Ernie Ho

You can directly contact Ernie as well as read his blog posts via his Link to Leeds profile.

A multidisciplinary degree for cutting-edge solutions

I chose to study at Leeds because the University has a good reputation in Life Sciences. Here, the academics are doing cutting-edge research projects. I chose Medical Sciences as my major because I have a strong interest in this subject. I believe that health is very important to us, and Medical Sciences is a subject allowing us to know how to maintain health. 

Throughout the programme, I can acquire knowledge in human physiology, pharmacology, microbiology and more. This allows me to understand the root causes of different diseases and how we can tackle them effectively. What's more, by understanding the mechanisms of currently incurable diseases, it might be possible for Biomedical scientists to investigate new treatments, which potentially help people relieve or even get rid of currently incurable diseases.

Tailoring your degree

What I enjoy the most about my course is that there is a lot of flexibility in choosing our modules in the second and third years.

What I enjoy the most about my course is that there is a lot of flexibility in choosing our modules in the second and third years. For example, for the experimental skills module, we can choose to do experiments related to biomedical sciences, human physiology, pharmacology or neuroscience. Also, in the second semester of the second year, I can choose my elective modules according to my interests. 

Making use of top facilities

There is so much advanced equipment in laboratories so I can learn how to perform different experiments and practice different techniques such as using micropipettes, staining tissue, western blotting, gel electrophoresis, culturing bacteria and so on. In the dissection room, I can observe the prosections of different parts of the human body, which allows me to learn anatomy in an impressive way. 

Also, there are many libraries and computer clusters on campus, so I can do revisions there. Moreover, a lot of social spaces are available throughout the campus, and I can use those to work on group projects with my groupmates or just have a chat with my friends.

Intercultural understanding

My experience at the University of Leeds is very wonderful. Students and all the staff here are very nice and supportive, and they are eager to support me and answer my questions patiently when I have questions or problems. I remember when I first came to the UK, I was not confident enough to talk to local people because English is not my first language, and I am afraid of making mistakes. However, my flatmates and classmates were very friendly and patient. They tried to understand my speaking and they did not mind when I asked them to repeat what they said several times. They even taught me some more jargon and vocabulary so I can understand local people’s speaking more easily.

Developing leadership skills through Leeds KAIST International Programme

Leeds KAIST International Programme included lots of immersion visits and talks, which allowed me to understand more about how different organisations in the UK work to make society become more inclusive and resilient. For example, I visited the Leeds Playhouse and by talking to the manager, I understood how their plans aim to make their events more inclusive to people from different backgrounds and tackle cultural-related challenges.  

This programme also involved a lot of group work and I had to collaborate with people from the UK, Korea, India and America. This allowed me to develop my ability to work in a cross-cultural environment. 

Leeds KAIST International Programme was a fantastic programme. I have learnt a lot and made many new friends. 

The most exciting part of the programme was that there were lots of team building and social activities. Every night, we went to the bar and chatted. This was a great chance for us to get to know more each other and allow me to understand Korean culture. Sometimes we even play table tennis or games in the common room or Hyde Park. On the first few days of the programme, we’ve already become friends and we missed each other after the end of the programme. 

A different study system

When I am studying at Leeds, there is less competition, and our aim is to do well and make improvements instead of doing better than others.

Also, when I was studying in Hong Kong, it was very important that we had to memorize everything. However, when I am studying at Leeds, it does not emphasize memorising. Instead, we have to understand the process so we can apply it in different situations.

When I am studying at Leeds, there is less competition, and our aim is to do well and make improvements instead of doing better than others.

Let’s get social!

There are some social events for international students organised by the faculty. This year, I joined the fish and chips night and the Christmas meal night. At these events, we can enjoy free meals, as well as get a chance to chat with different international students in the faculty.

I am a member of the chorus and Faculty of Biological Sciences (FOBS) society this year. In the chorus, we sing together every week and there will be concerts from time to time so that we can have some chance to perform. In the FOBS society, there are many socials, and I can talk to people with similar interests as all of us are interested in Biology!

A wide range of graduate options

At this moment, I do not have a final plan on what to do after graduation because there are many choices! One of my plans is to join the NHS Scientist Training Programme (STP) because I want to work in the NHS to help patients. Another plan is to do a research degree as I also enjoy doing research.

We have an employability and careers team in the faculty. They provide a lot of support to us.

We have an employability and careers team in the faculty. They provide a lot of support to us. For example, they organise career talks regularly in which I can understand different kinds of jobs related to biomedical sciences. Also, they always share available job opportunities with us. They also provide us with a lot of information on writing CVs, cover letters, and interview skills, which are really useful in job applications. In the skills module of my degree, they also provided us with mock interview opportunities, so we can have practice in doing a job interview.

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Ernie is a Link to Leeds ambassador and you can contact him on Unibuddy or through email ernie-link@leeds.ac.uk.