Student and Staff Profiles

Mohanraj Samuel  
Mohanraj Samuel

Mohanraj Samuel, Msc Clinical Pharmacology

Why Aberdeen?

After graduating in medicine from India, I always wanted to stretch my knowledge in that field. Wondering of the opportunity that would serve my purpose, University of Aberdeen was where I was heading. It is one of the top ranked universities in the world and is known to have very rich academic value, proven by the excellence of their graduates' fascinating discoveries.

My time at Aberdeen

After landing in Aberdeen last September I was pleased with the opportunity to further my knowledge of medicine in University of Aberdeen.

On the first week, I found Aberdeen entirely a different place which was very systematic and balanced. I liked the university to the utmost. I was astonished at the fusion of the old European architecture with the high-tech facilities of the university, this was amazing to experience.

In a few weeks, I was adapted to the education system of UK through number of formative essays and induction programmes. The professors were really friendly and sociable which was very promising and encouraging. The teaching was organised and well planned with excellent audio-visual facilities. The laboratories, the library and the hostel accommodation were outstanding. In addition, we had guest lectures on various topics from world-renowned professors and they were informative; further increasing my potential to be a great health care professional.

It was not all about passing exams and getting a degree at the University of Aberdeen, but gaining knowledge and understanding. Furthermore I learnt more about myself and acquired invaluable experiences that will really help me in life. 

I got the opportunity to make friends from all over the world and learnt and experienced different cultures, and shared mine with my fellow students. Student presentations on a regular basis also helped me improve my interpersonal skills and confidence levels. The standard of evaluation and encouragement from the professors always helped me to excel in the examination and beyond. Alongside, an opportunity to do my project in a leading Clinical trials company named Quintiles in South London was also provided.

Work experience at Quintiles

It was a great experience to work in Quintiles for a 4-5 month period. I learnt more about clinical research working, a side of medicine not explored by most students. I felt this would definitely be a key in building block to a successful career and creating a good repertoire in the future. I also learnt that the vice president of Quintiles is an alumnus of University of Aberdeen.

I had the opportunity of meeting and interacting with physicians who have written eminent books on clinical pharmacology. Quintiles provided me with accommodation and food, which I felt was very generous and kind. The staffs in Quintiles were supportive and encouraging throughout my project. In the past year I was taught, strengthened and guided in all aspects of working life which I will be shortly encountering.

I am proud to be a student of University of Aberdeen and I am also happy that I am in the right direction of building a successful career contributing in medicine.