My Research Project in San Francisco

Name: Poppy Beck

Degree programme: BSc Psychology with Professional Placement

Where did you complete your research placement?
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

How did you find the placement and what did you have to do to secure it?
I found the placement to be an extremely valuable experience. The highlight was being immersed in an innovative and dynamic research environment; alongside people, practitioners and academics with diverse interests and backgrounds. Seeing the components of psychological research translate from concepts discussed in lectures and seminars to applied, active, ongoing research was very insightful. My supervisors on placement were generous with their time, which made a big difference. I was able to ask questions and get thoughtful answers, shadow research staff and talk to people in my field of interest about their role and journey.

To secure the placement, I attended a lecture about placements abroad by Kate and talked to her afterwards about my goal for a placement abroad which was very helpful. I emailed 20+ potential placement spots. I had interviews with 3 places and decided the opportunity to work/study and travel in California had to be taken! I liaised a lot with an assistant at the university…and after many back and forth emails, paperwork and sorting out VISAs – placement was secured! 100% worth it!

What type of visa did you need? How much did the visa application process cost and how long did it take to come through?
J1 VISA, approximately £200-300, 3-5 months

How was the experience? What did you gain from it, professionally and personally?
Overall, the experience was invaluable and I would definitely recommend doing a placement abroad to others. To be realistic, it wasn’t idyllic the whole way through but it can’t be expected to be – setting up something from nothing takes time and energy. But, the fulfilment, network and experiences gained from it come with the effort of having realised a vision into reality and it is definitely worth it. The experience itself was novel as I had not done something like it before, so it took some time adjusting to the place, people and routines to get into the flow of life in SF.

The placement work itself was super engaging and you definitely get back what you put in – even just getting yourself into the placement environment and talking to people; opportunities presented themselves for learning and growth. Professionally, I gained a deeper appreciation and understanding for my field of interest. I gained insight into how researchers considered, analysed and practically implemented aspects of psychological studies that prior to the placement I had only considered to a theoretical extent. I was inspired a lot from doing this placement and have much to think about for future directions. Personally, I gained more perspective on life, was able to experience new challenges and put myself outside my comfort zone.

The highlight of what I gained personally from placement was the people I met: both those in the academic space and the friends I made along the way. I am especially grateful for the experiences I gained (both in the workplace and out) that challenged my ingrained beliefs and assumptions and allowed me to become a more open-minded, empathetic and understanding human being.

What were the added advantages of doing a placement abroad, rather than in your home country? 
For me, the added advantage of doing a placement abroad was that the experience was enhanced through exposure to more novelty. Different cultures, routines, foods, architecture, language/accents etc. – the list goes on! Although much is similar everywhere you go considering we are all human, much is also different. From living and habituating to the way of life in one place for an elongated period of time, you get comfortable with what you know. Going abroad provided me with the opportunity to experience/see/feel/explore aspects of life that were unique to the place I travelled to; making the whole experience a lot more memorable for me personally. I’m not disregarding the fact that going abroad adds more uncertainty and unsure-ness, it understandably can do.
But what I guaranteed myself was that I would experience and learn new things, it would be an adventure both through the fun and challenges – that’s the advantage of going abroad!

Has your placement had an impact on your plans for your future? 
My placement has had an impact on my future plans, yes. From discussions with my supervisors and other members of staff, I found out more about the different routes people can take/roles people have in my field of interest and the respective advantages/disadvantages in terms of research opportunity, clinical specialism etc. The placement helped me understand more about the responsibilities of someone in psychological research and the day to day of working in a lab environment. Overall, the placement has deepened my curiosity in future studies in this subject area and aided in my decision of whether                                                                                                   a career in research is something I would like to pursue.