Our graduates share their reflections on balancing full-time work, building critical appraisal and leadership skills, and joining a truly global cohort – plus how the dissertation year and supportive tutors helped translate learning into career momentum.

Eleni Maraki

Eleni Maraki says it’s “challenging but definitely not impossible” to work full time while studying.

1. For those working full-time alongside the programme – it’s challenging but definitely not impossible.
2. Here you truly learn what it means to write properly and academically.
3. If you’re doing this for yourself, then everything is possible.
4. Stay focused, and let your work do the talking.

Filip McVeigh

As a student, I undertook the MSc Programme which was a great experience for me in terms of both personal and academic development given my field of working being in clinical trials. My main motivation was to build up my educational background by exploring all the different disciplines within clinical research with the ultimate goal of advancing myself career wise.

The Programme gave me a rigorous understanding of clinical trials in all of its operational aspects by using a strong variety of different assessment formats ranging from group discussion boards to critical appraisals of published papers. I gained a stronger ability to critically appraise publications, understand monitoring processes, safety reporting processes and working with trial protocols. I particularly enjoyed the opportunities provided in the dissertation year to be able to write a clinical trial protocol for my project. During this time, I was able to make full use of state of the art clinical trial databases that showcase all the ongoing clinical trials with published protocols available. All these combined experiences helped create a stronger bridge between my academic work and my working background.

Simultaneously, I was also able to develop myself personally in terms of leadership skills thanks to opportunities provided by the Programme in which I was able to be a student representative for years 2 and 3. I greatly strengthened my leadership and communication skills by being pro-active in how I collected feedback from students and in my communications with the Programme team during SSLC meetings. This experience allowed me to closely work with the Clinical Trials Programme team and offer input on behalf of students when it came to any changes to make.

I’m very thankful for all the experiences gained throughout my 3 years. I strongly recommend the MSc Clinical Trials Programme for any students who are currently research field and trying to determine which area to advance into. All the course materials, resources, supportive staff together helped not only guide me towards succeeding in the programme itself but ultimately giving me a stronger academic grounding in my clinical trials career pursuit.

Denise Cranley

Undertaking a 3 year online MSc programme was daunting and not to be underestimated, especially as a full time working mum! However, with some determination and good time management, I completed the MSc in Clinical Trials in June 2023. I celebrated with fellow students in person at our graduation later that year and I was subsequently lucky enough to have my dissertation published. The modules covered a wide range of clinical trial topics and the module leads and tutors were generally enthusiastic, available and helpful. The online timetable, assessments, student boards and forums were initially tricky to get used to but after a few weeks I found my way around them. I also really enjoyed meeting people from all over the world during the course – one of our group work calls had a student from Madeira, two people from Canada and the UK! Not the usual start to my day but thoroughly enjoyable.

Denise Cranley celebrated graduating from the MSc in Clinical Trials in 2023.

Fiona Griffiths

I transitioned into clinical research in 2019, taking on a study co-ordination role in the expansion of an observational clinical research project, the GenOMICC study within the critical care environment. This marked a pivotal moment in my professional journey, as just six months into this role, the world faced the sudden arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As we braced for lockdowns and many research projects were paused, the GenOMICC study accelerated at an unprecedented rate, enrolling over 17,000 critically ill patients in under two years. Being part of this project during such a critical time was both humbling and transformative. It was a real-world crash course in the intricacies of clinical research, from navigating ethical approvals under pressure to managing the collection of data and working with multidisciplinary teams under the most challenging of times. I witnessed firsthand the importance of collaboration, adaptability, and how data, when collected and analysed efficiently, could drive life-saving discoveries. However, I also quickly recognised that observational studies like GenOMICC, while essential, differ significantly from more complex interventional clinical trials. This realisation sparked a desire to expand my knowledge and understanding of clinical research, ultimately motivating me to enrol in the MSc Clinical Trials program.

The University of Edinburgh’s MSc in Clinical Trials proved to be the perfect fit for my professional and personal commitments. The flexibility of the on-line program allowed me to balance full-time work and family life without compromising on my commitments to the course. The course offered a breadth of modules covering the life cycle of a clinical trial such as clinical trial design, implementation, conduct and regulation. Weekly modules were thoughtfully structured, with expert-led lectures and practical assignments that reinforced learning in real-world contexts.

One of the most valuable aspects of the program to me was its emphasis on critical thinking and evidence-based practice through the continual reinforcement of the importance of scrutinising clinical trial design, conduct and results. The opportunity to analyse trial protocols and results papers, understand trial designs and complex regulatory frameworks really emphasised the complexity of clinical research and the range of expertise required to make it a success. Additionally, I welcomed the opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation for the ethical considerations in research and the importance of patient-centred trial design and informed consent processes.

Overall, the combination of hands-on experience in my clinical study role alongside academic learning through the MSc has been incredibly rewarding and has greatly enhanced my confidence in this field. It has equipped me with a robust foundation to contribute more meaningfully to future clinical trials, whether observational or interventional and is an experience I would highly recommend.

Apply to the MSc Clinical Trials

Start your application to our flexible online programme at the University of Edinburgh and join the next global cohort.

Clinical Trials (Online Learning) MSc, PgDip, PgCert, PgProfDev

(Main photograph: Sam Sills)