Learn about Abeeha and Saffa’s experiences on their In2STEM placements at the Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine at the University of Manchester! Many thanks to Dr Daimark Bennett and Sanjai Patel for hosting.
Abeeha applied for In2STEM to find out more about academia and explore her options with in-person experience. Her favourite part was getting to dissect a fruit fly and learning about genetic diseases. Saffa was struggling to find in-person work experience, so found it useful to learn more about working in a lab setting.
Why did you apply for In2STEM?
Abeeha: My generation of my family is the first one to actually go to university – none of my parents or aunties or uncles got higher education, they didn’t have that opportunity. I wanted to explore what other options were out there – my school advertised In2STEM and it seemed like a good opportunity to get to know things in-person. It also seemed like a really good opportunity to meet like-minded people with similar interests to me.
Saffa: One of my principal science teachers sent a link about In2STEM; from there I applied and got a place. I have found it hard to find in-person work experience.
What sort of things did you do during your placement?
Abeeha: We looked at fruit flies under microscopes, how to distinguish between a male and a female and their characteristics, and then why they are important and how they have helped in research. Then we learnt about genetics and rare diseases and diagnosing them. We did a fly dissection as well, that was interesting. I think just using equipment like microscopes and getting to see the imaging room facilities and the things they have in there which was really cool.
Saffa: It’s been really interesting, especially because they use drosophila which is the fruit fly, I never knew it was going to be that interesting and important to genes. I feel like both the hosts have done a really good job of showing us around and teaching us about how these fruit flies are important to genes and gene discovery.
Did you find the programme useful?
Abeeha: Honestly, it’s helped me with my communication and confidence. In2STEM has made me sure that I do want to move on to university, it’s something I definitely want to do. It has just shown me how many options and different paths there are that I could go on to.
Saffa: I think it actually really was important because I’ve not been exposed to a research or lab setting – I didn’t really get an opportunity to before. This was really helpful for helping me understand because I’m still deciding what I want to do as a career and I think it’s important to get a vast variety of opportunities to look at different areas of research and this was one of them. It taught me skills that I will be able to develop further and it might open me up to doing something in genetics. I just want to say thank you, it was a really interesting opportunity and it was really helpful because it’s hard to get any sort of experience – whether that’s research opportunities or actual work experience in a hospital.
Do you have any advice for someone thinking about applying for next year?
Abeeha: I would really recommend it! It was really really useful and insightful and I really enjoyed it. This is a really good opportunity, so to make the most of it. I had to step outside my comfort zone, ask more questions and be more curious about everything.
Saffa: It’s definitely an opportunity you can’t get anywhere else. I think it was really important for me. It’s different when you see it in person. Being in a research area where there is so much to learn and there are so many interesting things that you are exposed to is really important, especially if you are going into a STEM subject. The insight, making connections with these hosts, learning about what they do, career paths and getting my own practical application of everything they were teaching me was really important and interesting. For students doing STEM subjects, I think it’s really really helpful and I would encourage them to come because it’s not an opportunity you get all the time.
Applications for our 2025 In2STEM programme are open now! Visit our page to learn more. Abeeha and Saffa’s placements were sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers – a special thanks to them for their support. If your organisation is interested in sponsoring a placement, find out more by visiting our supporters’ page.