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Medicinal chemistry (1 Viewer)

mitochondria

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I'm glad you've enjoyed the Cambridge experience. Who knows you might end up here doing a postdoc.
That was the plan before I left Sydney. :p Having seen so many things and met so many people a lot of choices opened up all of a sudden. Also, the people whom I'm interested in postdocing with at Cambridge are mostly retired now lol. :( Given that the UK is also a bit... reserved in very many ways I don't think I'll enjoy Cambridge as much as somewhere like MIT (which I have zero confidence in getting a position). :( Ultimately the aim is academia back home - so if I have to suffer for a year or two anywhere in the world it will have to be done. :p


Yes my plan is to come home after I'm done here (still a while to go yet), but this will also depends on what offers I get here. For example, if a Nobel Laureate asks me to work in his/her lab, then it would be crazy if I don't stay, wouldnt it?! :D
Get out of the UK! ;) What are you specialising in by the way (if you don't mind me asking)? :p I figured from your siggy that it's probably something biochemistry/medical related :eek:?
 

Survivor39

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Get out of the UK! ;) What are you specialising in by the way (if you don't mind me asking)? :p I figured from your siggy that it's probably something biochemistry/medical related :eek:?
How long do you have to go until you finish your PhD? Are you starting to look for postdoc opportunities in the States already? I think the States offers some outstanding opportunties and it's worth a shot!

I'm specialising in medical microbiology and immunology - essentially looking at how our immune system fights against bad bugs.
 
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mitochondria

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How long do you have to go until you finish your PhD? Are you starting to look for postdoc opportunities in the States already? I think the States offers some outstanding opportunties and it's worth a shot!
I'll be two years into my PhD the coming March. The plan is to submit by publications by the end of the year. :p Part of the reason I'm in the UK and went to Israel for the conference is actually saying hi to people in this part of the world and tell them that I might be coming back. :) I was originally going to the states, too, but visa for the UK held me up for a month. :( Well, at the end of the day I'll go anywhere that will make me more competitive for a job in academia back home! ;)


I'm specialising in medical microbiology and immunology - essentially looking at how our immune system fights against bad bugs.
Fweee, that's exciting stuff that I have trouble getting my head around. I'm slowly getting better with biological systems since I got here because my unofficial supervisor (well... she's as official as she is unofficial really) deals with them and realised that I must jump onto the boat as well. :p Hehe, what we do must be very very very different though. :)

I should go to bed... Haven't packed and taking the 06:20 train tomorrow morning. :(
 

Tim035

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What are contact hours for honors like? Is it basically the equivalent of a 9 - 5? I'd like to think I will still be able to go to the gym and jui-jitsu during my honors year.

My project is pretty set now, going to be developing and testing drugs for prostate cancer.
 

mitochondria

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What are contact hours for honors like? Is it basically the equivalent of a 9 - 5? I'd like to think I will still be able to go to the gym and jui-jitsu during my honors year.

My project is pretty set now, going to be developing and testing drugs for prostate cancer.
Depends on your supervisor/school, your working habit, how much you want from it and whether you have coursework or not. When I did mine it's expected that I'm in 9 to 5 everyday. Having said that, I probably ended up doing 8-7 on most days and there were days when I was there for... well, a fair bit shall we say.

Anyhow, yes you will still be able to do those things - doing honours doesn't mean you will have no life. No. :) I have to say I've had most fun during my honours year. :uhhuh:

Good luck! ;)
 
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Tim035

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I still am really unsure as to what will be expected of me, or exactly what I will be doing. Hopefully that will become clear; I'm going in once or twice a week over January - February to learn some basic technique etc.
 

mitochondria

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I still am really unsure as to what will be expected of me...
As long as you are not a lazy bum or one of those 09:01-16:59 people then you will be fine. ;) Also, when your supervisor suggests that you should do something (we are talking about reasonable and research related things of course) - do it, don't whinge or say no. I've had someone like that in my group before and that's annoying.

