Tanvi Raut

Why did you choose to study at the University of Birmingham?

I chose to study at the University of Birmingham for my masters degree as I live here and did my undergraduate degree here so I was very familiar with the Uni and the city. To students coming from elsewhere, I would say the campus and community are really welcoming. The medical school in particular has great links with the QEHB for those interested in clinical studies and the cardiovascular research at the UOB is excellent; providing incredible opportunities for networking with distinguished academics and working on pioneering research.

What made you choose your course, and what interested you most about the subject?

I chose this course having always had an interest in cardiac science but also as someone unsure with what to do following my undergraduate degree. I knew the course leads were lovely people and that I would be well supported. The idea of an MRes over an MSci was appealing too as it included the taught components which spanned many areas of cardiovascular science and equipped us with the knowledge and insight to choose whichever research group we wished to join and do a project with.

What interested me about the subject is the scientific research into a clincially relevant and ever evolving field. The use of advanced technology and research methods I had never used before enticed me to want to explore further.

What do you enjoy most about your course?

I enjoyed the mix of taught content and research. Having a much smaller cohort compared to undergrad allowed one-to-one engagement with academics that was invaluable. The clinical cardiology module interested me the most as we were taught by clinicians from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, using real life patient examples and also led to the offer of work experience in clinical environments which I really enjoyed.

How would you describe the teaching, learning environment, and support from your lecturers?

So between October to Christmas, we had teaching on 3 different modules. Cardiovascular biology, Clinical cardiology and Practical skills toolkit. These were taught via lectures and teaching sessions. Because of the small group size, we got to ask lots of questions in session, which made learning more interactive and engaging. The teaching sessions were especially useful as we were given the material beforehand and came to the session having read up on the topic. This allowed us to ask more detailed questions and go through case studies/specific examples. The clinical cardiology module was predominantly taught by clinicians from the hospital next door (QEHB). This was particularly interesting to me as this is where my interest lies. It was exciting to learn about the most up to date research in the field and real-life examples from patients. Additionally, it enabled us to build connections and gain work experience in the hospital. 

How has your course helped you develop the knowledge and skills you'll need for your future career?

Coming onto this course I wasn't sure which path I wanted to go down. I knew I loved science, and research was an area I didn't know much about, so this course felt perfect. Whilst on this course, I decided to apply for the Scientist Training Programme with the NHS. I was lucky enough to get the job; my experience on the course gave me real life exposure which strengthened my interview responses as I was able to draw on knowledge obtained from conferences as well as during my own research.