• Question: What things did you need to do/achieve to be scientist and get where you are now?

    Asked by 248medh27 to Christopher, Dan, Jen, Mohan, Sarah on 9 Mar 2017. This question was also asked by HETTYJane, 823medh27.
    • Photo: Mohan K

      Mohan K answered on 9 Mar 2017:

      I got decent results at school, did a degree, did a training scheme and another degree.

      But also in everyday life I’m just interested in things and stuff. Wikipedia is an extraordinary accomplishment, you can basically find out about anything and everything.

      I’ve also travelled a lot and do/have done a large variety of hobbies. I think its important to try new things and move out of your comfort zone as it helps you development better empathy and different ways of thinking.

    • Photo: Sarah De Vos

      Sarah De Vos answered on 9 Mar 2017:

      Well, the traditional way of becoming a career scientist is:

      1) get good grades in the right subjects for the area of science you are interested in. The UCAS website has more information on the required A-levels.
      2)Then it’s on to university in all likelihood and getting a decent grade there.
      3)If you are interested in research and academia in general then you will almost certainly need a PhD. Not always though. The NHS clinical scientist scheme for example.

      Lots of study thus. However, university is not the only way to become a scientist. Many people become scientists by developing a particular keen interest. Someone I used to work with was an extremely knowledgeable ecologist, specialising in botany. He knew more than many others in his field and he hadn’t gone to uni. He did eventually go to the Open University to get a degree as it made job hunting easier but he knew things no uni could have taught him. And Charles Darwin dropped out of his medical degree.

      Having an interest in the world around you, an inquisitive mind, wanting to teach yourself new things, all those qualities are vital in any budding scientists.

    • Photo: Jen Dennis

      Jen Dennis answered on 10 Mar 2017:

      I did a broad range of subjects at school (my Highers are in Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Geography, English & French) and decided that maths & physics were my favourites. I got good school results and I went to university to study physics. Once I got my degree, I did a Medical Physics training scheme in the NHS.

      But it’s always important in life never to get too caught up in one thing. You need to get out there and experience lots of different things to make yourself into a better person. Finding out about the world around you is being a scientist so if you want to be a scientist and you go out in the world and do that, you can’t go far wrong!

    • Photo: Daniel Fovargue

      Daniel Fovargue answered on 10 Mar 2017:

      I’m a research scientist in academia. To get this type of job you would almost certainly need to get your PhD. Getting your PhD takes a few extra years after university, and you probably need good grades leading up to that point.

      Other than that, its like any other job, I guess. If you do well and work hard, you’ll continue to succeed.

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