Student stories

In the second semester, we visited Queen Alexander Hospital in Portsmouth and Royal Surrey County Hospital which helped me decide what to do for my career.

There are a lot of external speakers on the course, including from the Royal Surrey Hospital and the National Physical Laboratory. They really help to widen your understanding of medical physics applications.

My lecturers have all been engaging and encouraging. They welcome questions and are happy to have one-to-one discussions.

Life as a student is very different to working 9-5 and I’ve appreciated the challenge of this change so far. I’ve learned to prioritise a work-life balance and value my free time, and it’s allowed me to differentiate between mindsets and strengthen my wellbeing.

A highlight of the placement has been getting the chance to become part of a scientific community and contribute to active research.

One of the highlights of my PhD has been the eight-week placement I'm currently spending at Crossfield Fusion as part of the GRADnet programme.

The Braithwaite scholarship greatly eased the pressure and allowed me to focus less on the financial burden of the degree and more on enjoying what I came to Surrey to do: to further my knowledge of the subject area I wanted to make my career in.

The tutors are always happy to help if you have questions via email or after class, while students are encouraged to innovate and be creative during assessments and conduct research themselves under guidance.