YOUR UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO DISSERTATION (BROUGHT TO YOU BY MEDSOC, AS WRITTEN BY CURRENT 3RD YEARS...

AND A FEW TOKEN 4TH YEARS)

Dissertations are looming and this is a daunting time for everyone. Over the next few months you will be bombarded with information, and choices to make regarding your dissertation. This guide is meant as an addition to all the formal rd th information you will receive. It gives current 3 (and a few 4 ) year opinions on the homebases we chose, the projects we did, and the mistakes we made. Hopefully, by giving you this guide, we can make sure you can learn from our mistakes and get the most out of your dissertation experience. As a disclaimer- this is based on our experiences, but some things change year to year. Timings of exams/ allocation of projects, etc, may not be exactly the same as they were for our year.

CHOOSING A HOMEBASE
The first decision you will have to make is which homebase to choose. The main thing to remember is that most people can find something they enjoy in all homebases. Your homebase choice may be determined by the type of project offered- look on the NLE for details of this. It might be swayed by the timing of exams for each homebase: Biomedical sciences Exams in late December (just before Christmas) Clinical sciences Exams early November Molecular medical sciences Exams mid December Derby Exams- timings change year to year Community Health Sciences Psych- coursework October and December PH- coursework late November

All homebases- REM exam mid November

If you still need help deciding, here are the opinions of our year about each homebase:

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
Brains and Behaviour

This homebase is brilliant if you like choice. The many modules available are well run and you can choose ones that are
useful for your project or that just interest you. The presentations by supervisors before summer give you a chance to choose a project that you are really interested in as youll be spending 3 months on the project its a good idea to do a bit of background reading (before you apply) so that you know what youre getting yourself into! The best thing about Brains and Behaviour was that there were some fantastic projects on offer giving you the chance to get your teeth stuck into something worthwhile and (if lab-based) to pretend to be a scientist again! The downside is the amount of support you receive is heavily dependent upon your supervisor and the timing of exams (3 days before Christmas) is far from ideal. Clinical Anatomical and Histological Studies

Rebecca Rhodes

Anatomy projects consist of three components; the production of a prosection, a literature review looking at a clinical
aspect of your chosen area of anatomy, and an additional piece of research (e.g. CAL-package, poster, survey or dissector manual). One of the good things about the anatomy homebase is the freedom; as long as you get the work done, you can dissect and write whenever you want. I did a survey in addition to the prosection and lit review; this was really fun. However, it was very time consuming; my free time was taken up with travelling to visit Rugby teams to ask them to fill in questionnaires. Dissection was fun; it's so much more enjoyable when you can dissect in your own time and find all the

structures than you normally slice through in SF1 and SF2! Dissecting is a bit scary at first as you have to work quite independently, but you get to know everyone in the DR and usually end up having a good time. The taught modules weren't too bad; there was usually only one lecture a week, and they were quite interesting. Having the exams three days before Christmas wasn't ideal though! Cardiovascular and musculoskeletal system

Jess Agbamu

I liked the wide range of projects to choose from in my homebase. The initial talk where all the supervisors presented their
projects was very useful and thorough. I did a systematic review and it was amazing did it all from home, never woke up before 8.30am and arranged my time exactly how I wanted to. In terms of Biomedical Sciences as an overall homebase, they are super organised and always keep you informed. The taught courses are also all very interesting for so theres no bad option. Also, they bind your projects for you (although you do have to pay for the printing)! Exams right at the end of term were quite hard to juggle. However, handing in a draft before Christmas meant I had a lovely long holiday and actually did no work for about 3 weeks. So in that respect its definitely good having someone to push you to give it in before, but having the exams three days before Christmas is probably the worst bit. Drug action

Lauren Taylor

The reason why I choose this homebase was because I wasnt sure what type of project would suit me best, so therefore I
choose one which offered a range of projects types including literature reviews, lab projects and audits. Having exams late in December means you have a bit longer to prepare for these compared to exam which crop up earlier in the year with other homebases. As Drug Action was quite a small homebase with around 15 people in it, there were only about 15 projects to choose from so it might be hard to find something you really want to do. However the range of projects offered is great and I ended up getting my first choice which was an audit on paracetamol toxicity. If you interested in any Biomedical Science homebases have a look at the AMS module overviews on the NLE, to get a better idea of some of the choices you have for modules to study throughout the project period. You are required to take two modules out of a choice of tenthats again a lot that is being offered, so there should be something you will enjoy. Cancer and ageing

