Been there, done that … some of the time LK, PhD student Mia Rinta-Jaskari University of Oulu, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine

My study path Started medical studies 2011 Part of the Pihlajaniemi’s group in 2012 Accepted to UniOGS in 2013 Doctoral training plan 9/2015 Year of from medical studies 2015-2016 LL 2018 (?)

How to combine basic studies and doctoral training? Good guidance – demand it if you don’t have it Summer time working Holidays = work Free periods during the day = work Boring obligatory lectures = work Get remote access to your computer! if you like to work at home Plan ahead, keep calender, change obligatory studies with someone Take a year off from your basic studies?

What it has given Conferences abroad Lots of new contacts Apply grants, remember UniOGS travel grants If you want to go, studies are not the restricting part (science is the only exception when you can be away) Lots of new contacts Presentation skills Group presentations -> presentations in the events of university-> international presentations Helps also in own studies giving the presentations (and less job ) Experience to find knowledge and write Practice with grant applications -> get money, get experience Also school stuff comes easier Better language skills Learning of orderliness, perseverance and handle setbacks

What I’m gonna do with this? Critical evaluation of the new studies and knowledge -> won’t blindly accept what others say, f. ex. drug companies Benefit for career and in job application? Teaching, hospital environment Possibility to continue research Possibility to leave abroads afterwards to do Post doc – Getting clinical doctoral license may be harder Lots of interesting and more specific knowledge about things and interest to find out how things work -> deeper understanding for clinical work

Altogether It gives more than takes: experience, new people, moments of success, knowledge, trips to abroad… It is still easier now than later Remember to have a life also outside the school and research 

Thank YOU!