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Student testimonial - Maximilian Liedtke
With the help of the course director, Maximilian Liedtke overcame the challenges of a late start to the MSc Drug Design degree to shatter boundaries and eventually become a Dean's Prize winner.
1 October 2014
My experience on the MSc Drug Design was amazing.
I was unable to attend the first few weeks due to complications with my undergraduate degree. However, through great support from our course director, Edith Chan, I caught up and got up to speed.
Although the course was fairly small (c. 14 students), the atmosphere was lively and welcoming. The diversity of cultures and scientific backgrounds of the participants, such as biochemistry, molecular biology, pharmaceutical sciences and so forth, made the courses and lectures dynamic and interactive. Everyone had different knowledge to contribute.
The course was well set up. The first two modules covered basic biomolecular knowledge to get all students to the same level. That formed a foundation upon which the remaining six modules could build.
Modules were usually set up with a range of different lectures accompanied by a practical or workshops that allowed us to reflect and use the knowledge gained. Furthermore, a wide scale of different tools and programs were taught making us experts within drug design.
Due to each lecture being held by a different professor as well as guest speakers from big companies such as GSK and Astrazeneca, renowned for their field of expertise, the course was kept upbeat and interesting. This also gave us the chance to gain insight into the diverse fields awaiting us after our master’s.
The most impressive element was the support. From day one until the end, we could approach lecturers and course directors at any time and were supported, whether course related or not.
We were always guided and kept on the right track. Roughly halfway through the year we had individual progress reviews, where we could also provide feedback on the course.
I remember being told to increase my potential by adding extra effort as I was always slightly away from achieving best marks. That compelled me to find an extra 10% to break my boundaries.
I will never forget how surprised and astounded I was having learnt such vast amount of knowledge on drug design in such a short period. After handing in my dissertation, I was sure that I was ready for any challenge ahead.
I am well prepared for a future in drug design and would recommend this course to anyone looking to learn more or advance in this field.
Maximilian Liedtke, MSc Drug Design.
Winner, Dean's Research Prize, 2014.
