MY PHD TRAINING SO FAR.. by Alana Cutliffe

I started my PhD. (“Consumer Perceptions of Endocrine Disruptors in the Food Chain and the Environment”) on 5th June 2017. Having only completed a BSc. to date, I was a bit concerned that I would have the same level of research skills as my peers.

Thankfully, there is a wide range of support provided by Queen’s University Belfast to ensure all researchers brush-up on the skills they need to complete their PhD. Indeed, it is a mandatory requirement that every student completes ten “training days” (i.e. the likes of conferences, workshops or lectures) tailored to his / her individual requirements.

So far, I’ve attended the following sessions: workshops on conducting keyword searches; lectures on how to carry-out systematic reviews; and presentations delivered by current PhD. Students. By Christmas, I will have been trained in how to conduct focus groups and questionnaires (i.e. the core of my PhD.), and I will have also completed a module in Medical Statistics.

All of the above support-activities have really boosted my confidence in my ability to complete my PhD. Equipped with these newly-learned skills, I look forward to moving-on to the data-collection and analysis stages of my first study.