Fatoumatta

What do you like about your course and why?

I like the fact that the Biomedical Science BSc is very broad and you can learn many different areas within biomedical science such as microbiology, immunology and physiology. This has allowed me to explore many options whilst studying to figure out what I would like to specialise in in the future. The best thing is that when I graduate, I will have many options to choose from for masters degrees or jobs as the course is broad.

What do you enjoy most about Surrey?

I enjoy the peace of campus life because of areas like the lake, which is really great for your wellbeing, especially relaxing during exam season just before the summer. The Surrey Islamic prayer room, Hillside, Co-op and the Library are essential to my day. My society, the Surrey Islamic Society, has been my comfort since joining Surrey and a home away from home, and allows me to balance society duties with studies – good prep for a working life! 

If you’ve completed a Professional Training placement, what did this involve? What were the highlights?

I completed a three-month summer internship at the Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. I gained a multitude of skills and learnt techniques including molecular biology, microscopy, and data analysis.

In a malaria project, I was responsible for tasks such as punching dried blood spots, handling and processing large numbers of clinical samples, and supporting a qPCR experiment and analysis. I was able to independently manage the manual entry of samples onto plate templates in Excel, which led to analysis on a molecular level and data analysis of results. Also, starting off with studying microscopy helped me to identify malaria parasites and parasitaemia on stained blood films and prepare my own slides for observation.

Beyond technical skills, my internship reinforced professional skills such as attention to detail and teamwork. I engaged in discussions during theory training and presented the microscopy lab update at the August malaria team meeting. The experience gave me a newfound interest in disease control and elimination research of malaria.

"What you learn on this course motivates you to become a better student as the information you take in and how you apply it can impact lives in the future."

What do you want to do when you graduate?

I hope to do a masters in a more specific area of biomedical science. There are many options so I'm trying to narrow them down and ask around to see what suits me best. I want to choose an area where I can make an impact, such as in a laboratory, or in the public/global health sector. My internship, and a voluntary deployment to Ghana in the summer of 2023, has given me a keen interest in disease control and elimination. So, I hope to contribute to that field.

What advice would you give to students thinking of studying this course?

This course is great as there many different subjects you can learn about within biomedical science which can give you lots of options when considering further education and jobs. There is a lot of opportunity to enhance your skills such as teamwork, laboratory work, essay writing and so much more. What you learn motivates you to become a better student as the information you take in and how you apply it can impact lives in the future. Finally, always be prepared for labs and use them as an opportunity to better your skills and explore career paths.

Find out more about our Biomedical Science BSc/MSci