Clinical Data Scientist Review

My placement at GSK was an excellent experience and has given me a clear and in depth insight into the research and development of drugs. One aspect of GSK which I tend to boast about a lot is the relaxed working environment. You could tell everyone is passionate and serious about their work however you still get a sense of tranquillity and humour embraced within the office. This helped with the working relationship within my department, making it easier for me to settle in a feel a part of the team in the preliminary period of my placement.

I felt valued greatly by my colleagues, as I was addressed as one of the team and not just a mere student. I was spoken to with respect, called upon when they had a lot of work load which they needed assistance with. Most importantly they always illustrated gratitude for my hard work.

Everyone within my department was very supportive of the placement students and encouraged us deeply in our work. During the start of my placement it was greatly stressed to feel free to ask for help on any aspect of work that I was unsure of. This was significant because as a placement student you wish to impress, and you don’t want to be looked upon an incompetent. But the only way you will understand thoroughly the logistics behind your role is to ask questions, and the team made me feel very comfortable doing so.

When you first start you will be doing a lot of training, so you wouldn’t have much work to do until you get to grips with your role. In my case I was lucky as I got delegated to run the data management of a drug study quite earlier on to the start of my placement. So I got the opportunity to start applying the training quite quickly. Following my delegation I was busy pretty much every day I always had something to do. There are however some days the workload isn’t as rigorous, which gives an overall healthy balance to the workload. But I would say it depends on the type of study you are working on, as every study is different and some may require more time than others.

I was given a great deal of responsibility as a placement student. In my time at GSK I was privileged enough to run two early phase drug studies and manage it from the start to the end. I was working on actual compounds which have potential to make it to the market, which is not something you just delegate to just anyone. GSK pick their placement students carefully and when they do they train then up and invest in them well. You have no option but to grow in the time you have worked for them.

This placement has helped my gain an insight into the area I would like to go into post graduation. A combination of the projects that I’ve worked on, the responsibilities I’ve been given, the skills with I’ve sharpened i.e. presentation, communication, team working, problem solving and allot more, will defiantly assist me in successful completion of my final year. If you are thinking of it I greatly encourage every university student if you can, take a shot at applying for a placement, it’s not only beneficial towards your degree but it gives you a significant edge when applying for jobs post graduation.

Very relaxed and comfortable, everyone gets on with their work but allot of jokes are shared also which prevents a tense atmosphere.

It was a well organised placement. GSK have been accepting students for a few years now, so they have a system in place to keep track of your progress and site visits opportunities, to ensure that you maximise your placement and get all you can possible get out of it.

GSK invested into the students quite a lot. We were involved in training sessions for our role and there were specific sessions set up for placement students. We were treated like a permanent GSK employees; we were given the opportunity to attend patient seminars in GSK and those that focus on different parts of the company. We were also given the opportunity to visit other sites that include both GSK sites and their external partners, all expenses paid.

GSK recruitment team are dedicated to ensure that their students have the opportunity to continue their career with GSK post graduation if they desire to. There is also a fast track program specifically for GSK students that desire to apply for one of their grad schemes.

Yes, there was a good social scene amongst the students. We all got on really well and arranged several night outs to get together outside work hours. This also helped with the working relationship.

I live in London so I commuted to work. The cost of my travel with a student oyster cost me £135pm zone 1-6. Uxbridge isn’t expensive; in the town centre you can find several shops and restaurants, the same price as it will be in any other part of the UK. However the other placement students lived around the area, and from their feedback it was quite pricey, and took a big chunk out of their pay cheque.

I’m not a big fan of Uxbridge for a good night out; we usually went to central London.

Yes, there are always opportunities, whether it is a night out with the placement students, going to the pub with the colleagues or just exploring different parts of London. Your placement is whatever you make it really; you have to be active, sociable and open to try out new things.