Category: Day in the Life

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My Internship at Organon

by Grace Preston, Stage 3 Biomedical Sciences

A Little Context

Hello, I’m Grace, I study Biomedical Science and I had the option to take a placement year away from studying and get into the job role behind my subject. I was one of the lucky few to be offered a year at Organon.  

Most of you will not have heard of Organon but once I did my research into the company and its values, I found it to be the perfect option for me.  

Organon is a global women’s healthcare company based in 62 countries (to be precise) but lucky for me I was based just around the corner in Cramlington. Different sites vary in testing and research but in Cramlington we focus on testing drugs already on the market (known as stability) and new drugs preparing to be put on the market (known as release). 

Me preparing standards.

A Day in the Life of a Lab Intern

After our training we were given the teams we would be based in. I got put into the montelukast team also known as singular (I know, long drug name) which is a drug for asthma specifically for children’s asthma attacks but can be used for lots more. The team were so helpful in getting me up to speed with the number of drugs we receive each week and the typical plan for the week to make sure we release them before their guideline date. I soon learnt each week is different with which type of drug we received and trust me I still can’t name you every single variation of each different drug and how many different tests are needed for them.

My days varied with the different training I received during my year such as UV work, use of DR baths, content uniformity and assays all used to determine how effective the drug is through time points. After a couple months our teams changed and become merged with another drug called Zocor also known as Simvastatin which is for lowering cholesterol.  

Me using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system.

Is It Challenging?

Of course it is, as is every job. Going from a full-time uni student going out with friends (a little too much I care to admit) and basing your life around lectures and which test or essay is next to a full time 9-5 job is a struggle at first, but you’ll be surprised to know how easy it becomes after a few weeks. The timelines and responsibility were very similar to university, but the stress is so much different at the end of the day you finish work and that’s your day done; not “oh no I need to revise”.  

My Advice

If you’re looking for placements look into the companies and job roles so you can understand the expectation and if it suits you. Theres no harm in applying for lots and when you get to the interview stage, practice your questions and even make some of your own for when you get there, and do some research into the company but most importantly just be yourself.

Ps LinkedIn is amazing for connecting with current placement students as well as current placements on offer. 

Motivation (via Giphy)

So Should You Do a Placement…?

Simple answer, absolutely! The experience in a scientific working atmosphere is amazing. It helps you gain experience for your future jobs as well as lets you understand your subject so much better and helps you realise what areas you’d like to be based in in later life. I have not only gained so much experience scientifically but also made some incredible friends and gained so much more working life skills that I will 100% be using.

It may be stressful looking at jobs in areas you’ve never even looked at before but trust me just do it, everyone is so welcoming and helpful and you’ll be surprised how much you can learn in just a year. 

So, take this as a sign to start placement hunting and get your CVs and cover letters sent in, you won’t regret it! 

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An Insight Into Clinical Operations at Roche

by Rebecca Watson, Stage 3 Physiological Sciences

I spent my 13-month industrial placement at Roche Products Ltd., Welwyn Garden City. My role was in Global Clinical Operations as a Clinical Operations Lead (COL) based in the Product Development department. Initially, I did not know what to expect going into this huge industry to do a job that I had no expertise in but I quickly got to grips with the responsibilities of my role and began to learn more about the pharmaceutical industry.  

Roche Products Ltd

Roche is a global healthcare company, with branches in both pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, and innovative solutions across a range of different therapeutic areas. Since being founded in 1896, Roche has created a number of pharmaceutical and diagnostic solutions to help diagnose and treat a number of life threatening diseases, one such solution being Kadcyla used in the treatment of HER-2 positive breast cancer.  

The Roche Welwyn Garden City office.

Day to Day

At the beginning of my placement I was assigned to a clinical trial and began to get to know my study team, starting with regular team catch ups and having 1-1s with the members of the team to find out more about what their responsibilities were on the study and how I could help with their tasks. This helped me develop my understanding of the fundamentals of a clinical trial and gain an appreciation for the importance of Operations in ensuring the smooth running of the trial.  

