guide 2016 - Virtual Open Day - London School of Hygiene

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6
PRACTICAL ADVICE AND SPECIAL FEATURES TO SINK YOUR TEETH INTO
Student
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14
Passionate about the School? Share your experiences and encourage
future students to join us by becoming one of our student ambassadors.
6
20
Role includes: connecting with prospective students; assisting at Open Day; and
contributing to our website, publications and social media.
Find out more and apply: www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/ambassadors
Looking for a job?
Join the Alumni Telephone Campaign!
What will you gain?
•
•
•
•
Great pay
Highly sought-after skills for your CV
Fun, relaxed and rewarding working hours
Opportunity to talk to alumni about their
career achievements and experiences
10
4 Offer received!
What happens next?
You’ve done the hard part by earning your
offer. Now let us help you through the next
steps ahead of your studies.
6
Preparing to live in London
Where is popular to live and what
considerations should you take during
your search?
8
Applying for a student visa
Use our top tips to guide you through what
can be a stressful process.
10 Keppel Street at 90
Discover the history and quirks of our
beautiful building in its anniversary year.
Interested? Email [email protected] or phone 0207 229 4772
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12 Read all about it
Find out what recent research from the
School has made headline news.
14Across the pond and back: my
year at the School
Former student Brittany looks back at a lifechanging year at the School.
19 Student Representative Council
What it is, what it does, and how you can
get involved!
20A (very brief) London
travel guide
Advice from our students on all the best
places to visit in the city.
Got any que
stions? Sign
up now for
chats them
our upcomin
ed around a
g online
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missions, a
visas & imm
ccommoda
igration and
ti
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life in Londo
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www.l
shtm.ac.uk
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3
Key dates
International Stude
nts Welcome
22 & 23 September
Term 1
26 September – 16
Offer received!
What happens next?
Gaining your offer from the School
is a tremendous achievement, so
congratulations to you! Now you’ll want to
make sure you are fully prepared for the
start of your course, so you can use this
guide to keep track of everything.
Do I need to send original
documents?
We do require original evidence of your qualifications; this
should be either your original certificate or original final
transcript. If your certificate or transcript are not in English,
you must also provide original certified translations. We are
unable to accept certified copies.
When do you need these
documents by?
need
What do I r?
to registe ce on Monday 26
pla
ng
n will take
need to bri
Registratio
l
il
w
u
o
Y
.
r 2016
er to
Septembe
h you in ord
it
w
s
m
e
it
g
the followin
gistration:
re
tion as
complete
documenta
g
in
d
n
ta
ts
Any ou
Admission
ur Offer of
o
y
in
d
te
ation
sta
ted Registr
le
p
m
o
c
d
an
nearer to
A signed
will receive
u
o
y
h
ic
h
Form (w
check
the time)
e need to
w
s
a
)
(s
rt
sspo
birth and
Your Pa
e, date of
m
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n
l
a
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le
your full
tatus
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im
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ty
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ave
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to
4
We advise you send your documents to Registry as soon
as possible after receiving your offer to ensure a smooth
registration process. You will not be able to enrol on your
course until the requested documents have been received.
Students applying for a Tier 4 Student visa will need to submit
original documents well in advance of their course start date
to ensure sufficient time is available to complete the visa
process. Students requiring a CAS for their visa should send
their financial evidence with the CAS request form.
When will my documents be
returned?
Students requiring a Tier 4 Student visa will have their
documents returned by courier as quickly as possible. For
other students, documents will be kept safely by Registry and
returned at registration unless otherwise requested.
When will I receive my
unconditional offer?
When you have met all the conditions set out in your offer
letter, such as English language test results or evidence
of funding, your offer will be updated to ‘unconditional’
confirming your place at the School. Students applying for a
Tier 4 Student visa will need to hold an unconditional offer
before we can issue a CAS.
Can I defer my offer?
If your circumstances change and you are unable to take up
your offer, you can request to defer for up to one academic
year only. You will need to email [email protected]
confirming your wish to defer and your reason why.
Can I start my course if I have
not achieved the required English
language test score?
No, unfortunately you will not be permitted to register
unless you have provided original evidence that you have
received the School’s required English language test score by
2 September 2016.
How do I pay my course fees?
Fees must be paid in full before you can register for your
course. Information about paying fees can be found on our
Student Payments page.
Where do I find my reading list
and timetable?
Reading lists and Term 1 timetables will be uploaded to the
New Students pages when available. Generally, you will
not need to do much reading in advance, but your course
directors will recommend any key texts you should read.
Students won’t be required to buy many books as you’ll have
access to everything in our Library and online, but you may
wish to purchase a few key texts if suggested by your course
director.
December
• Registration: 26 Se
ptember
• Orientation week:
26 - 30 September
• Teaching begins:
2 October
• Reading week: 7
- 11 November
Winter break
17 December – 8 Ja
nuary
Term 2
9 January – 24 Mar
ch
• Reading week – 13
- 17 February Spring break
25 March – 23 April
Term 3
24 April – 22 Septem
ber
• May bank holiday
s: 1 May & 29 May
• End of teaching: en
d of May
• Exams: early June
• Summer project:
June-September
• Summer project de
adline: mid-Septem
ber
• End of studies: 22
September
What happens during the first week
at the School?
The first week of the programme includes the School’s
main Registration Day on 26 September and a compulsory
Orientation Programme for all students to introduce them to
the School and their degree programme. Course lectures and
classes will begin the following week.
For more frequently asked questions, visit
F
our New Students pages and for registration
information visit our Enrolment pages.
5
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59
N4
N7
N8
52
How do I find a place to live?
