The Other Kind of Doctor

The stars have aligned! After a little break, we have a brand new episode for you. This time, Adrianna is joined by Alexis, a PhD student at the Biological Sciences department at Royal Holloway, who tells her all about his research around bumblebee parasites. Alexis shares his story of how a placement led him to become a PhD student, how he finds working with different institutions, and navigating...

For our second episode, Adrianna is joined by a special guest from the Univeristy of Surrey! Elisabeth Pfeiffer is a PhD student and a professional ukulele player whose research focuses on ukulele playing techniques. Listen to Adrianna chat to Elisabeth about the many aspects of combining artistic practice with academic research, Elisabeth's love for the ukulele scene, and an occasional nerd out (...

To kickstart our new season, host Adrianna Chmielewska talks about her recent experience of her placement at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. While there is so much to say about the placement that one episode is simply not enough, Adrianna decided to tell you a story of three objects the Museum's Music collection, created, compiled or owned by women. Join Adrianna as she nerds out about these...

Hello, and welcome back! We are back with a new season filled with fascinating research and discussions around PhD life. This season's topics include research on bumblebee parasites, ukulele playing methods, music collection at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, practice-based PhDs and navigating a PhD as a lawyer. Join our new host, Adrianna Chmielewska, as she explores the vast variety of PhD...

For the final episode of the year, Souki's back in the co-host chair with Teale along with Eylem who is also back from the last episode! The three co-hosts discuss Annual Reviews and Upgrades. They talk about their experiences, top tips and recent changes to both at Royal Holloway.  Then in Brain Bites , they discuss the physical pains behind being an academic, including Carpal Tunnel Syndrom...

On this episode, Teale is joined by guest co-host Eylem Tinarlioglu who is a fellow Royal Holloway PhD student. They welcome Dr Kate Ferry-Swainson who recently graduated from Royal Holloway, passing her Viva with No Corrections! How is this possible? Listen and find out! Kate has also set up a business advising current students on how to Ace the Viva as well! Then in Brain Bites , what are the Ru...

Co-Pilot, aka CP, steps in to co-host this episode with Teale. Will AI be a suitable replacement for human interaction? Or will Teale become unhinged? And what does our guest Tyler Shores think about all this? Tyler is an expert on Digital Wellbeing and Productivity and teaches a course on the subject, so he's just the person to ask!  Then in Brain Bites , Teale and CP tackle British Writing...

Welcome to The Other Kind of Doctor, where we sprinkle a bit of fun and absurdity on the brilliance of PhDs! Join our diverse group of PhD candidates as we navigate the maze of research, academia, and life, all with a healthy dose of humour. Sponsored by the Doctoral School at Royal Holloway University of London, this podcast doesn't feature stethoscopes and scrubs – we’re the other kind of d...

On this episode, hosts Teale and Souki talk with Dr Luke Blaxill, founder of The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding, about how you can help fund your PhD, whether or not you received UKRI funding or you have already started your doctoral studies. Then in Brain Bites , Spooky Souki and Terrifying Teale delve into the origins of Halloween , its history in the British Isles and influence on Gu...

Our co-hosts, Teale and Reverie, are joined by Professor Dawn Watling. Dawn is Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Postgraduate Research) and Professor of Psychology at Royal Holloway University of London. In this episode, Dawn talks about UKRI funding for PhD students, discussing different research councils, the relationship between UKRI funding schemes and individual universities, and what level of f...

Our hosts, Soukaina and Reverie, are joined by Zeyad Altholoth. Zeyad is a fellow PhD student at Royal Holloway University of London in the Department of Health Studies. In this episode, Zeyad shares his experiences of starting PhD study as a student with ADHD, discusses the importance of normalising conversations about neurodiversity, and explains how to access specialist support within the Unive...

This week, the Series 3 opener introduces our new TOKD co-hosts: Soukaina Ben Abdellah, Reverie Black and Teale Failla, PhD students at Royal Holloway University of London. In this episode, the hosts discuss their backgrounds, what led each of them to their PhD, and what they are studying. They talk about their reasons for joining the podcast and provide top tips for first-year students beginning...