Eventually I progressed to managing my own projects on the study, such as creating a weekly information bulletin for the clinics where the trial was ongoing, collating important recruitment and data information from the study systems and presenting it in an easily digestible format, highlighting the most relevant updates for the busy sites to remain informed on the progress of the trial. This had a hugely positive impact on my attention to detail and gave me the opportunity to get to grips with the study systems to get the information that I needed to create these before moving on to bigger tasks.  

Around halfway through my placement, I was given the responsibility of having oversight of the trial in 5 of the countries that we had active on the study. This was a task I had been eager to get experience in since joining the study team and proved to be a large step up, having to relay study level updates to the country COLs to keep them informed of any upcoming changes. This also involved preparing for meetings in advance, collecting any updates from team calls, data metrics reports and recruitment figures to get the most out of these meetings. Although this was challenging at times, it really helped me develop my ability to be comfortable in asking questions as I was the one responsible for finding answers. Overall this was one of my biggest achievements throughout the whole of my placement (not to mention never missing one of my 7am calls). 

The Roche Products Ltd. Welwyn Garden City office Christmas party 2023. Pictured left to right: Rebecca Watson, Paayal Shah, Jude Abou Chakra, Mehreen Haque, Jessica Patrick, Jessica Williams.

Later on in my placement, I began to get involved in work outside of Clinical Operations in Product Development, taking the opportunity to work with colleagues in Pharma Biosamples Solutions (PBS) to gain experience in the long term storage of patient samples. This was a great experience and it was a privilege to get to know the team there, who were always willing to help with any tricky requests that I received.  

The Office Community

Aside from study work on my placement, I was also very involved in the office community at Welwyn, having co-created the Roche Badminton Club with another placement student. We ran a session every Tuesday evening at a local sports hall which was open to players of all abilities across all departments. This was very well attended amongst our early in careers colleagues and even attracted some seasoned players who had been at Roche for a number of years. This was a great way to increase our visibility in the community and led to us making some valuable connections with colleagues in other departments. 

Celebrating a point at one of our Tuesday evening badminton sessions. Pictured left to right: Riyana Raja, Grace Tucker, Jude Abou Chakra.

I also enjoyed being part of the Eco-Garden committee and participating in events such as the Family and Friends Day where we ran a craft stall for colleagues and their children to decorate small garden ornaments that were then hung up in the garden. We even managed to grow a few crops over the year which were available for anyone in the office to help themselves to.  

The Eco-Garden committee and our craft stall at the Family and Friends Event 2023. Pictured left to right: Grace Tucker, Saad Bin Huda, Rebecca Watson.

A Few Final Words

To anyone contemplating doing a placement, I would 100% recommend it as it has given me not only a greater understanding of this role and industry, but also a greater appreciation for my own abilities and vastly improved my confidence for going forward into my career after university. Good luck on your applications and make the most of the year! 

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My placement year at Reckitt

By Joel Tyler

Reckitt is a Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) company with offices and employees spread out across the world. Founded in 1870, Reckitt started off by selling laundry starch in Hull, now, Reckitt operates in a range of markets and is the owner of various health and medicinal brands such as; Nurofen, Strepsils, Dettol, Vanish and Durex to name a few. 

Some examples of Reckitt products sold around the world. Via Google Images

My placement year was a lab-based role involved in working for the brand Veet, this included both formulation manufacturing and analytical testing for the depilatory cream products currently available to buy in shops as well as a new product being developed and to be released in the near future. 

A day in the life

Due to the fast paced environment (as an FMCG company), I found that there was always something to do all the time and the days/weeks were fairly similar. This is because of the constant manufacturing of different formulations of new products to be tested under different stability conditions, and then followed by analytical testing of the formulations to identify which was the best product.  

Using a light microscope to examine the structure of a hair sample

Therefore, my normal day would start with a team meeting to discuss where everyone was at with formulation/testing work and to discuss steps/processes going forward or if anything had failed/gone wrong with the batch. After, I would go to the lab to complete any formulation/analytical testing which needed to be done.  

