Improving problem solving skills

When did I do my BMedSci?

I carried out my BmedSci in 2010/11 between 2nd and 3rd years of the BDS degree.

My project

I worked in the oral medicine department on the oral fungus ‘Candida albicans’. I worked to help establish a model of Candida albicans infection in Zebrafish embryos, including real-time in vivo visualisation. In addition to this I looked at the adhesion of Candida
albicans to endothelial cells under conditions mimicking blood vessels.

Presentations

Evans, T. (2011, September 14). Using Zebrafish To Study Candida albicans-Mediated Systemic Candidiasis in vivo. Oral Session presented at the BSODR/IADR Congress, Sheffield. Evans, T. (2012, September 13). Investigating O-linked manan-mediated adhesion of Candida albicans to endothelium. Oral Session presented at the PER/IADR Congress, Helsinki.

Honours / prizes

• BMedSci degree with a first.
• Commended in the Junior Colgate Prize for presentation at British society of Oral and Dental research 2011 “Using Zebrafish To Study Candida albicans-Mediated Systemic Candidiasis in vivo”

What I gained from my BMedSci

I feel that my problem solving skills improved, and my confidence to tackle problems independently. Two skills that were improved upon were long-form writing as well as the ability to present work with clarity, and these have already proved useful both away from academia, as well as within the BDS degree. I also gained a deeper appreciation for research methodologies and a propensity to ask deeper questions, not to mention the degree, prize and the travel!