Our Accommodation Helpdesk will be open from the day before
the International Students Welcome, continuing into the first
week of term. It’s a drop-in service staffed by former students,
who will be available to help you with any accommodationrelated questions such as how to look for accommodation; the
different areas of London; and London transport.
51
This map shows the number of students
living in the most popular postcode areas
in central London for 2015/16 students
37
N1
NW1
NW3
NW5
NW6
23
103
E5, E8
14
WC1
E3
Many students choose private accommodation as this is
widely available. Prices vary depending on the area, and the
size of the room. As a basic guide, the further out you live,
the cheaper. Most rented accommodation in London is fully
furnished. As a rule, we recommend you view any private
accommodation in person before signing a contract, to
make it is everything promised in the advert and that you
like the area.
The other option is halls of residence, which can be divided
into three groups:
•
Private halls of residence can be found across
London, including near the School. The high quality of
accommodation is reflected in the prices – more like a
hotel-living!
•
There are a handful of non-profit halls of residence,
such as those run by religious organisations which offer
really good value. They accommodate students of all faiths
(or no faith).
•
University of London intercollegiate halls may be worth
trying once the waiting list opens in September – many of
them are located near the School.
Where do our
students live?
48
SW1
52
SE1
24
SE5
Where do I live?
We’ve produced an area guide which should give you some
pointers. It will be useful for you to become familiar with the
London Underground (the Tube). The closest stations to the
School are Russell Square, Euston Square, Warren Street,
Goodge Street and Tottenham Court Road.
What do I need to bring with me?
Make sure you have access to cash as opening a bank
account can take a few weeks. Other useful things:
•
Reference from previous landlord
•
Bank statements to show landlord you have funds
•
A copy of your passport (and visa)
Don’t forget to refer to our Accommodation pages
F
to help you with your search.
WC1: Bloomsbury, Holborn, Russell Square (the School is in WC1)
SW1: Westminster, Victoria
N4, N7, N8: Holloway, Finsbury Park
N1: Highbury, Islington, Shoreditch
NW3, NW5, NW6: Kilburn, Hampstead, Kentish Town
SE5: Camberwell
SE1: Waterloo, London Bridge, Elephant & Castle
E5, E8: Dalston, Hackney, London Fields
NW1: King’s Cross, Camden, Regent’s Park
E3: Mile End, Bow
Other popular areas further away: SE2 - Abbey Wood (17); N3 - Finchley (13); HA8 - Edgware (10)
But London is so expensive…
Yes - London is an expensive city, however with some
pre-planning it can be possible to live on a budget.
Start-up costs
Ensure you have access to cash, as it can take a few weeks to open a bank
account. You may need to pay a month’s rent and a month’s deposit up front.
If you’re eating on-the-go while looking for a place to live, expect to pay £2 for
a coffee and £4 for a sandwich. It’s a good idea to get a weekly Oyster card
as soon as you arrive; expect to pay up to £60 for Zones 1–6.
Healthcare
UK healthcare is free to most students. Medicines on prescription cost £8.40.
Next steps
London transport
Students get 30% off London transport, once you’ve registered for your
course. As a rule, it is cheaper to live further out (Zone 2 and beyond),
as rents are lower, even if transport costs a bit more to the outer zones.
A 30-minute door-to-door commute in London is very much the norm!
The Tube gets busy, but travel early and you will beat the rush-hour.
Buses are cheaper than the Tube but journeys can take way longer due
to traffic – you have been warned!
Other ways to save
Start to familiar
ise yourself with
the
Tube map and
travel zones, an
d
different parts o
f London. Chec
k
out the accomm
odation options
and keep an ey
e on the Faceb
ook
group for any ac
commodation n
ews.
You will also be able to get to an NUS extra card, entitling you to discounts
for a variety of shops, restaurants and activities.
6
7
International Students
Welcome
:
a
is
v
t
n
e
d
u
t
s
a
r
o
Applying f
Top 5 tips
Applying for a student visa can feel like the most stressful part of planning to study
abroad. While the process can be seen as tiresome, it’s important you pay close
attention to your specific immigration requirements and follow procedure diligently;
otherwise you might have trouble entering the UK in time to start your degree with us.
Let our top 5 tips visa application tips help break down the process:
1 Do you need a visa?
Each country has different visa requirements, and depending
on your country of origin you might need a visa to enter the
UK. So while EU students do not require a visa to study in the
UK, most non-EU students will have to apply for one. This is
why we’ve developed a useful tool to help you see whether
you need a visa: www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/visacheck
2 What type of visa do you need?
There are different types of visa for studying in the UK.
These vary according to the type and length of your course,
most MSc students will need a Tier 4 (General) student
visa. For research degree students, the type of visa needed
will depend on the length of time spent in the UK and the
Registry will provide you with further guidance.
3 Apply early
It can take some time for your visa application to be processed,
so it is important that you apply early. If your visa isn’t ready in
time, you simply won’t be able to enter the UK in time to start
your course. Double-checking you have the right documents
and planning early will give you more time to get ready and
make the whole process infinitely less stressful.
ation
m
r
o
f
n
i
y
Ke
ow open
ations n
CAS applic
Contacts:
s and
application
a
is
v
n
o
s
querie
Team
•General
Enquiries
a
is
V
e
th
il
ific visa
CAS: ema
n any spec
o
e
ic
v
d
a
l
tia
e
•Confiden
dent Advic
tu
S
il
a
m
e
queries:
8
4 Check what documents you need
All visa applications require you to provide additional
documents, which will vary according to the type of study visa
you’re applying for.
