Ajay Ajith

How my placement year brought my pharmaceutical science studies to life

Hi, I’m Ajay Ajith, and I’m studying BSc (Hons) Pharmaceutical Science at USW. When I started university, I knew that gaining industry experience would be incredibly valuable – It gives you an opportunity to apply what you learn to a real-world setting, which is great for career development.

From the start, the university supported me through the process. The careers team helped me find opportunities, improve my CV, and prepare for interviews. They were very helpful in making sure my application was perfect, and I was well-equipped for the placement.

Thanks to their help, I landed a one-year placement as a Trainee Research Scientist at Simbec-Orion, working in the Bioanalytical department. It was a brilliant experience that helped me connect everything I’d learned in class to real-world work.

During my placement, I worked on things like preparing chemicals, running samples, and helping to develop and test methods for LC-MS/MS analysis. I also used software to manage experiments and follow good practice regulations to make sure everything was done safely and correctly.

One of the best parts of the placement was learning to use the LC-MS equipment

It was tricky at first, but I enjoyed the challenge and loved getting proper hands-on experience. I even got to take part in training sessions and work on real projects, which helped me build my skills and confidence.

A moment I’ll always remember was when I successfully ran over 720 samples across 20 batches for a client project. It was a lot of work, but I felt proud knowing I’d done it well.

There were some tough moments too. Managing lots of samples and working under pressure was new to me. But I stayed organised, followed the right steps, and asked my team for help when I needed it - it taught me how important teamwork and good communication is.

The techniques I used during my placement—like Solid Phase Extraction (SPE), Liquid Liquid Extraction (LLE) and Protein Crash—were things I first came across in uni. But using them in a real lab helped me understand them so much better.

By the end of the year, I’d gained not just technical knowledge but also the kind of real-world skills that employers look for, like problem-solving, teamwork, and time management. I also now have a much clearer idea of the kind of work I want to do in the future.

If any students are considering a placement, I would definitely recommend taking the leap!

If you’re thinking about doing a placement year, I’d say go for it. It’s one of the best ways to learn, grow, and prepare for life after university. It helped me build my confidence and gave me great examples of work to talk about in interviews.

Getting that real experience has made me feel ready for what’s next—and excited about where my degree can take me.