Boyds is delighted to congratulate Pippa Bjaaland, Senior CRA at Boyds, on graduating with an MSc in Cancer and Clinical Oncology from Queen Mary University of London. Pippa completed the part-time 2-year course in October 2021 and recently attended her graduation ceremony to celebrate the achievement.
Pippa completed her part-time MSc in Cancer and Clinical Oncology whilst working a full-time job as a Senior CRA at Syneos Health where she worked on Phase II-IV studies, primarily in oncology. Commenting on the 2 years, Pippa said “It was challenging at times, especially when I was travelling for monitoring visits, however overall, with good time management and scheduled breaks/days off it was manageable.”
The programme at Queen Mary University offers the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the science underlying the principles and practice of oncology and how new treatments are developed, evaluated and implemented. Pippa explained what attracted her to the course, “I wanted to expand my scientific knowledge and understanding of cancer and cancer drug treatments. I work on oncology protocols every day, and this is where my interest lies.”
Due to Covid-19, exams that would usually take place in an examination hall were moved online. This meant Pippa completed her final year exams digitally, and the questions became entirely essay-based to accommodate the new exam style. Pippa commented on the adjustments, “The online exams did take some adjusting to due to the structural and stylistic differences which called for very different revision compared to traditional exams.” Despite the challenges presented by Covid, Pippa achieved a well-deserved distinction in her Cancer and Clinical Oncology MSc course.
Pippa completed a project focused on Antibody Therapies of Lymphoma for her chosen dissertation topic. “I thoroughly enjoyed my project and was able to present in person at Queen Marys in September 2021, a lovely end to my degree! The course complimented my work in the pharmaceutical industry and has given me a solid foundation for furthering my career within clinical trials,” says Pippa. Pippa recently got to celebrate her achievements with an in-person graduation ceremony among family and friends.
