EBHC DPhil and MSc students held their first (and hopefully annual) Research Week at Rewley House, Oxford this March, organised by current DPhil student Melanie Golob. The event brought together students across the EBHC programmes, with the goal of making meaningful progress on their research or writing.
The week kicked off with a Sunday pub night at the Turf Tavern to get everyone in the right headspace before knuckling down to write down goals the next morning. Throughout the week, there were designated rooms where students could drop in and chat with fellow students about their research, or just work quietly. A nearby room was made available for drop-in office hours with a rotating cadre of supervisors and staff (including ethics and library help), so that as students developed their ideas or had questions, they could get immediate feedback without having to schedule a formal meeting, or exchange multiple emails across different time zones. Prizes were also drawn for three lucky winners who had written down their goals.
There were opportunities throughout the week to socialise and experience all the activities Oxford has to offer, including a drinks reception with other DPhils from the Department of Primary Care Health Sciences. DPhil student Ken Milne even hosted an episode of his recurring podcast Skeptics Guide to Emergency Medicine in a pub towards the end of the week, talking with current DPhil students about their research, and journey to studying at Oxford.
Though there were a few minor hiccups and lessons learned during Research Week (e.g. room scheduling, overall time commitment), we hope to do it all again next year!
Find out more about studying on the Evidence-Based Health Care Master’s and DPhil programmes, and watch videos of our students talking about their experiences, on our Study with us page.