Visit the Medical Microbiology (MSc) page on the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine website for more details!
After completing a degree in Biomedical Science here in UK, I returned to the Seychelles to work in the Public Health Laboratory of the Ministry of Health. Having developed an interest in Medical Microbiology from the course at Kingston University I sought to pursue it further, but only managed to get funding for it last year through the Commonwealth Scholarship, the same year I got married. The reputation of the LSHTM for the Medical Microbiology course reached even the shores of the Seychelles and I feel truly privileged to have experienced it. The diverse mix of people at the LSHTM has proven to be more than I expected and it has been a pleasure to learn with and from my fellow students. With the amazing opportunities that studying in London has brought, I thank God for the opportunity of having been able to do so at the LSHTM, with my wife making the trip with me. I’m looking forward to furthering my career when I get back home and I aspire to undertake a PhD in the fullness of time.
I graduated in medicine with a strong interest in medical microbiology and a desire to specialize in this subject. This course at the School was recommended to me by my department head and clinical attachment supervisor in medical school. Their advice, coupled with the School’s renown for research in infectious diseases, made it my top choice for beginning postgraduate studies.
What made the course special was the reference laboratory level teaching and cutting edge diagnostic and research techniques I was exposed to. The teaching ensured that complex ideas were delivered in a lucid, comprehensible manner, while practicals were unique in that they closely simulated real-life diagnostic laboratory situations. We were often given realistic clinical scenarios to work with using the latest guidelines and techniques. This degree has equipped me with an in-depth understanding of pathogens and advanced laboratory skills, which will give me an edge as I continue my specialist training in medical microbiology.
The learning experience at the School has been fascinating, in the truest sense of the word. The principles of molecular biology have been brought to life not only through learning about viruses, but bacteria and parasites too. There are always challenges, but it is all part and parcel of hoping to tackle very real problems which affect millions of lives across the globe daily. Studying Medical Microbiology can help identify solutions in the form of drugs and vaccines, which can be implemented through various health initiatives. This is my personal drive.
