Hi everyone. My name is Yubo Wang. I obtained my master’s degree in Sweden in 2010 and went on to work as a hospital pharmacist in China for five years. In 2018, I joined Dr Li-Chia Chen’s research team and commenced my PhD study at the University of Manchester (UoM). 

I would like to share with you some of my experience of applying for a PhD in the UK and hope this could benefit the future applicants.  

Before the commencement of my PhD application, I collected all the information on the webpage, where there are lists of entry requirements and application procedures that could follow. As per my personal experience, an appealing curriculum vitae (CV) must prepare well, showing an integrated picture of my background in each aspect and an alluring cover letter, including the advantages of my skills and abilities. Meanwhile, the language requirement is another essential included in the application. A score over 7.0 may be competent for a successful communication and interaction with your workmates. 

The interview is a pleasant process to show and confirm the skills and abilities mentioned in the CV. Three interviewers were involved in the processing of my interview, and each took responsibility for different sections such as language, research aim and academic skill. However, please do not worry about the interview. There should be a relaxed environment for communicating about your life and academic purpose. The interviewer sent me a confirmation letter one week before the formal interview, in which several published articles were attached, and I was asked to pick up one of them to criticise and answer some questions. If this is the case for you, please carefully read through the article and take some notes if necessary. 

I would also like to offer some tips which may help you succeed in the PhD interview. Firstly, it is better to clarify your strengths and demonstrate them. Secondly, you need to have an explicit purpose(s) for doing a PhD and justify why you need to have a PhD training. For example, I have a diverse education background which was not directly linked to studying pharmacoepidemiology and health economics. However, during my five years working as a clinical pharmacist, I was involved in several pharmacoepidemiological and health economic studies that inspired me to explore more in these fields. 

The University webpage classifies many types of studentships, which can assist you in finding suitable sponsors to complete the study in the UK. In addition, the China scholarship council (CSC) and the UoM offered joint scholarships to Chinese students. You can search the CSC website to find out more information about the application for the studentship, such as the deadline for uploading supporting documents, and time for interview and results, etc. 

The interview for the CSC studentship application is usually online with a camera meeting for about 15 minutes. I had three interviewers asking some questions regarding my education background, language ability and academic tasks in the PhD life. Just make sure to show your competency and skillful abilities. I hope this information will be helpful to those who would like to pursue a PhD study in the UK or at the UoM. 

Dr Yubo Wang
UoM-CSC joint studentship holder
Drug Utilisation and Pharmacy Practice research group, Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, University of Manchester
Xinjiang Medical University

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