•A valid passport (must be the same passport you used
when applying to the School)
•Original evidence of qualification(s)
•Visa application fee
•Two recent passport photographs
Thursday 22 & Friday 23 September
New to London? Want to meet fellow students a few days before the start of the year? Need to find
out about healthcare, banking and getting around London? If the answer to any of these is yes, then
join us for our annual welcome event! Although it is aimed at non-UK students, there will be plenty
of useful sessions for all new students, and it will be a great opportunity to get to know people.
Find out more and register: www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/student-welcome
•Photocopies (for the visa application centre) of all
documents used for your visa application.
www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/newstudents/
internationalstudents/immigration
Financial evidence - You will also need to show that you
can pay for your course fees and living costs. We strongly
recommend our tool to check whether your financial evidence
meets the requirements for a visa application before sending
it to the Registry: www.lshtm.ac.uk/study/visafinancecheck
5 Knowledge of English
If English language is a condition of your offer, you should
arrange to take an English test. The test centres can get very
busy during the summer so you should book as quickly as
possible. If you are unsure of which tests are accepted by the
School, please check our English Requirements.
Student Advice & Counselling Service
We offer impartial and confidential support to all London-based students, including:
Support
with finding
accommodation
UK immigration
Key information
and visa advice
CAS applications now open
Contacts:
•
General queries on visa applications and CAS: email the Visa Enquiries Team
•
Confidential advice on any specific visa queries: email Student Advice
Disability and
dyslexia
support
One-to-one
counselling
If you have any questions or would like to discuss anything with us, please contact
[email protected] or [email protected]
Keppel Street
at 90
A celebration and exploration of our main building
W
hat do Queen Elizabeth II, naturalist Sir David
Attenborough and the School’s Keppel Street
building have in common? The answer is that they
are all celebrating their 90th birthday this year. In the case of
the School, July 7th 1926 was the day that Minister of Health
– and future Prime Minister – Neville Chamberlain laid the
foundation stone of our iconic main building.
The School had been founded 27 years earlier in 1899,
as the London School of Tropical Medicine, by Sir Patrick
Manson. Manson was a physician who had worked in the
Far East, where he encountered tropical diseases and was
frustrated by his lack of knowledge. This being a time when
Britain was at the height of its empire, Manson believed that
doctors should be trained in tropical medicine, since many
men sent to the colonies were dying of tropical diseases they
knew little about. The original School was established as part
of the Seaman’s Hospital Society in the hospital ships docked
in Greenwich, where tropical diseases could be studied in
their acute stages.
After a brief period in the early 1920s based at Endsleigh
Gardens, just up the road from our present site, the School
moved to Keppel Street thanks to a $2m gift from the
Rockefeller Foundation to develop a London-based institution
that would be world-leading in the promotion of public health
and tropical medicine. The enlarged School, now named the
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, was granted
its Royal Charter in 1924.
10
When you arrive in September, take a moment to enjoy
the art deco features that make the front of building so
distinctive. Above the entrance, there is a carving of Greek
gods Apollo and Artemis riding a chariot. This image, now
used as the School’s logo, was taken from a Sicilian coin
struck in 466 BC to commemorate the end of a great
pestilence. Artemis, the goddess of hunting and chastity, and
comforter of women in childbirth, is driving while her brother
Apollo, the god prophecy, music and medicine, fires arrows
symbolising healing rays of sunlight. The date palm was
added to indicate the tropical associations of the School.
The first floor balconies are decorated with gilded vectors of
disease. These include the Tsetse fly, which transmits sleeping
sickness; the tick, which carries diseases such as Lyme
disease; and two species of mosquito: Aedes aegypti, which
transmits yellow fever and dengue fever, and Anopheles, the
vector of malaria.
At the top, a frieze surrounds the building displaying the
names of 23 pioneers of public health and tropical medicine.
As well as Manson, the names include Jenner, who developed
smallpox inoculation; Lister, who introduced antiseptic as a
technique in surgery; and Ross, who discovered the mosquito
transmission of malaria. The School holds a large collection
of Ross’s archives, including the wooden box he used to
demonstrate his discovery (don’t worry – we use more
modern versions in our insectaries!), a letter in which he
recorded his findings and his Nobel prize.
You will notice that no women appear on the frieze;
apparently it was deemed that Florence Nightingale’s name
was too long, even though Pettenkofer, who features on the
Malet Street side, has exactly the same number of letters in
his name. As part of a recent exhibition celebrating women
in science held at the School, staff and students were asked
to suggest the names of great women who could adorn the
building. In the reception, a reimagined model of the School
displays the top choices, including historic names such as
Nightingale and Marie Curie, alongside present figures such
as WHO Director-General Margaret Chan and the School’s
Deputy Director Dame Anne Mills.
“The vaults under Gower and Malet
Streets house our insectaries,
including the world’s longestestablished mosquito colonies.”
Inside the School, the eclectic mix of architectural styles
is striking. The art deco staircases and parquet corridors
surround two modern structures in the North and South
Courtyards. These were opened in 2004 and 2009
respectively, and constructed to increase research and
teaching space as the School has grown in the scope and
reach of its work, and numbers of it students. The base of
each courtyard has social space where you can relax or work
together in groups. The North Courtyard building recalls the
School’s maritime origins by resembling the hull of a ship,
looking back at our rich history while continuing into the
future of cutting-edge research.
The Keppel Street building houses two of our academic
faculties: Epidemiology and Population Health, and Infectious
and Tropical Diseases. The third faculty, Public Health and
Policy, is located in our Tavistock Place building, opened
in 2010 a few minutes’ walk away. Most of your teaching
will take place in the lecture theatres, classrooms and
laboratories of these buildings, though occasionally we use
classrooms at other nearby institutions of the University of
London.