I enjoyed this working routine as it meant I gained far more lab experienced than I initially thought I would, it was always very clear what work I needed to be doing and I was always given lots of support if things ever went wrong. I would say I definitely wasn’t treated as a ‘student’ but a very integral part of the team which also surprised me! 

Student Project

In the second half of my placement, I organised and created a project alongside my line manager which involved testing the tensile strength of hair using a texture analyser and a brand new test method. I also presented my results to the rest of the Veet brand to explain my findings. 

During my project I had to test thousands of individual hair samples and as a result became the most experienced within the lab at using the texture analyser, this meant that I had the opportunity to present and perform samples to higher up executives within the company (and even the Global Head of R&D) which was an amazing experience. 

Hair sample being tested in the Texture analyser to investigate the tensile
A Becomix machine used to formulate and manufacture different depilatory creams. Via Google Images

Why I chose to do a placement

I decided during first year of my degree that I wanted to do a placement, specifically a lab based placement, because I was enjoying being in the lab at university but I was curious if I would enjoy working in a lab as a full time job to give myself an idea for post graduate jobs.  

Having completed my full year, I now know I could happily work in a lab after university, so applying for lab based roles isn’t a big risk but also that I know I can work efficiently and thrive under the environment. My placement gave me many challenges along the way (which is natural when learning new things in a short space of time) but I gained valuable and employable experience in overcoming these obstacles and realised that I feel confident within a lab setting.

I would highly recommend doing a placement!

Completing my placement year was definitely one of the most important things I have done within my life. The obvious reasons being all the different skills and attributes which I learnt/developed along the way, but also, the experiences which are available in just one year really surprised me, with the huge amounts of social networking needed to be done for my day to day job, I found myself naturally speaking to and shadowing other departments, creating professional relationships which will last for life. So I would say even if you are even considering to apply for placements, just go for it because you won’t regret it! 

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A year at Pharmaron UK

By Billy James

Most, if not all of you, will have never heard of Pharmaron. Neither had I, till I applied for a placement in their Formulation Development Team. 

A little context 

I first came across Pharmaron when looking for placements back in September 2021. A lecture entitled “Drug Formulation” had sparked my interest in the first few weeks of term, so when I came across Pharmaron’s “Formulation Development” placement I applied straight away.

 In preparation for interviews I did a little research into the company and found out they were a CDMO, or contract development and manufacturing organisation. Essentially, Pharmaron take on client contracts for anything ranging from drug discovery all the way through to manufacturing drug product for clinical trials.

Two of the buildings at Pharmaron’s Hoddesdon Site

My Placement

The placement itself was a 12-month stint within the formulation development team at the company’s site in Hoddesdon (I still wouldn’t be able to point this out to you on a map!). During the year, I was exposed to and involved in much more than I expected. If, like me, you expected a year of photocopying and running errands, then think again.

I couldn’t believe how soon I was thrown in the deep end! The CDMO work environment is very dynamic, any minute a client can email in a request to change or add to a contract and then its all hands on deck to get the work done. After only a few weeks of training (and reading lots of documentation), I was straight into helping my supervisor with the production of a batch of tablets for stability testing. And that was only the start.

Some examples of things I did while on placement include: qualification of fridges, freezers and digital clocks (yes, even clocks have to qualified in a GMP environment), production of stability batches (many, many tablets and capsules), installation and set up of new automatic balances (terrifyingly expensive pieces of kit) and completing a case study for the team.

The case study

Case studies are carried out on topics the team have little experience in or to show off their expertise to potential clients.

A case study I was asked to complete while on placement looked at tablet coatings. Specifically, the team wanted to learn more about (and show clients we knew about) titanium dioxide free coatings and how they compared to regular, titanium dioxide containing coatings. I won’t bore you with the legislative details, but to make a long story short, the EU may ban this compound from tablet coatings. This would be a bad thing as it would mean many drug shortages and discontinuations, as it has many very useful properties. Other compounds with similar properties simply do not exist.

I was given free reign on how to complete the case study, which gave me a real sense of pride as the team felt confident enough in my abilities to complete this important piece of work for them. Completing the case study also gave me an excellent piece of work to write my Placement Report on.

