Five alumni from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) recently shared their respective journeys that lead them to the University of Oxford during a virtual event hosted by the Tygerberg Undergraduate Research Society (TURS). The event titled 'Roads to Research: The Road to Oxford' showcased the various routes students can take to pursue a career in research – both locally and abroad.
The event was facilitated by MBChB students Sangeun Lee and Motheo Mmotong from TURS (also known as the Q Society) and Dr Debbie Marais, head of the Undergraduate Research Office at the Research Development and Support Division of the FMHS. “We hope to encourage and inspire more students to undertake research," said Marais. “One of the critical ways in which we can do that is through a peer experience and learning from those who have done it already."
Against this backdrop of mentorship, the event drew upon the experiences of alumni and the eagerness of current undergraduate students to spark an evening of conversation. Speaking at the event were Drs Helene-Mari van der Westhuizen, Koot Kotze, Nabeela Kajee, Jonas Bovijn and Kirsten Rowe who all share both Stellenbosch University and the University of Oxford as alma mater.
Career trajectories in medicine and research
The panellists each shared their thoughts on their personal paths in research and their postgraduate pursuits.
The panellists all agreed that one does not have to choose between a career as a clinician or a scientist. According to Bovijn, life as either a clinician or researcher is not a “dichotomy" as the two are not always opposing forces. “I do believe there's a significant amount of synergy between stepping into both roles," he explained. “An example would be that as a clinician you have unique insights into important healthcare-related problems and the types of problems that require further scientific investigation."
Kotze echoed this sentiment and added that the balance will likely change as one's career progresses. “A metaphor you may use is the different seasons of your life," Kotze said. “I think very early on in your medical career you're likely to do more clinical work and that's very much expected for the large part. As people progress in their careers, they tend to take on other roles whether that's research, administrative or management."
Research can start at undergraduate or postgraduate levels
Although research is generally associated with postgraduate studies, students can actually kick start their research endeavours at an undergraduate level. Kajee and Bovijn, for example, conducted their first joint study while completing their MBChB degrees, which looked at undergraduate medical students' involvement in research and their attitudes and perceptions towards it. “It ultimately led me down a path of great interest in medical education at large," said Kajee. “My research journey has been such an insatiable, curiosity-driven process."
Van der Westhuizen also made a strong case for starting research at undergraduate level and aptly compared it to the process of learning to draw blood. “The first time you draw blood it take ages to figure it out… what needle size to use and where to put the blood tubes… but the more you do it, the easier it becomes and it's very much the same for research." From applying for ethics to writing protocol to finally getting published, Van der Westhuizen assured students that research becomes less daunting the more it is practised.
Ample opportunities both locally and abroad
On whether to study locally or abroad, Rowe gave a refreshing perspective on the multi-continental, global collaboration that is possible in this connected day and age. During her time at Oxford, Rowe researched the effects of HIV on the developing brain and collected all her data in South Africa. Furthermore, her supervisors were a combination of South African, Italian and American professors who were based respectively in the UK and South Africa. “It's amazing how many research teams are international and can be based across the globe," Rowe says.
While the Rhodes Scholarship is a popular gateway to Oxford, the panellists shared valuable insight into the abundance of scholarship options for students across the board. Some of these include the Gates Cambridge Scholarship; Commonwealth Scholarship; Chevening Scholarship; Erasmus Mundus Scholarship; Clarendon Scholarship; and Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Scholarship.
For updates on the Roads to Research series and future events, keep an eye on the Q Society's Instagram and Facebook pages.
