Hey all, I am Shie Wei Chan, and I am a 3rd year medical student from Cardiff University. I am an international student from Malaysia. I entered medical school after completing A-Levels in Malaysia.
During the summer of 2021, I spent 6 weeks in Wales Kidney Research Institute, Cardiff conducting research. The research was led by a PhD student, Shrea Roy as part of her studies. I was also honoured with the Wellcome Inspire Summer Studentship 2021 by the INSPIRE group to provide me living expenses during the research period. I would like to thank Dr Soma Meran, for guiding me and supporting me in applying for the studentship. She has provided a tremendous amount of support in the application process.
It was a lab-based project, we were investigating the role of extracellular matrix in vascular calcification in patients with chronic kidney disease. 15% of patients with chronic kidney disease experience cardiovascular diseases and one of the reasons was due to vascular calcification. We grew vascular smooth muscle cells in the lab and incubated them with different enzymes. We compared the results between these cells (with different enzymes) by using specific markers. I learnt various techniques such as ELISA, cell culture, immunocytochemistry, and others. Although I was new to the lab and had zero knowledge in conducting experiments, Shrea was patient in teaching me. I am utmost grateful to her.
I also designed a poster based on the results during the 6-week period and presented it at The Edinburgh School of Surgery Undergraduate Research Symposium. Prior to the conference, Shrea also supported me by preparing me for the Q&A session during the poster presentation. It was a productive and educational summer experience for me. The lab schedule was also flexible, we went in the lab at 11am every weekday and completed the tasks at approximately 4pm in the evening. We were also not obligated to attend the lab every day as the cells needed time to grow during incubation. Hence, during off days, I would go to the park with my friends and bathe in Vitamin D with mojito.
The most challenging aspect of research as a medical student was to find a research supervisor. I have been wanting to get involved in research for as long as I can remember. I wanted to learn something new aside from medicine. It took me several months to find a research supervisor. I contacted my personal tutor and case-based facilitator. They directed me to many people, and I received many emails of rejections as they had other commitments, or they were not keen. Rejection is an inevitable part of the process in finding a research supervisor. Eventually after about 5 months of trying, I received an email from Dr Soma Meran who was willing to support me. I realise that if you don’t receive a reply, it means you have not tried hard enough. Persistence is key to finding a research supervisor.
A good research project can also bring you far. By involving yourself in research, you may utilise the opportunity to create a poster and present at national/international conferences. This can aid you in scoring points in Core Surgical Training and Specialised Foundation Programme (SFP). It is a good package that checks many tick boxes at once. Receiving a studentship is also a form of prize which contributes to points in the portfolio. Moreover, what better way to spend your summer in the UK than a studentship sponsoring your learning opportunity and enjoying the sun in the park after a long day of lab work?
Feel free to drop me a message on Twitter or email me if you have any questions at all, I would be most willing to answer them!
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