers, bioinformaticians and public health representatives from around the country, who gave us informative and inspiring talks.
This year has been extremely exciting, with individual modules providing a great breadth and depth of new information and learning materials. The optional modules on the programme have allowed me to focus on areas that interest me, so I was able to study biomedical spectroscopy and imaging which allowed me to learn about a different area of clinical medicine and understand the physics behind different scanning techniques. I also particularly enjoyed the bioinformatics module this year; this was something I had never done in the past, and I learnt about the importance of digitalising patient data and genetic information for analysing mutations and understanding diseases. Following this module I selected a project in this area, which I greatly enjoyed. The research project has also allowed me to use the knowledge and skills gained over the year, and put them into action to produce my own piece of primary research. I feel this MSc has also helped me improve my independent learning, time management and communication skills.
Above all, it was also great to meet a lovely group of new people who have come from a wide variety of backgrounds and professions, but who all share a common interest in genomics and how it is changing the future of personalised medicine.