IP Student Review

SRG are the employers and are very disorganised. However I enjoyed working with amazing scientists and using technology such as flow cytometry and MSD. I learnt a lot and loved the culture. There are many opportunities to explore other business areas across GSK and visit different sites. The social side is attractive too - lots of meals out and parties. However, because of occupational health rules about completing 6 month course of Hep B vaccination, I could not do my project independently as I was not allowed to work with blood. Also, due to COVID-19 my placement became virtual which was sad.

People in pharma R&D are very friendly and supportive. Although IP students don't have a lot of expertise, we are encouraged to carry out experiments independently and attend seminars. My supervisors were very friendly and chilled. You could speak up in meetings and raise points or ask questions. There were team quizzes.

Depends on the supervisor. My supervisors were very nice and chill but also supported me very well. I had a lot of guidance throughout. My supervisors wrote the protocols then I edited them and adapted my experiments. If you made a mistake don't worry - your supervisors will advise you, or you could use your initiative.

Depends on the week and your supervisor. At the beginning of placement I was very bored because they hadn't finalised my project and there was a lot of online training. Then once the project started I was not allowed to handle blood so shadowed my supervisor. Also, some experiments are quick and the analysis is easy, whereas some experiments are long and tedious. But I had quite a lot of time on my hands which allowed me to explore other areas and network. Chemistry placements seem to be more intense than biology.

Once my supervisor had shown me the process, I was able to carry out the experiments independently. I was responsible for running the experiment and using technology properly as well as reporting issues. Also, I analysed data independently then reported to my supervisors. My supervisors would help me if I needed help.

I learned how to write a scientific report and poster, practiced presenting in meetings, and learnt techniques such as flow cytometry and MSD. For data analysis, I used FlowJo and GraphPad Prism. These skills will be useful for a future PhD. I wish I could have used CRISPR, CAR-T, and Spotfire as well as learn some programming.

Great! Everyone is really friendly and helpful. Sometimes there is biscuits, cakes, and cookies. Some offices do bake off competitions. Most of the time it is quiet so you can concentrate on work but a lot of people like to chat which is nice. GSK use smart hot desk working so you might move around too.

SRG weren't very good at communication and were disorganised. However, the GSK training weeks were good. After the training my project was not finalised so I did not do much and felt useless and bored. Also, occupational health introduced a new rule where you had to complete 6 months of Hep B vaccine before you could work with blood.

My supervisors showed me how to use flow cytometry machines and MSD machines. Also, there was a training day for flow cytometry which was useful. At the beginning of placement there were 2 weeks of lab training. also, there are lots of seminars where you can develop knowledge. It was great.

If you can get a job then people stay in the company for up to 50 years. Job security is good, flexibility of working hours and working from home. Social life is good and nice lab facilities. Sometimes people get to go to conferences too. People are really nice and supportive. There are chances to climb the ladder.

Every week people would go to Spoon's for a drink, maybe a pub crawl. Not many clubs in dodgey Stevo though. People would go to London/Cambridge over the weekends. There was a New Year's party in London and there was supposed to be a summer boat party. IP Unite organise these events and sometimes there were networking sessions with free snacks.

£425 per month for rent. £30 food (cheap stores like Aldi, Asda and Tesco). £40 bills. £12 travel card return to London on weekends (with student railcard). £10 per drink at B&B or Spoon's. £6 return to Cambridge on weekends (with railcard). £20 per month TruGym (£16 per month GSK gym but not open weekends).

Spoon's or Bar and Beyond are the main hits. Sometimes pubs like Mulberry tree. Old town is nicer than New town. Not really any clubs. Some decent restaurants - Sala Thong, El bar de Tapas, Misa Meze Grill, Waga's, ASK. Stevenage is a bit dead. Honestly - just go to London.

Lots of volunteering opportunities: help with STEM school events, tours, Save the Children events. Lots of chances to visit other sites (IP site visit) and network with other IPs. Socials: parties, pub lunches. Orange day: volunteer with your department and you get paid. Visit Cambridge clinical unit. IP swap - shadow other IPs.