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Developing the researchers of the future
One of the strategic objectives of the AGE Research group is to build capacity in academic geriatric medicine and wider ageing research. In pursuit of this goal, each year we supervise student projects and host summer placement students who are interested in ageing research. This year we welcomed 3 summer students and 1 MRes Student. As shown in the summaries and reflections below, our students undertook a diverse range of work and gained new skills and insights into the research process and the activities of our group.
Claudia Cheung, 4th year medical student at Newcastle University
Claudia applied to complete her SSC (Student-Selected Component) with us this summer after hearing a lecture on Clinical Academia from Dr Jonathan Bunn at the Academic Medicine Society earlier in the year. She spent 4 weeks working under the supervision of Dr Claire McDonald and conducted an audit on “Access to Future Care Planning in the Last Year of Life for People with Multiple Long-Term Conditions (MLTC)”, using data from Gateshead NHS Foundation Trust. Claudia presented her findings and recommendations back to the AGE Research group at the end of her placement.
"I chose to do my summer placement with the AGE Research Group because I was curious about the research they are doing regarding ageing and multimorbidity. Additionally, their work aligned with my interests in research, geriatrics, and palliative care. I enjoyed the variety of studies and clinical experiences I got to observe, as well as the research skills I developed doing my own audit on MLTC. It was an incredibly rewarding experience getting to know the members of the interdisciplinary team and the vital role they each play. Thank you so much to everyone in the AGE Research Group for hosting me!"
Raka Polyma, 2nd year medical student at Sunderland University
Raka joined us for 6 weeks after being awarded a Sunderland NIHR summer studentship via a competitive scheme. During her placement which was supervised by Prof Miles Witham, she analysed the results of a sarcopenia horizon scan undertaken by the NIHR Innovation Observatory, with a deeper dive into selected interventions highlighted by this. This work gave Raka experience of descriptive data analysis, reading and critical analysis of papers, and drawing up brief summaries of published research.
“I chose to undertake a studentship with the AGE Research group as this was an area of research that was new to me, and I wanted to learn as many new skills as possible. From this placement I learnt a lot about how clinical trials are conducted and the patient interactions I got with this is what I enjoyed the most. The focus of my studentship was to explore potential therapeutic interventions for sarcopenia as well as begin to devise a process to appraise the current literature behind interventions that are being considered."
Megan Boulton, 3rd year medical student at Newcastle University
Inspired by her interest in research with older adults, Megan undertook a 3-week placement supervised by Dr Antoneta Granic to observe and participate in the range of research activities of the AGE Research Group. During this time, she attended team meetings to plan research and discuss progress, joined fieldwork visits both in research facilities and participants’ homes, and developed her data analysis skills relevant to epidemiology.
“I chose a placement with the AGE Research Group to gain experience with data analysis and how this is used to develop research. I got the opportunity to clean some real data and write a report from a fictional data cohort. The experience I enjoyed the most was observing patients at their clinical trial appointments and learning about the different tests that were performed with patients to develop the research.”
Alice Hari Soejono, MRes in Ageing and Health at Newcastle University
Alice spent 6 months working with members of the AGE Research group under the supervision of Dr Jonathan Bunn and Professor Rachel Cooper on her MRes Project “Individuals’ Perspectives and Self Characterisation of Multiple Long-Term Conditions in the MASS_Lifecourse Study”. The project involved statistical analysis of data from the MASS_Lifecourse study, to understand how individuals perceive their health in relation to multiple long-term conditions (MLTC).
“My time with the AGE Research group was an enriching and fulfilling experience. I had the opportunity to deepen my knowledge and develop new skills while conducting research on individuals’ self-characterisation of multiple long-term conditions in the MASS_Lifecourse study. The team provided valuable guidance and I gained a great deal of insight into the field. This experience has significantly enhanced my understanding, and I am grateful for the learning opportunities I had during my time there.”
Last modified: Mon, 14 Oct 2024 14:30:43 BST