Chandni Patel

Cancer and ageing has a big proportion of lab based projects and that was part of the reason I chose it. I did a lab based
project and really enjoyed working with people in the lab, getting to know people doing different projects and the general atmosphere of the lab. My supervisor was lovely, was always in the lab and helped us whenever we needed it. As part of biomedical sciences this homebase has exams on the very last days of the term, which for us was 2 days before Christmas! This has its good and bad points. The good part about having exams late was that at the beginning of the project when youre trying to work out the basics about the project and what youre doing in the lab it was helpful not to have to worry about exams just then. But on the other hand because it was so late we had to rush to finish all the lab work that we needed to do on the last few days as well as cram for exams. It really goes both ways and also depends a lot on how your project goes. Having exams earlier also gets them out of the way so you can focus entirely on the write up.

Charindri Wariyapola

Reproduction, pregnancy and development

I really enjoyed the time I spent working within this homebase. My project was based entirely in the lab, working with tissue
specimens and immunoflorescent imaging. The majority of projects were lab based, but there was also the opportunity to

work on either a literature review or an audit. Projects ranged from studying effects of pathological exposure to foetal growth to effects of conditions on the well-being of children as they develop. I found working with academics, as opposed to clinicians, invaluable, and would advise not to be put off by non-clinical supervisors. In my experience often academics are more experienced in the actual writing process, and may have more time to spend with you. The taught courses were varied and interesting, and provided a reminder that I was in fact still studying medicine! Having exams so close to Christmas was a challenge, but made the break all the more rewarding! I would recommend this homebase to anyone interested in the process of intra-uterine development, and the impact that we as future clinicians can have on improving the outlook for many pathological pregnancies. Do not be put off by the embryology studied in year one and two!! Medical education research

Sarah Hedgethorne

Interested in medical education? Want to make an impact on the way we are taught? Want to avoid labs at all costs? Then
look no further. At first when I found out my homebase I was a little non-plussed to say the least. My head was filled with "What does this mean?", "Is this going to be boring?" and "How IS anatomy learned?". Eventually I came to terms with the decision and now could not be happier that I got the project I did. Medical education is something that, irrespective of career choices, you will all have to be involved in and as a student you are uniquely placed to comment on how you and fellow students have found it, to provoke thought and change. None of the projects are lab based- most involve surveys alongside a lit review. You can also get away with a more interesting journalistic style rather than scientific approach to your discussion if you have sufficient literary flare. Taught courses are the same as the rest of Biomedical Sciences- all are interesting and involve no more than a lecture (or 2) a week, leaving ample time to work (or play) as you see fit. If you have any questions about the nuances of adopting a quizzical expression in dissection sessions whilst observing what books people are using and receiving bemused glances back then don't hesitate to contact me on mzyctsjc@nottingham.ac.uk.

Tom Crabtree

MOLECULAR MEDICAL SCIENCES

Microbiology

If you arent ready to commit to 9-5, the idea of working in a lab for 3 months bores you to tears and/or CLS still gives you
nightmares, you might want to look away now! This homebase offers predominantly lab-based projects focussed on bacterial virulence/ metabolism. The majority of students join an active research group and work alongside leading researchers, which is initially quite daunting. However, support from supervisors and other members of the research group make you feel like part of the team in no time. On the downside, working in the lab is unpredictable and it is inevitable that things will not always go according to plan. The taught courses are short but intensive and will make your brain hurt. On the plus side, the exams are scheduled so there is sufficient time after REM to prepare for them without ruining the run-up to Christmas. In summary, if you dont want to become a permanent resident of Greenfield and fancy something more hands-on, consider this homebase. The projects offered provide a realistic insight into research medicine and the skills you acquire in the lab are yours for life. Also, the write-up is in the format of a scientific paper- much shorter than in other homebase! Molecular Cell Pathology

David Restall

All the projects are lab based and generally involve genetics behind a disease. The projects use molecular techniques like
PCR, flow cytometry, and cell culture. Genetics behind diseases are hot research topics at the moment so all offer the potential of significant finding! The home-base is incredibly well organised. Lab work is really enjoyable- it did involve going in almost every day but personally if I had no lab work to do I wasnt expected to stay in so it wasnt always 9-5 (obviously it depends on your supervisor). Other lab members e.g. PhD students and Post Docs are incredibly helpful and will usually be willing to read through drafts and answer questions you might have. The taught course is the Molecular Pathology of Cancer; it overlaps a lot with CLS and is taught via eight podcasts (with a seminar on each) which are well structured. The

other module is either clinical microbiology or immunology- clinical microbiology also overlaps with CLS and with AMC later in 3rd year. Exams are in the first 2 weeks of December so you get plenty of revision time after REM in November. The dissertation is a 25 page limit which is ~7,000 words- much shorter than some other home-bases! Immunology

