Prerana

I’m a medical doctor by profession and have just finished a Master’s in Surgical Innovation at Imperial College London.

Choosing to do a Master’s

I worked on the frontline during the pandemic as a junior doctor. It was really tough at times, I definitely got burnout and also experienced imposter syndrome. When I first started my training I didn’t think I’d start my career by working during a pandemic.

I know an Imperial degree holds a lot of value and will help further my portfolio within the NHS. I was the youngest on my course; everyone else were consultants or registrars, so it was quite full-on at times as I had to level-up to their level of knowledge and skills.

I think the content I’ve learned and the surgical innovation that’s going on right now is amazing, it’s great to be part of something that will have such an impact. With robotic surgery and what we’re trying to do for our operating rooms, it’s made it all seem very real!

My course has been intense but enjoyable, the first half was more focused on teaching with the gradual introduction of research. It’s a great balance between academic learning and practical experience, and the course is designed in a way that’s very flexible of trainees and our schedules, which can be very busy. I’m mostly based at the St Mary’s campus and the College are really understanding that our student lives are quite different from a typical Master’s student. 

I come from a very academic focused background – my mum is an Imperial alumnus. So for me, choosing to come to Imperial was a very obvious decision. I didn't even have to list out pros and cons. It’s opened a lot of opportunities for me.

 

Imperial’s support system

The support I received from Imperial was really helpful. Nobody’s hiding knowledge, everyone’s so willing to share.

There are so many benefits of being at Imperial but if I had to pinpoint one, it has to be the counselling service because it’s helped me so much. There’s no denying I have a high-pressure job, and it can get to you at times. But as a doctor, I know that everybody deserves therapy who needs it; it's not something to be ashamed of. As Imperial students, we get the service for free and you have very qualified exceptional therapists at your service.

The International Student Support team have answers to questions you didn't even know existed – they know how the mind of an international student works, and the anxiety and hesitations you might have. They can help you in so many ways, even down to checking rent agreements to make sure you’re not unsafe. And that’s even just a minor portion of what they do.