Welcome to Series 3 of The Other Kind of Doctor, where we sprinkle a bit of fun and absurdity on the brilliance of PhDs! Join our diverse group of PhD candidates as we navigate the maze of research, academia, and life, all with a healthy dose of humour. Sponsored by the Doctoral School at Royal Holloway University of London, this podcast doesn't feature stethoscopes and scrubs – we’re the oth...

Welcome to the last episode of Series 2 of The Other Kind of Doctor podcast! As Gemma and Gaia are graduating this year and stepping down as hosts, they spend this episode looking back over their PhD journeys and reflecting on things they have learnt along the way. Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Why do we feel nostalgic for old media? The Other Kind of Doctor...

This week, Gemma and Ryan are joined by Katherine Griffiths. Katherine is a PhD student at Royal Holloway. In this episode, Katherine talks about her experience in building a successful supervisor-student relationship, balancing being independent and needing help from your supervisor, and how to manage expectations. Finally, she provides her top tips for PhD students wanting to build a positive su...

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Emily Gow. Emily is a research impact manager at Royal Holloway. In this episode, Emily explains what impact is, why it is important, and how this differs from public engagement. Finally, she provides her top tips for PhD students wanting to maximise their research impact. Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Do we prefer the...

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Prof Dawn Watling. Dawn is associate pro-vice-chancellor of postgraduate research at Royal Holloway. In this episode, Dawn shares why it is important to go out into nature as a PhD student, whether house plants count as nature, and what to do if you have limited access to natural spaces. Finally, she provides her top tips for making the most out of nature. S...

This week, Gemma and Gaia discuss how to build a stronger PhD community. They discuss how a strong PhD community can help with managing loneliness, and provide tips on how to get things started. Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - What is better, audiobooks or physical books? For more information about our podcast, please visit https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpre...

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Dr Tim Holmes. Tim earned a PhD in neuroscience at Royal Holloway, and later transitioned to industry, working with clients such as Coca-Cola, Apple, and Disney. In this episode, Tim shares his experience of transitioning to industry, what motivated him to make this change, and describes the differences between academic research and industry research. Lastly...

This week, Gemma and Gaia discuss how to deal with perfectionism as a PhD student. They discuss why perfectionism is more common in academics, why this is not always helpful while studying for a PhD, and provide some tips for dealing with perfectionism. Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - What are some of the most unusual research areas? For more information about...

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Brandon Wade. Brandon is a PhD student and lecturer in the Media Arts department at Royal Holloway. In this episode, Brandon shares his experience of studying for his creative PhD, discusses what the application process was like, and highlights some of the challenges he has experienced. Lastly, he gives his top tips for individuals wanting to pursue a creati...

**Please note: This episode contains discussions of mental health and suicide** If you are experiencing distress, please contact Samaritans on 116 123, open 24/7, or call 999 (UK) in an emergency This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Simran Frontain. Simran is a PhD student in the Classics department at Royal Holloway, University of London. In this episode, Simran shares her experience in academ...

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Ian Lacey. Ian is a PhD student in the Department of History at Royal Holloway, University of London. In this episode, Ian shares why PhD students should be networking/ going to conferences, how to get over the awkwardness of chatting to people you’ve never met, as well as discussing the importance of a strong online profile. Lastly, he gives his top tips fo...

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Dr Vanita Chamdal. Vanita is a Teaching Fellow at Royal Holloway and a therapist. In this episode, Vanita shares why it is important to look after your wellbeing whilst also making sure you are still productive, and what support supervisors and universities should be providing to PhD students. Lastly, she gives his top tips for protecting your wellbeing when...

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Dr Jamie Moffatt. Jamie is a Post-doctoral Fellow. In this episode, Jamie shares his experience of securing a research post-doctoral position after his PhD, and discusses how to approach potential labs as well as how to know if a post-doc is right for you. Lastly, he gives his top tips for PhD students wanting to apply for a research post-doc Stay tuned for...