Katie Siggens

I liked how organized and interesting immunology was. Everything you learn is based on the research done by your lecturers
who are national and international leaders in their fields- if youve paid any attention in CLS you will appreciate how on it the immunology staff are! Projects are varied and you can be involved in research into a diverse range of diseases. All the laboratory staff are very helpful. I personally found my project really cool because it was on very novel technology that will probably find its way in everyday medical practice. Another definite advantage is that its a page limit (25 pages) compared to a word limit (this can also be a disadvantage because you have to be very concise in everything you write). Immunology was interesting but the taught course, although interesting, is very complex. Ironically the optional immunology module is much harder than the core immunology module so my advice would be, unless youre into pathways then just stick to the allergy module! In conclusion, if you want to do an interesting lab project, choose immunology!

Kerolos Bassilious

CLINICAL SCIENCES
Cancer and neurology

Cancer and Neurology; topically, it really doesnt get broader than this! Any 3rd year will tell you choosing a homebase is
quite a daunting task. One of the best things about choosing Clinical Sciences, for me, were the taught modules and their close relevance to clinical practice. The lectures were delivered mostly by clinicians, some from overseas experts, who were both enthusiastic and informative, teaching us not only about current practice but also pioneering research. The only disadvantage of this homebase was that the exam format was essay based, meaning that you had to have a really detailed knowledge about the module topics and do extra reading around the subject to achieve a good mark. On the same token, though, you could manipulate the topic you felt most confident with to suit the question and really demonstrate a true understanding.

Sophie Jackson

Medicine and surgery

This time last year after hearing many negative comments about the Medicine & Surgery Homebase, it was not my first
choice! However, I have had a very positive experience and I would like to inform you of the negatives (there are a few) and the positives. My only disadvantage is the project allocation - difficult to explain in 200 words but at its simplest; students rank their top 5 projects and put them in a hat. They are drawn and if your project has already been allocated you are put into another hat. Unfortunately, due to the nature of this system there is no guarantee that you will get a project of your choice. Positively, there are a variety a projects available from lab based to audits. The Advanced Science Module exams are fantastic topics and are examined in October which means you get them out of the way, leaving you with more time to concentrate on your project. Supervisors tend to be clinicians and can be extremely busy but are also very helpful if you are willing to put in the effort. Human Development

Solange Serna

This homebase is mainly based around paediatric projects, with a few related to obstetrics. It offers a wide range of types of
projects. The main thing I enjoyed was that because it is a Clinical homebase, I got to go to loads of clinics, both as a part of, and in addition to, my project, which really helped develop my interest in the subject and helped me learn about the area. I

did an audit, which was hard work, and boring at times, but it did mean I didnt have to rely on human volunteers or on unreliable lab resources! At the time, I didnt appreciate the fact that our exams were earlier in the term (especially as they were midway through last years rogue heat wave!) but come December I was so happy to have them out of the way so I could concentrate on my dissertation.

Louise Witham

GRADUATE ENTRY MEDICINE AND HEALTH (DERBY)

This may be the one you immediately strike off your list due to the travelling involved. Yes it is a lot further away than the
QMC or City Hospital but it is worth the extra travel, and they even reimburse the cost of any petrol, train tickets, or bus tickets, so you dont need to worry about it affecting your wallet. Derby is a great place to be for your BMedSci, you are in a small group of students so you get really good teaching during your Homebase Modules. Similarly when you come to pick your project title there are about 18 titles and only 6 of you to choose between them so you have a good chance of getting your first choice. The projects they run are great and you get loads of support from your supervisors so I really would recommend choosing Derby as you can do a project in pretty much any subject you want. One piece of advice though, if you do pick Derby as one of your choices you will need to put this as your first choice as it is generally oversubscribed due to the small number of places. So all in all if you pick Derby you wont regret it!