Another opportunity which arose from completing this case study was submitting a poster and abstract to the APS (Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences) to present at their annual PharmSci conference.

APS and PharmSci

After completing my case study and placement report, and as my placement was coming to an end, my supervisor suggested submitting an abstract and poster of my work to the APS for their PharmSci annual conference.

I thought this was an amazing opportunity which I couldn’t pass up on, so in the last few days of my placement I worked hard to prepare both a poster and abstract detailing the work we had completed on the case study.

To my surprise, both were accepted for presentation at the conference, and the abstract was also selected for an oral presentation (at the time this terrified me, but I soon realised it was an amazing opportunity)!


Attending the (all expenses paid!) conference was truly the highlight of my year, and being able to present the work I had spent many months on was an extremely proud moment.

Presenting at the APS PharmSci conference

I can’t recommend doing a placement enough, irrespective of if it involves lab work, office work or a combination of the two, it really is a fantastic and formative experience. Not only do you get paid (usually quite well!) for a year, but you also learn and are exposed to so many new things which could eventually be what you decide to do when you leave university.

If you are in two minds over doing a placement or not, take this as a sign to go for it!

You won’t regret it!

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A year in NHS labs

By Chloe Heppenstall

What goes on in the NHS laboratories? 

Rather than a research-based placement, my time in the NHS laboratories involved completing routine assays to test samples and deliver crucial patient results as soon as possible. I was part of the Immunology team within Laboratory Medicine, however there are numerous different departments, such as haematology, virology, microbiology, or chemistry. Having previously worked in the NHS as a domestic, I thought I knew a lot about what happens in the hospitals, but this placement was a huge eye opener as to how much goes on behind the scenes! 

Thank you NHS by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

Why I applied for a placement year. 

As I was heading into my second year of University, I was developing a deep interest for Immunology, however I was unsure on what careers would involve this work, and if I would enjoy it. I figured a laboratory-based placement would be the best way for me to understand what work in this sector looks like, and if it was something that I could thrive in. From enjoying my time in the labs at university, I knew a hands on, lab-based placement would be something for me. By taking on this exciting opportunity in the Immunology laboratory in the NHS, I was able to utilise my skill set and knowledge further in an area I was keen on progressing into. 

Me wearing different PPE

What does a typical day look like? 

Each day differed depending on which bench I was allocated to. Within the department, there are 7 different benches, which a Biomedical Scientist would usually spend between 2-6 months on before rotating. These benches involve techniques such as gel electrophoresis, immunofluorescence, immunofixation, immunodisplacement, and automated and manual assays. As part of my placement, I had the opportunity to rotate around all the benches, and each bench was dissimilar to the last. Depending on turnaround times, any backlogs of samples, or any additional work the lab was taking on from other labs, one bench could be a lot busier compared to other benches, and require more staff members to help.  

Identifying monoclones via gel electrophoresis] 

What did I learn? 

In addition to utilising laboratory techniques I acquired during university, I learnt a range of new methods which I will carry as valuable experience for future job prospects. Furthermore, I learnt the importance of turnaround times, and the impact which can occur for the patient if these are not met. My professionalism also grew, as I frequently had to speak to other healthcare professionals, such as nurses in A&E, or midwives. Outside of the lab, the clinical scientists held lectures and journal club sessions, which focussed on the clinical applications and impact of the assays we were completing in the laboratory. This was useful as time in the lab can become very fast paced and repetitive, and it can be easy to forget why you are doing what you are doing. Finally, I made a lot of friends who share similar interests and hobbies to myself, which enabled me to develop a healthy work-life balance. 

Me extracting calprotectin samples in a fume cupboard

What did I find challenging? 

Although many people warned me, adjusting to the 9-5 working life was extremely difficult. Despite my day finishing at 5 and having my weekends off, I have been just as tired working 9-5 than I was at university with loads of deadlines! On the other hand, there was no stress like there is with university, and if I ever had any problems with work, or I did not understand a concept, the team in Immunology were so welcoming and would give me as much time as I needed to understand and complete something. 

Would I recommend a placement to other students? 