One room at Keppel Street you will definitely visit is
the John Snow lecture theatre. Snow was the ‘father of
modern epidemiology’, earning this moniker through his
identification of cholera as a water-borne disease by tracing
an outbreak in the Soho area of London to a local water
pump. Snow removed the pump’s handle to prevent others
from contracting cholera from its waters, and a replica pump
now sits outside the theatre. You can raise a glass to Snow’s
legend at the John Snow pub at the original site in Soho, or in
our own ‘Pumphandle Bar’ in the students’ common room.
Another highlight is our beautiful Library, which was given
pride of place at the front of the building. The main reading
room remains virtually unchanged from when it was first built,
the main difference being that chandeliers no longer hang
from the ceilings. Light pours in through the large windows
and you’ll be able to see leaves rustling in the trees of the
gardens across the road, making the Library a very serene
place to study. You will also be under the watchful gaze of
Sir Richard Doll, whose bust sits just instance the entrance.
Along with Sir Austin Bradford Hill, Doll discovered the link
between smoking and lung cancer at the School in 1951.
In the upper reaches of the building, you will find the
School’s state-of-the-art teaching and research laboratories,
while the vaults under Gower and Malet Streets house
our insectaries, including the world’s longest-established
mosquito colonies.
There is no denying that Keppel Street is a complicated
building, and in the early weeks – maybe even months – of
your time at the School you will find yourself getting lost in
the labyrinth of corridors or taking the wrong lift. However, it
is a fascinating building, so use those times as an opportunity
to explore the design features, artworks and references to
great names too many to mention here; to reflect on 90
years of rich history in epidemiology, public health and tropical
medicine within a single building; and to consider how your
studies here can contribute to the future of improving
health worldwide.
Arriving e
arly?
Come and
learn more
about the
history of
our Keppe
l
S
treet build
and take a
ing
tour as pa
rt of
Open Hou
se London
on
17 & 18
Septemb
er
11
Read all about it
Free Online Course
Recent research from the School that has made headline news around the world
Type of school affects girls’ chances of being
diagnosed with an eating disorder (April 2016)
Vaccinating children: the cost-effective way to
tackle flu (October 2015)
Girls attending schools with higher proportions of female
students, and high proportions of university-educated parents,
are more likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder,
according to a research collaboration between UK and
Swedish universities, including Professor Bianca DeStavola.
Eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa,
binge eating disorder, and others which are not as easily
classified, affect 5.7% of adolescent girls.
Extending flu vaccination to children may be a cost-effective
way to reduce the burden of the disease in the general
population. The study, carried by the School in collaboration
with Public Health England, led to the UK government
changing its vaccine policy to extend flu vaccination to
children.
Mental health in gay and bisexual men (April 2016)
A study conducted by the School and led by Dr Ford Hickson
revealed that young gay and bisexual men are six times more
likely to attempt suicide or self-harm than older counterparts.
The study was the first to examine the mental health
differences within gay and bisexual men in the UK.
The benefits of walking and cycling
to work (March 2016)
Adults who commute to work via cycling or walking have
lower body fat percentage and body mass index measures
in mid-life compared to adults who commute via car, a study
by Dr Ellen Flint showed. The study suggests that even the
incidental physical activity on public transport can make a
difference compared to driving.
Ending preventable stillbirths (January 2016)
At the current rate of progress, it will be more than 160 years
before a pregnant woman in Africa has the same chance
of her baby being born alive as a woman in a high-income
country today. A research series led by Professor Joy Lawn
called for urgent action on the neglected global epidemic of
stillbirths.
Health of trafficking survivors (September 2015)
A study led by Dr Ligia Kiss found that more than half of
children and adolescents who have been trafficked for forced
labour and sexual exploitation in Southeast Asia screened
positive for depression, a third for an anxiety disorder and a
quarter for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Street light switch off does not increase car
crashes or crime (July 2015)
A study of reduced street lighting across England and Wales
found switching off lights at night was not associated with
increased road traffic collisions or crime. The research, led by
Dr Phil Edwards, shed light on how local authorities can safely
save energy costs and reduce carbon emissions.
The world’s most advanced malaria
vaccine (April 2015)
Professor Sir Brian Greenwood and colleagues published
results showing that the first malaria vaccine candidate
(RTS,S/AS01) to reach phase three clinical testing is partially
effective against clinical disease in young African children up
to four years after vaccination.
To keep up-to-date with all the latest stories from
F
the School, visit our News pages.
Response to the Ebola outbreak (November 2015)
Photo credit: Flickr/CDC Global
An independent panel, chaired by Professor Peter Piot, issued
a hard-hitting analysis on the global response to the Ebola
outbreak in West Africa. The panel offered 10 major reforms
to prevent such catastrophes in the future. Meanwhile, the
first interim results from an Ebola vaccine trial in Guinea,
developed by Professor John Edmunds and colleagues,
suggested the vaccine provides high protection.
12
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Preventing the Zika Virus:
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Do you want to know the science behind the Zika outbreak? Get a better understanding of the virus
origins, its effect on infected individuals and how to control it with our latest free online course.
Advertising: Zika / Centres
Register now at www.lshtm.ac.uk/zikacourse
School Centres
The School is home to 15 multidisciplinary Centres, each
facilitating cross-faculty research
in a specialised field. The Centres
also organise seminars and
events, which open up exciting
opportunities for internal and
external collaboration.
To access a network of peers with
shared interests, a central hub
of academic excellence and an
opportunity to expand your career
skills through active involvement,
read about each unique Centre and
join their mailing lists. Most Centres
are also keen to have students take
on an active role - so keep an eye
out for further announcements!
www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/schoolcentres
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Brittany Burger from the USA studied the MSc Medical Parasitology in
2014/15. Here, Brittany remembers her time at the School from the
moment she received her offer to landing a great job.
