Themiya Damruwan (MSc Applied Data Science 2024)

I am a medical doctor who graduated with an MBBS from Sri Lanka and joined The University of Buckingham for my postgraduate studies in MSc Applied Data Science. I always had the passion to be an engineer and it led me to complete my master’s degree in December 2023 with a Distinction. I am humbled and honoured to be awarded the Issac Jassim Award for best performance in postgraduate studies in the School of Computing. Here is my story.

I acquired my computer and engineering skills mainly through informal learning and I always had a goal to do a computing degree. Being a medical doctor with a passion for computing, I am interested in applications of AI and ML technologies to the healthcare industry. That’s where I wanted to learn Data Science as we all have entered the era of Artificial Intelligence. I ended up selecting the University of Buckingham mainly because of the student to tutor ratio, and as a University, it focuses more on students and real-world applications rather than just covering theories. In Buckingham, all the students are closely monitored and we as students have access to the staff anytime for discussions.

The University of Buckingham holds scenic surroundings, enriched by a river going through the campus. Also, it is equipped with a very good and attentive staff that a student would find hard to expect from anywhere else. The degree program was very well fine-tuned to cover all the up-to-date industrial requirements so that the students would get maximum exposure to the tools used in the industry. We had learning sessions from industrial experts where they shared their hands-on experiences.

The most important thing I received from the university is my work placement at Oxford Drug Design which is an advanced spinout from the University of Oxford. There I had the opportunity to merge my knowledge of medicine with my expertise in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in the drug discovery industry.

Having an MBBS degree and becoming the best performer was not an easy challenge without the support that I received from the academic staff by learning everything formally from the beginning. During my study period, I had to face a lot of hardships but the response from the university for those hard times was impressive and supportive. They always focus on the student’s wellbeing and support us to continue our studies no matter what challenges we face. Even after I completed my degree, the University was supporting us with the careers and employability guidance service to enhance our CV and skills for face interviews.

Thanks to the knowledge and exposure I had from the university and the work placement, I ended up being employed by Vitalograph Ltd, which is a global leader in respiratory diagnostics that delivers clinical trials for leading pharmaceutical companies and research organizations. I am happily working at Vitalograph, a role that aligns perfectly with my career aspirations.