Absolutely. The skills and experience you acquire whilst on a placement are invaluable, and put you in the best position for applying to jobs after university. If you are seeking hands on experience and a taste of the real world outside of university, do not hesitate to apply to placement opportunities! Aside from the unique skillset I have acquired, I have also been given opportunities to meet new people and discuss their opinions on interesting real-life assay topics, and my potential career in the NHS. I feel confident in a laboratory workplace, which is something I never thought I would be saying! 

I now cannot wait to complete my final year at university, obtain my degree, and take my skillset further either in postgraduate studies or in a job. 

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Day in the life of a student dietitian on placement

By Anna Slater

I’m Anna, a stage 2 Dietetics student and a social media intern for the Biomedical, Nutritional and Sports Science school. Before Christmas we took part on a few placement experiences at care settings and also Simply Food Solutions, a company that specialises in making texture modified foods. As part our degree, we must partake in 1000 hours of voluntary placement to help teach us important skills and expertise to help us become better dietitians. During these two days I learnt values that are important to use when working as a dietitian, particularly with those who have dementia.  

The care setting I was placed at is called St Anthony’s of Padua community centre for a day, which is a charitable organisation providing a wide range of care and support services enhancing the social and physical wellbeing of adults with mild-complex care needs such as dementia or impaired mobility. In the morning I was placed in the Day Service, where the service users come from 9-3pm for Breakfast and Lunch and to socialise with the other service users. We spoke to the chef in the Day Service kitchen and she discussed all the conditions she had to cater for. They had different rimmed plates – green and yellow. The green plates were for service users who had dementia, because it makes it easier for them to see the food on their plate. The yellow plates were for those who had to have levelled diets based on the IDDSI framework (International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative). The IDDSI framework describes a levelled system of food and was created for patients who have been diagnosed with dysphagia, which means they have swallowing difficulties.

IDDSI levelled system – photo from IDDSI – IDDSI Framework

The highest levelled diet they had to cater for was for a level 4, the consistency of which being pureed so they don’t require any chewing and promotes safe swallowing for the service user.  The chef would purify the foods herself using a blender and would make sure that he had lots of food options that the service user could enjoy whilst maintaining a safe swallow. One of the service users was a type 1 diabetic who was injecting insulin, so they had to make sure that they had sugar-free options for dessert. I felt like this was a valuable experience because I really learnt how to communicate with empathy and how to approach conversations with people who have difficulty conversing. It was clear the positive impact that St Anthony’s had on the quality of life of the service users, and keeps them being able to socialise. 

After lunch, I joined one of the staff members on their home visits. We went to a few houses with service users who had chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes or who had had falls. The purpose of the carers was to assist the service users to check in on them and make sure they are eating, taking their medication, and also to help with any basic needs such as showering or washing. My role here was to ask the service user questions about their diet and how they manage their condition.  

We then had a morning placed at the Simply Food Solutions factory in South Shields. Simply Food Solutions is a company that create texture-modified foods for patients with dysphagia. Dysphagia is a condition where the patients has difficulty swallowing. The main consumers are hospitals where they provide these products so the patients have a more enjoyable eating experience. The company’s primary objective is to produce food that meets home-cooked standards, making sure they are authentic and tasty. Each dish complies with the IDDSI guidelines for texture. We were given a tour of the factory, and we were required to wear protective gear including hair nets, shoe covers and special white coats, to comply with strict food hygiene regulations. You can see the outfit in its full glory in the picture below, and all layered up prepared for the cold freezer rooms! 

Getting dressed up in our protective gear to explore the factory (with lots of cosy layers underneath ready for the freezer room!)

The first part of the factory was a huge cold storage freezer, which was a whole room! Separate freezer rooms were designated for meat, vegetables and dairy. It was so cold when we went in them, so it was a good job that we had layered up! We were then showed where the meals were prepared and cooked, and there were huge ‘kettles’ which held around 300 litres of water. The meals were cooked in these kettles, and then underwent a rapid cooling process in a blast chiller. Following this, they were transferred to large blenders equipped with blades designed to ensure that the food met the specified texture. Post-blending, the food was sent to packaging where individual workers carefully weighed each portion before automated machines sealed the packages. The final step involved placing the packaged items into blast freezers, preparing them for shipment to consumers. After the factory tour we were able to test the meals to make sure they met the necessary requirements by using certain utensils and seeing how the food behaved. We were given checklists that matched the IDDSI framework, and using forks and our fingers we had to assess the texture, appearance and thickness of the foods. We then tried to recreate these back in the food labs at university inspired by the foods we saw at Simply Foods Solutions.

