In this blog post, we spoke to BSc Pharmacology and Innovative Therapeutics student Daisy Umelo. Now coming to the end her final year at Queen Mary University of London’s School of Biological and Chemical Sciences (SBCS), Daisy reflects on her time at the School and her future studying Medicine at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
Daisy Umelo
Why did you decide to study Pharmacology and Innovative Therapeutics at Queen Mary?
I knew I always wanted to study in London and I really liked the area Queen Mary is located and the fact everything is on one campus. It’s not too central where you could feel overwhelmed but it’s also close enough that you can visit central London if you want to. As a student, it’s also a lot more affordable living here compared to other parts of London.
I chose Pharmacology because I’ve always been interested in Biology and Chemistry, and I didn’t want to just focus on one of these areas. I’m very interested in the drug development process, how drugs are regulated and the skills and processes that go into this, so the programme was a good fit for me.
What have you enjoyed about the programme and your time at the University?
It’s been really enlightening. I think after all my time here, I don’t think I had anticipated how much I was going to get out of the course. I’ve really enjoyed my time at Queen Mary and happy I chose to come here. The Pharmacology and Innovative Therapeutics programme not too big in terms of student numbers compared to more mainstream courses, and that’s had a lot of advantages. In particular I’ve had many opportunities to get lots of experience with researchers I like, which has been a really positive part of my course.
What are your plans for the future?
I applied to study Medicine at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry and have been offered a place. So I will continue my studies and I’m really looking forward to combining the more patient-based learning on the course with my experiences in Pharmacology and hopefully pursuing some Pharmacological-based research in the future.
Any advice to other students?
I’d definitely say be proactive and try to get the best out of your degree. If you see a researcher and you like their topic, read their papers and go and talk to them. They’re very friendly and want to help students develop, especially those who are genuinely interested in their research area. So be more proactive and in turn, it will also make your time at university more enjoyable.
Learn more about studying Pharmacology and Innovative Therapeutics at Queen Mary