Zeid Yasiry - MSc Clinical Neurology

Job title: Specialty Registrar (Neurology)
Employer: Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Trust

Why did you choose to study your programme and what made you choose UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences?

UCL is one of the most reputable universities in the UK and the world. In my specialty (neurology), it has one of the most outstanding records in clinical and basic research worldwide. I chose my programme given the clinical flavour and the opportunity to get hands-on experience sitting in special clinics, as well as the clinical attachments which was lacking in different programmes around the UK.

What did you enjoy most about your programme?

I enjoyed everything about the course; the lectures, the supervision, the research but most importantly the clinical attachment. Also, one of the important aspects of the course was critical thinking/ appraisal and the regular sessions of appraising seminal and recent papers.

Did you experience any benefits from studying in London? If so, what were they?

‘London is London’ as one of my colleagues used to say. Life and study in London provides a rich life experience that cannot be found anywhere else. This encompasses the cosmopolitan nature of the city, the vibrant lifestyle, the intercultural mix within the class, the network opportunities with brilliant supervisors and researchers bypassing the boundaries of geography. All in all, the life in London changes its dweller forever.

Did you benefit from any partnerships or relationships that your department had with other organisations?

I did two clinical attachments, in epilepsy and in movement disorders with two experts in both areas. These attachments within the framework of my MSc were valuable opportunities to develop and hone my clinical skills and put me on the right path for further training in neurology.

Do you have any tips or helpful advice for incoming students?

I would advise prospective students to enjoy their time studying neurology and neuroscience in UCL; this is an opportunity that they need to make the most of. I would urge them to make friends and network with their multinational colleagues and above all, enjoy London!

How did you get to where you are now in your career? Was there anything in particular from your time at UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences that was valuable?

During my MSc programme, I did the PLAB exam and got my primary medical qualification recognised leading GMC registration and getting my license to practice in the UK. With the excellent attachments and recommendations from my supervisors, I got an opportunity to obtain two years of training under the Medical Training Initiative sponsored by the Royal College of Physicians (London) which I finished having completed my MRCP and MRCP (Neurology). I then decided I would like to complete my training in the UK and I was delighted to succeed getting a training post in South Yorkshire.

Had I not studied in UCL or got the excellent mentorship from my supervisor and the clinical/research experience from the MSc, all of this would not have taken place.

How have you applied the learning from your degree in your job?

Yes, the foundations of critical thinking, the basic neuroscience and pathogenesis of different disease processes and the multitude of neurological maladies are the bread and butter of my practice and the foundations of all of this were laid out for me in my programme.

Is there anything else you would like to say about your time at UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences?

A memorable phase of my life and I have enjoyed every single bit of it.