Our recreations of the texture modified foods we saw at Simply Food Solutions made in the food labs

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed these placement sessions, and I learned a lot about the importance of texture modified diets and how they can improve the quality of life with people with dysphagia. Despite the texture being different, the taste and appearance of food still has a huge impact on the enjoyment of eating. The more appetising the food looks, the more likely it is that the patient is going to eat it, which is very important to maintain a healthy weight and to avoid malnutrition, which is common with dysphagia. The texture is also important to prevent choking hazards. For me it also highlighted the importance of care settings like St Anthony’s providing places where older and isolated people can come together and socialise, which greatly improves their quality of life and morale. The most valuable skill I gained was the ability to communicate with all the service users and approach conversations despite certain barriers. These were two very enjoyable sessions and I am looking forward to my 1-week NHS placement in Easter, where I will be based in St Nicholas’ Hospital in Gosforth, where I will get a greater insight into what a Dietitian’s role within the hospital entails.  

For more information on Dietetics and how to apply, visit Dietetics MDiet | Undergraduate | Newcastle University (ncl.ac.uk) 

Links: 

Overview – St Anthony of Padua Care Services – NHS (www.nhs.uk) 

IDDSI – IDDSI – IDDSI Framework

Home – Simply Food Solutions 

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A Placement Year at GSK – Sequencing Genomes

By: Natalie Taylor – BSc Biomedical Sciences

Edited by: Laila Hussain

Second year of uni rolled around, and I realised I hardly had any lab experience (thanks COVID). This was a dilemma I attempted to remedy by applying for a placement year. I never considered I’d be accepted by such a prestigious company as GSK. Even less did I consider I would be working in a field as interesting as genetics. The application stress paid off! I was placed in the Discovery Genomics department working on single cell RNA sequencing. This basically means reading genes that are currently ‘switched on’ (expressed). Knowing this information is crucial for understanding disease, as we can quantify which genes were switched on/off in disease states compared to healthy states. With this information we can then get an idea of the genes function and thus, what therapeutic action to take. 

My Application Journey – It’s ok not to know everything!

When I say I was almost 100% sure I failed my interview I was not joking. GSK’s interview stage was split into two sections. One half was situational questions such as “tell us a time you faced a challenge” etc. The other was technical questions. This was where I flopped. I didn’t know the answer to any of the questions! However, I discovered the point of these questions was not only to test your scientific knowledge, this can be taught, but to also see how you manage uncertainty and to test your resilience. It was a daunting experience, but thanks to the kind interviewers and some persistence I managed to give all the answers a go. This was what the interviewers were looking for!

Two days later I received a call from one of the interviewers offering me the placement!

My-day-to-day 

As I mentioned above, I’m working on sequencing (or reading) the genes of individual cells. This means I’m in the lab a lot! I get to work on many different diseases and cell types, which all involve working with very small volumes. Attention to detail is paramount – something I’ve had to learn the hard way! 

A visual example of the types of tubes and volumes we typically work with in RNA sequencing- sometimes even smaller! Image from: unsplash

I also get to use lots of very cool – and very expensive – machines. The machine pictured below on the left is what sequences RNA and the one to the right is a robot that can do a big portion of the lab work involved with preparing the RNA for sequencing for you. It has some limitations though, so I mostly performed my experiments manually by hand. 

Illumina Sequencer (Left) & Chromium Connect (Right): Photos from 10x Genomics and Illumina

After about three months of training, I started planning and carrying out my own experiments independently. I got the chance to sequence many different immune cells, including T cells and macrophages as part of active experiments in the search for potential cancer therapeutics. Apart from single cell RNA sequencing, I’ve also been fortunate to perform a CRISPR knock out experiment on B cells whilst using cutting-edge automation platforms such as the Dragonfly and Bravo.  