I
cried. There I was, a senior at university, sitting in class
– crying. About five minutes prior to this moment, I was
having a discussion before class with my professor about
graduate school, and how so far I’d received an acceptance
letter from a school in Copenhagen for their parasitology
program.
He asked why I didn’t seem a bit more excited, so I told him
that I hadn’t made a choice yet, because I was still waiting
to hear back from my “dream school” in London. Just before
class began, my phone buzzed, prompting me to check my
email. There it was: “Welcome to the School”. I couldn’t hold
back. I started awkwardly crying tears of joy. My decision was
instantly made, and I already knew in that moment, that that
email had changed my life.
“A lot of my time in London seemed almost
unreal. I feel as though it never really clicked
that I was actually living there and attending
graduate school, especially one as unique
as the School.”
I immediately went to work getting together everything I
needed to start my adventure abroad. First and foremost
came funding, which consisted of applying to a couple of
different places for loans. This was needed before any other
paperwork could be sent back to the School, and followed
up by confirming my acceptance to study there; after which I
received the form required to apply for my visa to study in the
UK. During this time, I had to work on looking for housing as
well, which thanks to the University of London student dorms,
went relatively smoothly. For me personally, the entire process
of paperwork spanned from April right up until September.
Admittedly, it was a fairly stressful process that put my time
management and patience to the test (as well as my ability
to make overseas phone calls). Towards the end, I also had
to deal with the fact that I would need to pack up my life for
the next year, as well as say goodbye to all my family, friends
14
and boyfriend, which was a different and difficult feeling to
deal with. By September, I was feeling a strange mixture of
anxiety, sadness and excitement. As my plane touched down
at Heathrow, life just didn’t even feel real.
Thankfully, I had one friend already in the city – Jill – to
greet me at the airport and help me adjust to what my life
was going to be like for the next year. Through the wonderful
powers of Facebook, I learned that I would have a classmate
at the School who grew up in the same little corner of
Pennsylvania as I had, and we clicked fairly quickly. For my
entire first day, Jill became my guide, and walked half of
central London with me so I could stay awake long enough to
fight jet lag. It was so overwhelming, and I was so tired, that I
can barely remember the things we saw. Luckily, I was able to
take the rest of the year to go back to that day.
A lot of my time in London seemed almost unreal. I feel as
though it never really clicked that I was actually living there
and attending graduate school, especially one as unique as
the School. The setup was incredibly different to anything I
was used to from undergrad. Our actual classes didn’t start
until the first week of October, and even then, for my MSc
Medical Parasitology it was one solid module that consisted of
classroom and laboratory learning that brought us through to
December, when we were assessed with only a practical. For
the written exam, we were not tested until early June. From
January–May we had Terms 2 and 3, where our weeks were
split in half by two modules. We were assessed at the end of
each module, plus had a written assessment of all modules
together in early June adjacent to the aforementioned exam
for Term 1’s modules.
Amidst the learning time in Term 3, we were studying for our
June exams, as well as getting our literature reviews ready for
our summer projects. The summer project kept us occupied
from after the exams right up to September, when we handed
in our thesis papers for our final grade of the school year, and
found out whether we passed or failed the degree.
The Medical Parasitology program was accelerated
compared to anything I had done in the US, and was
extremely challenging. It takes not only study skills,
commitment and time management to make it through, but a
lot of passion and drive as well. Thankfully, I was surrounded
by some amazing classmates from all over the world. We
all became very close, as we knew what we were all going
through. We had a fantastic support group and study group,
and by the end of our year had become like one big family.
This was a common theme seen across all programs at the
School. I got the chance to become close with students from
other fields of study as well through the student ambassador
scheme. Not only did it give me the opportunity to work with
fellow students at School events such as Open Day and
graduation, but also helped me meet prospective students as
well and talk to a huge variety of people.
“I made some amazing memories not just
with my fellow friends and classmates, but
out on my own as well. As a runner, I took
some early mornings to watch the sunrise
over the Thames and log some miles around
the city and in its many parks.”
I also got to go on some unique adventures during my time
in London. One of these was a scavenger hunt through
Westminster, where I got to learn my way round an area of
the city I had not gotten to see yet. To make it better, I even
got to go inside the Palace of Westminster for a tour on
another excursion. I got to take a trip to the Google offices
in central London, where myself and the group of students
I visited with shared a brief dream of wanting to work for
Google (as well as taking full advantage of the free food
throughout the building). I experienced being a “groundling”
at the Globe Theatre, while enjoying Shakespeare’s As You
Like It. I also had a day which consisted of going to the TfL
building with a group of international students and learning all
about the history of the London Underground, followed by a
tour of a decommissioned Underground station; and learned
all the uses stations like these had during the London blitz
in World War II. If I had to choose a favourite memory of my
time in London, that whole day is probably it.
I made some amazing memories not just with my fellow
friends and classmates, but out on my own as well. As a
runner, I took some early mornings to watch the sunrise over
the Thames and log some miles around the city and in its
many parks. During the summer, Hyde Park became a pretty
frequent running spot for me, and one of my favourite areas
to hit up on a sunny day. And, nothing can beat the solitude
and quietness of being one of the only people out in the city
on an early morning run. Big Ben and the London Eye just
seem to be enjoyed differently at sunrise when there aren’t
hundreds, if not thousands, of people around.
As much as the hustle and bustle of the city of London
can be enjoyed, it’s always nice to take a break from it as
well. At weekends when School work was a bit lighter, I
took advantage of European travel and got to see a couple
15
of different countries. It was both cheap and easy for me to go
to Dublin for a weekend and explore a much smaller city; and I
also got to visit a friend in Sweden and get a 24-hour tour of the
Swedish countryside.