Miles Harrison

COMMUNITY HEALTH SCIENCES Behavioural sciences (psychiatry)

If you like tea, cakes, 8800 word dissertations and no exams Psychiatry is for you. Its a small and intimate homebase: last
year there were only 19 of us and so we all got to know each other pretty well. We were looked after by the homebase coordinators and supervisors massively. The Psych lot are just a pretty friendly bunch! You will be presented with information about each of the projects, and you then rank your top 10 and the coordinators will try to make sure everyone is happy. One word of advice- it really doesnt matter which project you get, what matters is your supervisor and the support you get (which in Psych is at a pretty high standard). Projects range from child psychology (e.g. working in primary schools) to investigating elderly patients suffering from dementia, and you can even do a project at the high security hospital Rampton. All projects involve data collection to a degree, whether that be quantitative or qualitative, or both. There will be two sets of coursework (no exams!). After 4 lectures on depression, schizophrenia, social cognition and ADHD, you choose one topic to write a 3000 word essay. The second piece of coursework is the infamous Patient Information Leaflet (with a 1000 word commentary) which demonstrates an understanding of patient education and adherence. You wont regret choosing Psych, and on top of this there are plenty of opportunities for publications. If you have any questions, please get in touch.. Epidemiology and public health

Sian Pearson

This is a brilliant homebase for learning academic skills and getting the chance to be published. I chose it because I didnt
want to be in a lab and because the subject really does touch every area of medicine. Students divide suggested projects between them- but if youd like to write on something else, most supervisors are willing to discuss this. Examples of projects are systematic review/ meta-analysis, lit. review, case-control, data analysis, and audit. There are 2 taught courses, Methods in Public Health and Epidemiology (ERP) and Critical Thinking Skills in Epidemiology and Public Health (CTS), which are coursework based, so no horrible exams! Each has 2 weeks of lectures/ seminars. Coursework for ERP is 4 questions, 2000 words in total, focusing on stats questions. Im awful at maths and found it pretty easy because they teach you exactly what you need. For CTS, during the teaching period, you read a few research articles and answer questions about them in seminars. The assessment involves group presentation where you analyse a research paper and compare it to papers which your teammates have looked at. Our presentations were relaxed, with coffee and cakes!

Lucy Fulford- Smith

Hopefully you have found this information useful. However, choosing a homebase is only the first step! Once you have found out where you are based, have a read through this compilation of things we learnt about dissertations, from beginning to end.... Generally most homebases offer a variety of projects so dont be disheartened if you dont end up in your first or second choice of homebase Once you have your homebase, choose your dissertation partly depending on the supervisor who presents it and how keen they seem about the project- not necessarily the project itself Before choosing a project, do some research on what is already known about the subject- if its really rare, lit searches will be a nightmare Get started early- you will really appreciate it If you are doing a clinical project, attend any clinics you can to get experience and exposure As much as enjoying the last proper summer we have is tempting, do try and at least get an idea of what your project is about. It may be a good idea to read a couple of review articles before coming to uni in September! Write up as you go along. Write up your supervisor meetings straight away- or, with their permission, take in a hand held recorder Be friendly to your supervisor! Make notes on articles/ books you read so you dont have to go back and read the whole thing come viva time Ask if you can have access to a similar style of dissertation written by a past student When choosing optional modules everyone says do at least one that is related to your homebase. But if theres a module you really want to do, just pick it. You can download SPSS free from the university but you have to be connected to the university wireless so it involves taking your laptop into the library (or downloading SPSS onto a USB stick). Call the IT helpline for how to download it- it is really simple but I cant quite remember how! Just bear in mind it can take HOURS to download so take some work to entertain yourself while youre in the library. Also download SPSS sooner rather than later so you can input results straight into it and get used to how it works early on in your project. Work out how to use EndNote at the beginning (pay attention to the lecture/ NLE presentation!). Write all your references in full in EndNote from the beginning as it saves you so so much time later. It is also actually very straightforward and rather useful! Big word limits can scare you a lot at first but dont let that put you off. It is the quality of the writing that matters. Make sure you hand in a final draft (that you are happy with) to your supervisor at least a week before the submission deadline, so you dont have to scrabble around at the last minute making final changes. Spell your supervisors name right in your project... Be aware that formatting the dissertation, including making a contents page, takes a lot longer than you originally anticipate. Make sure your formatting has gone well before you print off all 3 copies. On that note... leave a whole day for printing off (seriously. Something WILL go wrong). Find out who your viva examiner is and what speciality they are in, and make sure you know a lot about it I guess the most important thing is that it doesnt really matter which homebase youre in, or what your project isits what you and your supervisor make of it thats the main thing. And ENJOY yourself- its an incredible opportunity and you will get out of it what you put in. Good luck

Love from...

(Any questions, email me (Louise, your Welfare Rep) at mzydlw and I will try and find out the answer, or put you in contact with someone who knows!)