Advantages of NIH OxCam program

[Patrick Tivnan]

Hi I know some people have addresses this at various points in this
forum, but as a more general question to any individuals in the NIH
OxCam program, I want to know what drew you to this program. I'm
considering applying for an MD/PhD NIH OxCam program and I'm also
curious as to how this program enhances your ability to do research
over a standard MD/PhD program. Are there certain labs at Oxford/
Cambridge that are doing the cutting edge research that you are most
interested in and that you can't get back in the States? While this
program is very attractive to me, I'm trying to find ways of
justifying the headache that likely occurs from doing this training at
three institutions instead of one. Thanks!

[Lisa Bond]

Hey Patrick!

I can't speak to the MD/PhD side of things, because I am just doing a
PhD, but I can tell you a bit about what made me excited about the
program and doing research in both places...

First of all, I haven't found switching between Cambridge and the NIH
to be a problem at all! Everyone organizes it differently, but I've
just finished two years at Cambridge and now I'm starting two years at
the NIH - it is taking me awhile to get settled here, but it is really
exciting to be able to tackle the same questions I've been working on
in the UK with the different resources/expertise that my lab at the
NIH has to offer. Sometimes the administrative details are a bit of a
challenge (the UK colleges are quite conventional and have specific
requirements; NIH is full of paperwork), but I think this is true of
paperwork, etc. in pretty much any program. In addition, I find
balancing research between two different institutions to be easier
overall than balancing classes and research, which you won't have to
do at all in this program, as there are no formal course
requirements...

So why am I in the program in the first place? I worked as a summer
intern one summer at the NIH and realized I love working here and when
I found out about the opportunity to pursue some of my PhD research
here in combination with one of the best universities in the world, I
was totally sold. And, yes, Cambridge (and I'm sure Oxford as well
haha) is actually that amazing - the intellectual environment is
incredible. People who work right next to me at Cambridge won Nobel
Prizes both years that I was there... In your free time as a student
there, you can go read Newton's original works or see Darwin's samples
- some of the most amazing people in the world have worked at these
universities and it really shows. In addition to the intellectual
experience, the chance to live and work abroad is absolutely
incredible. You can learn about a totally different way of life...
and life at Oxford/Cambridge is not like reality. Your biggest
concern (I'm not even kidding) will be which tux to wear to the black
tie balls in July or whether you'll have the appropriate Harry Potter-
like gown to dine in the fanciest dining halls... You can travel
around Europe on the weekends/on breaks and have the time of your
life.

I love being in this program and if you have any more specific
questions, feel free to email me (bo...@mail.nih.gov).

Good luck!
Lisa