Many people in our class travelled for their summer projects as
well. I had classmates in countries in Africa and Central & South
America, while I opted for a month in the much closer country
of Scotland. There, I collected ticks along the eastern end of the
Scottish Highlands, travelling by bus, car and hiking. Having spent
nine months in London by that point, the fresh mountain air day
after day was something I warmly welcomed. After spending three
weeks dragging through woods and fields for deer ticks, I ventured
with them back to London to test them for the bacterium that
causes Lyme disease. I worked in the lab with one of the arbovirus
experts at the School, who helped me run PCR, which is the test
used to determine the presence of Lyme in the ticks I collected.
All of this hands-on experience, and the independence to take
on my own project, is another one of the very many things that
makes the School so special.
“Many people in our class travelled for
their summer projects as well. I had
classmates in countries in Africa and
Central & South America, while I opted
for a month in the much closer country
of Scotland. There, I collected ticks
along the eastern end of the Scottish
Highlands, travelling by bus, car
and hiking.”
Even now that I’m back Stateside, I’ve gotten the chance to
be back doing lab work with parasitic diseases, but it wasn’t
immediate. A couple of months after my return, I did a short bout
of work at the local medical college. It wasn’t necessarily what I
wanted to be doing, though I was utilizing my previously earned
veterinary degree. It mostly consisted of taking care of different
types of lab animals, as well as assisting in minor surgeries and
writing documents. It was a cool experience, but after the amazing
experiences that I had just had over the prior year, I felt like I was
in a complete rut. I longed to be back in a lab again, performing
diagnostic and clinical assays and putting my newly developed
skills to use.
It came as no surprise then, that the circle came full when I
once again cried tears of joy after I was given the opportunity
through a contractor to work at Sanofi Pasteur, a multi-national
pharmaceutical company that specialises in vaccines. They’re
also known as the first company to license a commercial Dengue
vaccine. I’ve been working in their Global Clinical Immunology
labs, doing clinical testing on both their influenza and new Dengue
vaccines. To add to the excitement, I also recently took on a
position assisting in the new Zika lab, which has been completely
unreal for me, knowing I’ve only been out of school for only 9
months. The hands-on practice and unique learning experience I
had received from the School prepared me well though. The fact
that I spent the last year getting to learn about arboviruses, and
now getting to work with them in a lab is a fulfilling experience,
especially when the latter virus has been completely taking over
the media recently. I’m incredibly thankful for the time I had at
the School that helped me get here.
16
Be part of a very
dynamic group
Activities:
• Arrange guest talks from MSF VIPs
• Take part in fun runs
• Organise fundraising events
Find out more by speaking to the
2015/16 committee:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Wanted: a President, Secretary and Treasurer
Global Health
Lecture Series
Every week, leading experts
from the School present
summaries of a range of
global health issues through
a series of lectures and panel
discussions for students to
attend.
Join the discussion on these
hot topics and debates in
global health.
For all School’s events and
public lectures:
www.lshtm.ac.uk/events
Careers Service
Student Representative Council
The Careers Service is here to help
you determine what you want to do
with your career and find the perfect
job for once you graduate from the
School. The service includes:
By Adrian Paul Rabe, 2015/16 SRC President
•
One-to-one appointments with
careers consultants
•
One-to-one CV & job application
review and practice interviews
•
Careers workshops and events,
including employer fairs and
alumni talks
•
Access to a range of online
vacancy services
•
Access to events at other
University of London colleges
www.lshtm.ac.uk/careers
School Gift Shop
Clothing, mugs, stationery and accessories will be available at pop-up
sales during orientation week and online throughout the year at
http://lshtm.giftfindershop.co.uk
T
he Student Representative Council (SRC) welcomes you
to the School! The SRC is a group of five foolhardy, crazy
people who have been chosen by the student body to
represent their interests in the complex academic world of the
School.
The SRC has one President and four Vice-Presidents: Taught
Courses, Research Degrees, Communications & Activities,
Finance & Operations. All officers have a one-year term, which
starts in October of this year, and ends in September next year.
Seems like a short term, but boy! It will be an exciting one filled
with challenges, service and fun.
The process of selection starts with nominations early in
the academic year. This will be followed by our own version of
hustings, where candidates speak to the student body about who
they are and what they promise to do once elected. Voting follows
the week after, and candidates with the most votes win. Each
course will also elect their own course representatives, who will
voice their concerns to both their course directors and the SRC.
The Vice-President for Taught Courses is in charge of
everything relating to MSc students, especially those who are
based in London. With these courses lasting one year, the VP
for Taught Courses works to ensure that students maximise
that year in terms of learning, networking and enjoyment.
The Vice-President for Research Degrees represents PhD and
DrPH students. The concerns of this VP encompass teaching
and learning activities, as well as thesis supervision. The
role also includes staff issues, since some research degree
students are also employed by the School. Given the length of
PhD/DrPH studies, the VP for Research Degrees deals with the
longer-term issues that students face at the School.
Being Vice-President for Communications & Activities has a
broad remit. This VP is in charge of communicating to the rest
of the student body any School activities and announcements.
With the huge role that technology plays in communication,
this VP likewise takes charge of IT issues that the School
faces; addressing concerns about internet connection, printing,
Moodle, lecture recording and any other technology.
There are very few things in this world that work without
financing and the SRC is not one of them. The VP for Finance
& Operations takes care of the SRC’s budget, and takes part in
planning activities to ensure that they work with the resources
available. Reimbursements for SRC activities and tracking
money flows are performed by this VP.
