PhD Students Webpage

MSc/PhD Students

We provide an excellent academic and training environment for postgraduate and research students. Students are located within the unit and are included as key members of the research team. We encourage participation and contribution to the wider academic Group; as such, MSc and PhD students are expected to attend monthly staff meetings, research groups and institutional seminars, and monthly journal club.

There are training opportunities within the College of Life Sciences & Medicine (CLSM), including generic training courses offered by the Graduate School but also other courses, including the option of completing modules from MSc taught courses and/or internal training.  We encourage students to develop their oral presentation skills by presenting ideas and progress to the Epidemiology Group. We also encourage submission of research methods and findings to the wider scientific community e.g. conference abstracts, posters etc.

Generic Training (examples):
·         Presentation skills
·         Small group teaching
·         Public speaking
·         Managing your voice
·         Time management
·         Working with long documents
·         How to use RefWorks
·         Literature searching
·         Statistics for beginners/intermediates

Research Group Training Opportunities:
·         Epidemiology module (MSc)
·         Epidemiology group journal club 

PhD Student Training Programme:
·         How to write a paper
·         How to design and prepare a poster
·         Study protocols
·         How to effectively attend a conference
·         How to make effective presentations
·         How to review a paper

Comments from students 

Elisa Flüß, 2nd year PhD Student

I am a second-year PhD student in the Epidemiology Group.  My interest in the group began in late 2008 when I was looking for a half year internship abroad.  At that point in time, I was a Public Health undergraduate in Germany with a special interest in epidemiology. I was finally given the great opportunity to get work experience and an insight into epidemiological research and spend six months with in the Epidemiology Group during the final year of my degree.  Following my invaluable experience as a trainee in the group, I applied for my PhD project just before I graduated with my Bachelor in Public Health in 2009.

The University of Aberdeen provides several different training courses for PhD students.  In this way, each student is given the opportunity to expand its general, technical or subject specific skills.  As one can choose from the courses, a well coordinated study is guaranteed for everyone.  Beside the acquisition of new skills, PhD students in the Epidemiology Group get the opportunity to present their work internally (e.g. in seminars or journal clubs) as well as externally (e.g. conferences and congresses).  I have just had my first presentation at an international meeting and can definitely value that as a marvellous experience.  One of the great benefits of the group is the lovely atmosphere that makes everyone feel as being an important part of the team.  Weekly get-togethers and monthly meetings ensure that everyone keeps up to date on the current work which enables you to feel more involved in all the interesting research being carried out within the department.

I am very much enjoying to study within the group and can only emphasize that the skills I have learnt in the first year have already proven to be invaluable now.

Rachael Docking, third year PhD Student  

I am currently in the second year of my PhD with the Epidemiology group.  I applied for this PhD following my undergraduate degree in psychology, which led me to an interest in pain research and the impact of social networks on pain experience.  From the beginning of my studies I have been given the opportunity to expand my knowledge and learn many new skills. I have completed the MSc course in epidemiology alongside my PhD research which proved to be invaluable to me having come from a background of psychology.  Furthermore, I was offered the opportunity to complete a number of other courses to allow me to improve my knowledge in statistics and also to improve skills such as presenting and completing literature searches.  Within the academic group I have been allowed the opportunity to present internally but also to external collaborators, and at national and international conferences.  I have also learnt skills through active involvement within the group such as within the journal club and helping with teaching at the Intensive Course in Applied Epidemiology. 

Aside from the skills and opportunities that have been presented to me while completing my research, the main benefit has been the great involvement I feel with the entire academic group.  PhD students are not separated, instead considered as part of the working team, this allows a great feeling of inclusion and enables you to feel more involved in all the interesting research being carried out within the department.  Completing a PhD with the group really allows you to feel part of a team and as your PhD progresses it becomes clear how important it is to have the support of those around you to help you through the difficult times and celebrate with you when things go right!  The skills I have learnt while studying within this department have proved invaluable now and I am certain they will have a very positive impact on my future.

 

 

Intensive Course in Applied Epidemiology
Aberdeen 5-9th March 2012



Epidemiology Contact

Nabi Moaven
Polwarth Building (1:020)
Foresterhill
Aberdeen
AB25 2ZD

tel: +44 (0)1224 437137
fax: +44 (0)1224 437285
email: epidemiology@abdn.ac.uk