hey, hello, hi!
This weeks #WISW/#WomeninSTEMWednesday is from Sam who is our first PhD woman in STEM!
Hi, I’m Samantha Fernandes (Sam), a second year Medical Engineering PhD student at the University of Manchester. My family is originally from India, but I was born and raised in Qatar. I moved to Manchester in September 2016 and I have been here since!
My PhD research is on 3D printing artificial skin for an aggressive form of skin cancer. Melanoma diagnosis’ have been rising, especially in Caucasian countries – so my research will hopefully be able to create more appropriate models for drug screening so treatments can be more efficient and less invasive!
How did you get into your PhD?
I did my bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering with internships over the summers between studying. I also did a research internship during my final year at University. During my final year, I had to submit a dissertation – I chose a Biomedical Engineering project. I ended up enjoying it so much that I decided to stay and carry on with a PhD!
What made you choose a PhD over an industrial job?
I’ve always known that I wanted a career in research rather than industrial job. Nonetheless, during summers, I did a few internships to see what industrial jobs would be like and although I learnt a lot from these internships on team building and organisational skills, I realised industrial jobs are just not my cup of tea!
What does your day-to-day PhD life look like?
Since my research is on cancer, I have to constantly learn new information and keep up to date on cancer and materials that I need to use!
So, my day mostly consists of reading lots of papers and then using the information I have learnt in labs by experimenting using different printing techniques and a combination of different materials to see how printable and stable different materials are.
How is your PhD funded?
My PhD is funded by the department of my University. It is called Exceptional Women in Engineering and is awarded to one female postgraduate student across mechanical, aerospace and civil engineering discipline.
Have you ever doubted your abilities during your PhD? And if so, how do you overcome these situations/feelings?
Yes! I constantly felt the Impostor Syndrome and felt that a lot of people were achieving more that I was. However, I think it is important to realise that success is not measured by the number of publications or how many experiments that you have done but milestones that you set for yourself and the various failures encountered (especially with hands on stuff) because that gives you new ways to look at your project! Things you do outside of your degree (volunteering, teaching etc) matters too!
While growing up, do you recall anyone that particularly motivated you to go into STEM?
My dad was always interested in science and we would watch a lot of science programmes and fix broken things together. I was always interested in Physics, Math and Biology and he always got me supplementary stuff to hone my skills – he definitely played a huge part in encouraging me to pursue STEM.
Have you ever felt your gender has influenced the opportunities you’ve been offered and/or experienced so far?
I think in some ways yes… There was a clear difference in my course with only 5% of girls in a class of 220 students. In some ways, people look down on you when you attempt to work on heavy machinery thinking you do not have experience with some things that men traditionally do. On the other hand, I think since women are the minority population, there are more scholarship opportunities and people hiring more women in STEM fields too!
What do you think needs to happen/what changes need to be made to get more girls into STEM subjects?
Exposing young girls to STEM is a major thing that needs to be done! As girls, people associate us with maturing at an early age and we are pushed towards careers that selflessly care for others rather than being encouraged to be in fields we are genuinely interested in. Correcting the negative perceptions, can lead them to pursue math and science at school instead of avoiding them.
Young girls also need to be exposed to more hands-on workshops so they can find subjects that are more interesting to them. Without understanding the opportunities available to math and science students, young women may think that they have made a mistake when facing the challenge of completing a STEM major.
Schools should also introduce mentorship programs because the value of a good mentor is irreplaceable. Finding a mentor early on can do wonders for building confidence and translating it into career satisfaction. I believe with these small changes more girls would be interested in pursuing STEM subjects.
What advice would you give to young girls who are interested in pursuing a STEM career or PhD?
I feel it’s important to follow your gut instincts and even if there isn’t anyone to guide you in your family or friends, there are abundant resources online and you will often find that in universities there are lots of STEM societies and activities that will help you throughout the way! Make use of as many resources available, such as online mentorship programmes and hands on workshops which will help and guide you in your career.
Sam, it’s been so interesting hearing about your research! Also, congratulations on your scholarship – that’s amazing!! Every time we do a WISW episode I end up feeling so motivated and proud of all the women in STEM for their achievements.
Hearing your thoughts and feelings on Imposter Syndrome is so helpful and reassuring. I’m in the first couple of months of my PhD and honestly, it’s been overwhelming. But you’re so right, success is such a personal thing and comparing your own success to other peoples’ doesn’t achieve anything useful.
You’re so right about the benefit of exposing young girls to STEM for them to find things they are genially interested in – it’s so important to find a pathway that motivates you. And reiterating what you said – mentorships help build confidence as well as providing girls with real life examples of Women in STEM.
All my love, Meg x
Girls Who STEM 