The President oversees all activities of the SRC; convening
and chairing meetings. The President also takes care of
School-wide issues, while delegating more localised issues to
the Vice-Presidents. These broader issues include sustainability
(such as use of paper), safety, facilities and larger reforms in
teaching and learning (e.g. student evaluation). The President
sits on the Council, the highest governing and decision-making
body of the School.
Some may see the SRC position as a good line to have in
their CV, but becoming part of the SRC means making some
sacrifices for your fellow students. It also means you get to
widen your perspective about education, looking at things
from the point-of-view of administrators as well as students.
It likewise means more opportunities for making friends, and
to learn project management and resource allocation. All of
these are essential in your future career in improving health
worldwide.
In the past year, we have arranged Partay-gion, an end-ofyear party the proceeds of which have gone to the Jeroen
Ensink Memorial Fund for future students. We have fought
for greener paper to be used. We have activated e-mails
for alumni that will be important in keeping our ties to this
prestigious School. The SRC has helped students hold events
and raised awareness of issues, such as Conflicts of Interest in
Research. We have also worked tirelessly to improve teaching
and learning, even as the School already leads the world as a
giant in research and public health. We have sat in countless
meetings fighting hard for students’ welfare.
At the end of the year, we leave our SRC titles, but we come
away with an experience unlike any other.
Among you now is a future President or Vice-President of the
SRC. I challenge you to take up the mantle, and be the leader
your fellow students need you to be!
As they say in the Philippines, Mabuhay at isang malusog
at maaksyong taon sa inyong lahat! (Cheers, and a healthy,
action-packed year to all!)
2015/16 SRC: Gargie Ahmad, Melanie Almonte, Shanise
Owens, Tessa Roberts, Adrian Paul Rabe
19
The Shard
British Museum
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travel guide
Sightseeing
• The View from the Shard offers spectacular views from
the tallest building in Western Europe. The Sky Garden
at 20 Fenchurch Street (the ‘Walkie Talkie’ building) has
similar views but for free; you just have to book a couple
of weeks in advance. Early morning yoga classes are also
available at the Sky Garden.
• Before moving to Bloomsbury, the School started life on
a hospital ship in Greenwich. This picturesque area is
famous for its maritime history, which you can enjoy by
going to see the Old Royal Naval College and Cutty
Sark clipper ship. Greenwich is also known for its prime
meridian line at the Royal Observatory, found on top of
the hill in the local park.
• As an alternative day out, book a tour for Highgate
Cemetery, where philosopher Karl Marx, scientist
Michael Faraday and author Douglas Adams are some
of the notable names resting among ornate tombs and
rich nature.
Photo courtesy Charlene Degen
One of the most exciting things about studying at the School is
getting to spend a year or more living in London. We’ve asked
our current students to share their favourite places with you,
and there’s certainly no shortage of recommendations!
10 London Must-Sees
Parks & walks
If this is your first time to London, be
sure to take a look at these landmarks
famous all over the world:
• Green Park, Hyde Park, Regent’s Park and St. James’s
Park are the closest big parks the School, but the chances
are wherever you live there will be some green space
nearby with its own distinct features.
• T o the north, Hampstead Heath has impressive views
from Parliament Hill; in the east you can recreate sporting
glory at London 2012 venues in the Olympic Park; to the
south, Clapham Common hosts regular music festivals
and events; while in the west, Holland Park is home to
urban woodland and wandering peacocks.
•P
opular walks include following the Thames along the
South Bank from the London Eye to Tower Bridge;
wandering by the canals in Little Venice; and strolling
around St Katharine Docks.
Houses of Parliament
Buckingham Palace
London Eye
Tower of London
Piccadilly Circus
Covent Garden
Trafalgar Square
Tower Bridge
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Westminster Abbey
Museums & galleries
• T he British Museum is undoubtedly one of the best
museums in the country, housing art and artefacts from
across the world from the beginning of civilisation to the
present day. Make sure you take advantage of the fact that
it is – literally – just around the corner from the School. The
Natural History Museum and V&A also find themselves
on the must-visit list.
•U
nsurprisingly, science-related museums are popular
among our students, with the Wellcome Collection,
Florence Nightingale Museum and Hunterian
Museum all worth a visit (the last one maybe not if you’re
squeamish!). The Science Museum is another favourite,
especially the monthly ‘Lates’ events.
•F
or galleries, you can’t go wrong with the permanent
collections at the National Gallery, National Portrait
Gallery, Tate Modern, Tate Britain and Saatchi Gallery.
These all host temporary exhibitions as well, as do the
Royal Academy in Piccadilly and Hayward Gallery on the
South Bank.
20
“From Mile End station,
walk through the park
alongside the canal to Broadway
Market or even further towards
of Islington. This is by far my
favourite weekend activity, and I still
haven’t gotten over how relaxing
and peaceful this walk is given its
proximity to the city centre.”
Liza Coyer, Netherlands, MSc
Epidemiology
Nights out
•M
usic: From classical at the Royal Albert Hall to jazz at
Ronnie Scott’s; from hip hop at The Garage to pop and
rock at the O2 Arena – whatever your taste in music, there
will be plenty on offer, so keep an eye on online listings.
• Theatre: London’s theatre scene gives you the opportunity
to see major stars of film and television performing live on
stage. The National Theatre offers cheap spare tickets
shortly before performances; or if you are under 25 you
can sign up to the Entry Pass scheme for access to £5
tickets. The Young Vic has student tickets, while at the Old
Vic there are some £10 tickets available. In the summer
months, you can enjoy Shakespeare’s work at The Globe
for £5, if you don’t mind standing. For big West End shows,
use comparetheatretickets.com to find the best price.
