The title ‘postgraduate'
can seem daunting and made me feel a little old – at least that’s how I felt
when I started my Masters degree! I am studying for an MSc in Clinical Neurology;
something which I thought was more relevant to my undergraduate degree in
Psychology when I first applied. At the time, my interests lay in the
mechanisms of the brain and how it changes in mental health issues such as
depression, anxiety, psychosis and schizophrenia.
I applied for
my Masters degree with this in mind, but when I started I was surprised that
the course was much more focused on medicine and, in particular, specialising
in neurological diseases which are poorly understood and heavily researched.
These included motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, dementia, epilepsy, traumatic
brain injuries - to name just a few - and a vast combination of treatments for
each and every one of these diseases! To be honest, I found the transition
difficult and received a disappointing grade in my first exam.
When I look
back, I hadn’t appreciated the jump from undergraduate to postgraduate. There’s
more required of you and you're more independent in your study. You have to do
the extra reading, there’s no reading list guiding you through like there is
during some undergraduate degrees. Be prepared to push yourself to a new level
if you undertake a Masters degree in a medical subject, though I imagine this
applies to all subjects and disciplines as well!
Work/life
balance during a postgrad degree can be difficult. I was in lectures more than I expected. I had
clinics, dissection classes and journal meetings along side these too. This
made it difficult to see my friends during the day, but I found it relatively
easy to make time during the evenings, as long as it wasn't during exam period.
I also found that balancing my course with a job could be difficult at times,
but again, I managed this by working for the University - who were very
understanding of any deadlines or assessments.
Despite the
difficulties faced, the course has reshaped my interests and I have chosen to
pursue a career in Neurophysiology, which I start in the coming September. My
career choice is completely different to what I thought I wanted to do exactly
a year ago and I couldn't be happier with my decisions. It’s important
to be open-minded and recognise that your career plans may change as a result
of your choices or you might not be doing what you expected to be doing on your
course. Even with the challenges I have faced academically and financially this
year, it has been worth it and I would do it all again.
Jade Cooper, MSc Clinicial Neurology
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