On a typical day, my experiments take around 6 hours to reach a safe stopping point. Luckily, I’m able to get a few breaks in when my samples are incubating. During these breaks, I take full advantage of all of the green space at GSK Stevenage. It’s quite normal for employees to go on regular walks around the site – breaks are very encouraged which is nice!

GSK Campus and Labs in Stevenage: Photos from GSK’s Website

Outside of lab work, I’ve also gotten involved with the wider community at GSK by being a part of a committee for students called IP Unite and an employee resource group called Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI). My role in these groups varies, typically I will plan and host events aimed to foster new relationships and grow networks. One of the scariest events I held was a PhD information event with IP Unite that involved me speaking in front of 100 people in a lecture theatre – luckily I was only introducing speakers and closing the event – still, it was very outside of my comfort zone! In general, I find that the placement pushes me outside of my comfort zone, but that’s what yields the most growth so I know it’s super beneficial. 

Overall, the placement has been the best experience, better than I expected! I have grown so much as a scientist and a person. I feel much more prepared for life after uni. For now though, I’m just ready to tackle final year!

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Day in the life of a Student Dietitian on Placement – Eating Disorders

Hi – it’s Georgia the Student Dietitian again! So on the last blog post I talked about what it was like to be on placement in a secure inpatient unit. I said I would also give some insight into my day in the life in an Eating Disorder unit – so here it is!

Background context – Eating Disorders is an umbrella term that can describe many different disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia and others. The patients in my care ranged from 18 to 75 years old and covered all genders. There is lots of psychology often required within Eating Disorder services, so Dietitians work alongside other healthcare staff to provide a holistic form of care to patients. For my placement I worked across inpatient units (on a ward within a hospital), community, and day service. This gave me a really good insight into all of the different areas you could work in as a Dietitian in Eating Disorders.

The different types of services: So i mentioned that there are three different types of services. I am just going to explain a tiny bit about each one so that you are aware of the difference.

Inpatient services – This is where patients are on a ward and have their own rooms. They are monitored and supported 24/7 by staff and are sometimes allowed leave off the ward. Patients on these ward often get their weight and bloods monitored more often and can be put onto a feeding tube if necessary.

Community – This is a service which manages and supports Eating Disorder Patients within the comfort of their own homes. Dietitians will often visit patients where they live and provide advice and support around meal plans and cooking facilities etc.

Day service – Day service is a service which allows patients to attend a clinic for the whole day or half the day to have their meals and be supported by cooking for themselves. So patients tend to spend the whole day at the service and they will have supervised breakfast, lunch, dinner and 3 snacks. They are also supported to cook for themselves in order to mimic what it would be like for the patients at home.

My day to day experience:

As all of the services were very different, I unfortunately do not have enough writing room to describe all of these (plus I think you would probably get bored!). Therefore, here is a day in the life of a student on an inpatient ward….

Morning: I usually arrive at the hospital at 9am to prepare for the day. The Dietitians have their own office where they can produce resources, write up notes and host team meetings with other healthcare professionals. The start of the day I would usually read about on patient backgrounds and fill in my patient notes based on what I can already access (for example recent weights and blood results). I would then find out what diet plan they are currently on and assess whether this would need changing (diet plans are often progressed step by step to gradually increase intake). After this, I would then usually see around 2 patients for lunch to discuss their progress and come up with future action plans.

Afternoon: After the patients (and staff) have their lunch, we usually continue consultations with patients throughout the afternoon. We do have to be careful to not interrupt snack times however as this is obviously a very important part of their day. Often patients are very visibly upset during consultations as the last thing they want to discuss is food, so showing lots of empathy and understanding can really go a long way during these sessions. Again, my communication skills in this sector definitely developed further as it was very different to what I had learnt at Uni! After my consultation sessions, I would then make any changes to diet plans if this was necessary that day and would add this to the patient notes. I would then head home for a good sleep as I am usually very tired by the end of the day!