• Comedy: Famous comedians often bring their tours to big
theatres, but there are lots of smaller venues to indulge in a
night of laughter including the Comedy Café in Shoreditch,
the Pleasance in Islington and the Soho Theatre in…Soho!
•O
ther ideas: Dance performances at Sadler’s Wells, daily
salsa classes at Bar Salsa, live accompanied silent films at
Wilton’s Music Hall, or a good old-fashioned pub quiz.
“Science Showoff is an intelligent,
funny and entertaining open mic night
for science lovers, and ticket sales go
to charity to boot! What more could
you ask for?”
Mark Sutherland, Canada,
MSc Public Health
Cutty Sark
21
Places to eat
Places to drink
Sophie Nash, United Kingdom,
MSc Public Health
Strolling through food markets is a popular weekend pastime
“Cahoots is an
absolute must! It is
themed like a 1940s Tube
station, where the cocktails
are served in tea cups and tin
cans with digestive biscuits as a
garnish. Sounds odd, but it’s a
great experience.”
Pubs are a London institution, providing a cosy setting to relax
and socialise in the evening and at weekends.
• The College Arms, Rising Sun and Jack Horner are the
closest pubs to the School. The John Snow in Soho is part
of a chain which sells only its own brands, usually in historic
settings and cheaper than most London pubs. Other great
ones to try are the Princess Louise (Holborn), Cittie of
Yorke (Chancery Lane), Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese (Fleet
Street) and Chandos (Trafalgar Square).
• If you’re on the hunt for international settings, Dutch
pub De Hems near Leicester Square offers a variety of
European beers, while the Maple Leaf near Covent Garden
will make Canadian students feel at home. The Australianthemed Walkabout chain is ideal for watching live sport.
• Cocktail fans will be pleased to learn that lots of bars hold
happy hours, including Dirty Martini, Be At One and Barrio,
each of which have several branches. Drink, Shop & Do
close to our Tavistock Place building is another popular
choice thanks to its craft classes and bottomless brunches.
John Snow Pub
You could eat out every night for a whole year and still
barely scratch the surface of cuisine in London, so we’ve
grouped together just a few of the most popular restaurant
suggestions, with something for every palate. Many of these
places can be found in several locations.
• Flavours of the world: try Dishoom for Indian; BiBimBap
for Korean; Adulis for Ethiopian; Wahaca for Mexican; and
Ottolenghi for Middle Eastern with a Mediterranean twist.
• In fashion: check out Franco Manca and Homeslice
for delicious pizzas; Honest Burger and Patty & Bun for
gourmet burgers; and Flat Iron for their £10 steaks. For
vegetarians and vegans, Tibits cook up vegetables in lots of
exotic ways.
• Treat yourself: splash out on an incredible steak at
Hawksmoor or dine at Bob Bob Ricard in Soho, where
every table has a “press for champagne” button. Even
some Michelin star restaurants offer reasonably-priced set
menus and lunchtime deals.
Café culture
Going for tea or coffee – with cakes or other treats – is
as popular in London as anywhere, and cafés can be a
tranquil spot to study away from the School or catch up
with friends. We’re sure you’ll find your perfect haunt, but a
few suggestions are Peyton & Byrne (Covent Garden and
Greenwich); Timberyard (Soho); Monmouth Coffee (London
Bridge and Covent Garden); Holborn Grind, FreeState
Coffee and Fleet River (all Holborn).
“Ziferblat in Shoreditch provide lots
of things for their customers: freeflow coffee, guitars, board games,
toys (fake swords and costumes).
Suitable for people looking for
inspirations or new ideas. After a
certain time the price is capped, so
it’s ideal for gathering.”
Zwesty Rimba, Indonesia, MSc Health Policy,
Planning & Financing
Christmas activities
Cahoots
22
December in London can be dark, cold and wet, but it’s still
one of the most fun months of the year thanks to the wealth
of special events put on to get you in the festive spirit.
Winter Wonderland is a huge funfair and market which
takes place in Hyde Park. Make sure not to miss the live
bands playing in the Bavarian village tent. Ice skating rinks
appear in iconic locations, including Somerset House, the
Natural History Museum and the Tower of London.
Christmas markets also pop up along the South Bank and
in Leicester Square, selling crafts and seasonal snacks.
“A subscription to
‘tastecard’ is a necessity.
For only £1, you can have
the card for 3 months and it
gives you deals in a huge number
of restaurants. You end up saving
loads of money when eating out
and restaurants included are very
varied and provide extremely
wide choices.”
Farah Asfahani, Lebanon, MSc
Nutrition for Global Health
Further afield
London’s location and transport links make day trips to other
towns and cities very easy. Canterbury, Brighton, Bath, Oxford,
Cambridge and Windsor can all be reached within a couple
of hours by train or coach. Another great place to visit is
Salisbury, which has a magnificent cathedral and frequent
buses to Stonehenge.
Reading weeks and holidays are intended for private study,
but of course you’ll also need to relax, and budget airlines such
as EasyJet and Ryanair mean weekend breaks within Europe
can be cheap to organise. If you book early enough, you can
also get decent fares on Eurostar trains to Paris and Brussels.
Keep an e
ye on
Londonis
t and Tim
e
Out Lond
on to stay
upto-date wit
h all the la
test
news, eve
nts and de
als
taking pla
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on
throughou
t the year.
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Stay in touch!
We want to make sure that you are ready to join us
this September, so contact us if you need any help.
To make it easier for you, here are some of the main
contacts you may need:
• Admissions & application queries: [email protected]
• Visa & Immigration assistance: [email protected]
• To talk to a student: virtual.lshtm.ac.uk/student-ambassadors
• All other study-related queries: [email protected]
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www.lshtm.ac.uk