Senior Scientist Review
at Charles River
Degree Apprenticeship
Science
Saffron Walden
Review Submitted: May 2023
Overall Rating
5 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
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Overview of Role
5/5
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Skills Development
5/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
5/5
My role is split been office and lab work. I develop and run assays in the lab as part of the projects that I am assigned and collect and analyze the data from these assays. I communicate and present my data to the clients and we then work together to discuss the data and any next steps, I also help train younger members of staff in the assays that I am well versed in.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
The programme has been very enjoyable. I have been able to learn more about various areas of drug discovery, many of which have then come up in the workplace. it is always very enjoyable to apply something that I have learnt in my degree and apply it in a proper work setting.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
I have learnt a variety of new skills and assays such as developing plate-based assay for screening , though most of my new skills have been in the realm of molecular biology. Most of my assays involve RNA work and looking at RNA or transcription expression, so i have learnt and helped assays for this purpose. I have laos learnt communication and presentation skills when talking to project leaders and clients.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
5/5
The programme is well divided into various modules and each one is well laid out into study weeks which are easy to follow and can be worked through at a good pace. The organization of coursework and journal clubs has also been very good and allows me to work through them without any stress.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
My employer is very supportive as they are accustomed to having apprentices. They always allow time for my study days and take that into consideration during project planning. They also provide mentoring schemes which are useful if I want to learn more about a certain area and myline manager is always available should I be facing any issues.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
My training provider has been very helpful and I have been able to send over many queries and have received useful answers with regards to course content and coursework. The inclusion of journal clubs has also been very useful for the sake of revision and applying our learnings to a different setting.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
There have been many occasions now there something that I have been studying or learning as part of my course has then become a topic of conversation in the workplace, and so i can then talk confidently abotut that topic whereas I may not necessarily have learnt about it otherwise. Also the skills learned from reprot writing and presenting have all come in handy.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
There are many networking events held such as journal club groups. We also have a very active social group in the biology department so there is always something to get involved with. Charles River on the whole is also a very social company with many friendly employees so there is always something to get involved in.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Charles River to a friend?
Yes
Why?
The project elders and line managers are very friendly, there are many departments and projects spanning a wide area of drug discovery so you are guaranteed to find something you are interested in and the staff are very friendly and social make it a very pleasant day to day experience.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Charles River?
Don't feel that you have to stay seated in one department of project and that you cannot experience other areas of the company, Make good use of the wide range of science being applied and use that as n opportunity to learn and grow. Ask people what projects they are on and take an interest and you will get the most out of your time here.
