Hannah Mason

Hannah Mason

Name: Hannah Mason
University: Bristol

What did you intercalate in and where: BSc International Health at the University of Leeds

When did you intercalate: Between 4th and 5th year

Why did you choose to intercalate?

I decided I wanted to intercalate because I have always had a keen interest in how doctors and vets can work together to further their collective knowledge. There are many things that vets can teach doctors and vice versa. I also wanted to learn how to carry our research – something which is not really taught at Bristol. When I first decided to intercalate I was having doubts about my desire to enter clinical practice and wished to explore another dimension of veterinary that we rarely get exposed to during vet school.

What did you learn from your intercalation?

Learning how to conduct a research project, and that not all research is boring statistics has probably been the biggest lesson. It has been incredibly enjoyable studying with medical students who often have different perspectives on topical issues. We also have modules on disease outbreak control, which is invaluable for public health. Studying a course which is completely essay based has also helped me with my time management massively, it was at first very difficult to adjust to not cramming for exams and instead writing essays, but my writing and critical thinking is now very much improved.

What was the best part of your intercalation?

Moving to a new city and meeting loads of interesting new people was really fun. In summer I plan to go to Tanzania and conduct research on the perceptions and adaptations to climate change within livestock keepers. The opportunity to fully explore a topic I am interested in was great, especially as the veterinary degree tends to be quite rigid.

What was the worst part of your intercalation?

My friends will all graduate this summer whilst I have to continue another year, it is also an extra £9000 of student debt. However, I would do it all again in an instant

Has it changed what you will do in the future?

Yes, I definitely have a keen interest in research. However, it has also confirmed to me that I definitely want to go into clinical practice for a few years as I do miss veterinary. I think previously 4 years studying the same subject had caused me to burn out slightly, however now I am excited to re-enter the course.