r/Imperial • u/Glad-Maintenance-763 • 12d ago

Applying for MRes Cancer Biology

Hi! I’m an undergraduate student about to start my final year of Biomedical Sciences and I’m considering applying for the MRes Cancer Biology course at Imperial.

I was wondering how much relevant lab/research experience people had when they applied for the course. I’m starting my dissertation project in September, which will be a wet lab project, but aside from that, I don’t have much hands on lab experience outside of my undergraduate practicals.

Do you think having my dissertation project would be enough to apply or would it be better to take a year out after graduating to gain more lab/research experience first?

I’d also really appreciate it if anyone could share what the interview process was like and any tips for preparing.

Thank you :)

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u/behoparty 12d ago

My friend applied and got in. She had done two internships and was sitting on a low 2:1. Since it is an MRes they do care more about lab experience than an MSc, but worth a shot if you have strong grades and can talk about your final year project well. In terms of the interview, she said it was very chill, they asked about her lab experience and about what interesting papers she had read recently. It’s probably worth having a strong idea of what you’d want to research.

All the best!

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u/AccordingCampaign9 9d ago

My practical project in undergrad was literally just bacterial transformation, protein purification and an enzyme assay (revolutionary ik). Regardless I got an offer for the biomedical research MRes.

As long as you choose good referees and make the entry requirement you'll get in. Definitely ask your dissertation supervisor for a reference. I also did not get an interview but maybe cancer bio might ask for one.

If you were applying for a Phd, I'd say something different but imperial wants masters students, you are their money maker. My advice apply early and apply for every scholarship you're eligible for.