Note that if you have a really pedantic supervisor, as in, one of those who can tell whether a full stop is italicised or not and would tell you to change it accordingly - that's still a reasonable. No, really, it's not a joke. The unreasonable ones are those who gets you to organise things for conferences and what not because she/he can't be bothered to do it or those who don't care whether you have a life outside of your research or not. Also remember that, for most people, the month leading up to submission one should have no life. :p


... or exactly what I will be doing. Hopefully that will become clear.
It will. :)


I'm going in once or twice a week over January - February to learn some basic technique etc.
That's always a good idea. Also, if you haven't already done so, I always find it a good idea to sit down and have a long chat about your project and have a proper plan by the end of the chat. Another advice that I tend to give honours students, which may not be applicable/useful to you: ask your supervisor what opportunities you have after you are finished, whether there is any chance of getting a publication out of your project and how likely does she/he think that you will get a scholarship (should you decide to do a PhD afterwards).

If you are planning to stay in the country to do a PhD then you will be looking at getting an APA (first class honours required) or UPA (it's a bit of a dark area that I still don't know the mechanism of - I knew someone who had a publication and just missed a first class honours but didn't get it; then again, you are also competing with other first class honours graduates who didn't get an APA). A publication is worth looking into because it gives you extra points towards your scholarship application (points are awarded for up to two publications the last time I checked).

Apologies if some of the information is irrelevant (I think you said that you may consider doing a PhD if you enjoy honours) - it's just a good idea to plan ahead. Some people end up enjoying research but never get the opportunity to do it just because they missed out on a scholarship or funding for not having worked hard enough during undergrad/honours.
 

Mrsgamsat

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Work on it. It is a very interesting major. Somehow it will not be easy. :tree:
 

92LUCAS

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omg I just noticed this course now after recieving an email from UAC - it looks pretty good!

My ATAR (new UAI) comes out in 6 days and now im really confused about by preferences haha.

I hope to do SOMETHING in medicine/science - pharmacy, dentistry, GP, science research - do you guys think i could go on to medicine/dentistry @ USYD if i do this degree? Will I have the right knowledge?


:tree:
 

EdmondDW

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omg I just noticed this course now after recieving an email from UAC - it looks pretty good!

My ATAR (new UAI) comes out in 6 days and now im really confused about by preferences haha.

I hope to do SOMETHING in medicine/science - pharmacy, dentistry, GP, science research - do you guys think i could go on to medicine/dentistry @ USYD if i do this degree? Will I have the right knowledge?

:tree:
U can...I have a friend finished her honor in UNSW chemistry school, and now is a postgraduate medicine student in Usyd.

But I am not sure if you will like working in chem lab...I am doing my summer project in an organic research lab, but I am not quite enjoy it too much so far. It is too toxic...

Another thing is my personal opinion, maybe not right...Chem school is more competitive than BABS and BEES...give the formulas as below:

top students in chem school approx.= or slightly more qualified > top students in BABS/BEES.

general students in chem school much qualified >>general students in BABS/BEES.

No offence, I am also a student in BABS...just my feeling...
 
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mitochondria

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U can...I have a friend finished her honor in UNSW chemistry school, and now is a postgraduate medicine student in Usyd.
Interesting enough, I've got a friend who just finished nano and he did honours with us in chem and he just got offered to do postgrad med recently. :) So, I suppose if you are bright enough it doesn't really matter what you did for undergrad (as long as it's not something non-science I suppose :p?).


But I am not sure if you will like working in chem lab...
I personally think it's fantastic. :shy:


I am doing my summer project in an organic research lab, but I am not quite enjoy it too much so far. It is too toxic...
Just out of curiosity - who are you working for, if you don't mind me asking? :)


Another thing is my personal opinion, maybe not right...Chem school is more competitive than BABS and BEES...give the formulas as above:
Ah, there are different sort of competitiveness. BABS in particular is *very* competitive in terms of research, there are lots of reasons but one of the major one being the contract duration of staff up there - I would say that there is a greater drive for publication and grants in BABS than there is in Chemistry. (That's information from an ex-chemistry friend who now works up there.)

The school of chemistry is getting better though, I think - it's hard not to given that we have been employing new staff. ;)


top students in chem school approx.= or slightly more qualified > top students in BABS/BEES.
This one is controversial and I'm sure people from BABS/BEES would disagree with you. :p What I can say though is that they scale their marks *a lot* in BABS/BEES whereas there's virtually no scaling in Chemistry.


general students in chem school much qualified >>general students in BABS/BEES.
Again, see above. I would like to think that's the case though. :p There are lots of bright people both in Chemistry and BABS.


No offence, I am also a student in BABS...just my feeling...
It's okay. :eek: Chemistry is much more fun. (Clearly that's a personal opinion :p)
 
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