As always, if anyone has any questions about what it is like to do Dietetics and what placement is like, please leave a comment! Thank you 🙂

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Day in the Life of a Student Dietitian on Placement

Hi everyone! My name is Georgia and I am a 4th year Dietetics Student. When people ask me ‘so what do you do?” I dread it, because the conversation normally goes like this: “I do Dietetics at University” “You do what now? I’ve never heard of that! Do you just tell people to not be fat?”.

So, in order to give a bit of an insight into what Dietitians do, I have decided to describe a day in the life whilst I am at placement! My placement is split into two sectors – Forensic Secure Inpatient Service and Eating Disorders. I am going to give you a bit of an overview of what it has been like in both, however I will do a separate post for my experience in Eating Disorders otherwise this could be quite a lengthy post!

Secure inpatient services

As the name suggests, Secure Inpatient Services is a hospital for people with mental health illnesses who have committed crimes. Rather than going to prison, people are admitted into a secure hospital for psychiatric treatment. You might think – “How does a Dietitian fit into a secure unit?” – I thought the same thing! The main role that I had during my time at this service was educational sessions regarding cardiovascular disease.

Unfortunately in a service such as this, many patients are on antipsychotic medicines which can often have a significant side effect of weight gain. Due to this, many of the patients within this unit had a BMI of over 45 (for reference, a healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9).

So now I have provided some context, welcome to my day in the life!

Morning: I wake up at about 7:30 to make sure that I have time to have a proper breakfast and get prepared for the day. I then drive to the hospital and often join a team ‘huddle’ in the morning. Huddles are a meeting with all the Dietetics staff (including Nutritionists and Dietetic Assistants) to discuss how we are getting on with the patients and if we have any new referrals. After this meeting, I would then go down to the ward to see a patient for an education session. To get onto the ward you have to go through an airlock system with lots of security measures in place. Once on the ward, I would normally have an educational session regarding the consequences of high saturated fat and sugar intake on our cardiovascular health. Some patients who I was giving education sessions to were in ‘seclusion’, which is a separate room from everyone else that most people are not allowed to enter. This made communication fairly difficult, but it was a great learning curve!

Afternoon: After lunch, I would usually prepare for the patients that I was seeing that afternoon. I would read through all the patient notes to gather a background on the patient and produce any resources which I may need for the sessions. Many of the patients that I was working with could not read and the only resources we had available were lengthy written resources, so I spent a lot of time producing easy read, pictorial resources for patients which seemed to go down very well. After my sessions with the patients, I would then attend a basketball session with a patient with a BMI of 54 to encourage physical exercise. This was a great session as it also allowed the staff to participate and build rapport with the patients. I really enjoyed this! Finally, I would go back to the office and write up all of my notes from the patient consultations so that other health professionals can be aware of what we have discussed.

I would then tend to go home, cook something quick because I was tired and then watch Netflix until I fell asleep!

I hope you find this useful and if you have any questions please feel free to comment. I really enjoyed this placement and would recommend it to anyone doing Dietetics as you learn communication skills that you probably wouldn’t learn anywhere else. So if you get allocated this placement welcome it with open arms! You may love it like I did.

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A day in the life with Amelia Guest

Interviewed and edited by Elayna Hugh-Jones

What do you study here at Newcastle University?

So I’m in my 2nd year of Biomedical science, and I’m doing a placement year in September so it’ll be a 4 year degree for me. Then I’m thinking about further study, such as a Master’s or post-grad medicine.

Newcastle University Medical School

What does a typical day look like for you?

So I’m an early bird, I get up around 6:30 and I take some time to wake up and have breakfast. Then if we have any 9am or 10am lectures I like to go to the Uni gym beforehand to start my day on a good note, which means I leave my house in Jesmond at about 7:30. We typically have 2 or 3 lectures a day and I’ll head to the Walton Library in between if we have any breaks. But if we have no lectures, Wednesdays are usually our days off, I still head to the library and set myself up for a day there. I’ll usually take my packed lunch and stay for the majority of the day and then head home for dinner. I and my housemates tend to all eat together which is a nice part of the day to look forward to.

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