The Other Kind of Doctor

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Dr Matthew Talbot. Matt is a Teaching Fellow in the Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London. In this episode, Matt shares his experience of taking an interruption during the PhD and how to get back into a routine after taking one, as well as discussing what universities and supervisors can do to support PhD students wanting to take a...

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Courtney Hooton. Courtney is a Psychology PhD student at Royal Holloway, and is also guest manager for The Other Kind of Doctor podcast! In this episode, Although they aren't relationship experts, Gaia, Gemma and Courtney share their experience of balancing a relationship while studying for a PhD, and discuss tips for supporting a partner that is studying fo...

This week, Gemma and Gaia discuss how to get back into a routine after summer! They discuss we struggle to get back into a routine after a break, and suggest their top tips for getting back into the swing of PhD-Life. Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - How much sleep do you actually need?  For more information about our podcast, please visit https://theother...

Welcome back to Season 2 of The Other Kind of Doctor! This week, Gemma and Gaia discuss how to survive your first term as PhD student! They share the challenges they faced when they started their PhD, how to transition to a new way of working, and establishing your support network as a PhD student. Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Do fidget toys help with conce...

We get a lot of comments on our podcast explaining how 'professional' and 'seamless' our podcast episodes are... So we thought we would share our many bloopers from Series 1! We had such a great time recording Series 1, and we will be back very soon with exciting new content for Series 2. Enjoy! (and apologies to our supervisors) Edited by Series 1 Podcast Editor, Teale Failla For more information...

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Lewis Champion. Lewis is a History PhD student at Royal Holloway, and is also working full-time as a Data Analyst. In this episode, Lewis shares his experience of working full-time while studying for a PhD, and discusses how to maintain a good work-life balance, as well as some of the challenges he has experienced. Lastly, he gives his top tips for working f...

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Jo Grace. Jo is studying for a PhD at the University of Southampton, and is also the founder of The Sensory Project. In this episode, Jo shares her experience of transitioning from working within practice to working in research, and discusses what can be done to improve collaboration between research and practice. Stay tuned for the end of the episode for th...

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Sarah Richardson. Sarah is an English PhD student ay Royal Holloway. In this episode, Sarah shares her experience as a long-distance PhD student, how to set boundaries when working from home, as well some of the challenges she has experienced. Lastly, she gives her top tips for long-distance PhD students. Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's...

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Arshia Choudhury. Arshia is studying for a DClinPsy (Clinical Psychology Doctorate) at Royal Holloway. In this episode, Arshia shares her experience of studying for her professional practice PhD, how this differs to a research PhD, as well some of the challenges she has experienced. Lastly, she gives her top tips for students studying a professional practice...

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Cheng-Yu Hsieh. Cheng-Yu is a third year PhD student at Royal Holloway. In this episode, Cheng-Yu shares his experience as an international PhD student, how to approach potential supervisors, as well some of the challenges he has experienced. Lastly, he gives his top tips for international PhD students. Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's '...

This week, Gemma and Gaia discuss overcoming writer's block by following advice from Dr Vicky Penn, who is a researcher development officer at Royal Holloway. They discuss different techniques such as the pomodoro method and freewriting, and reflect on their own experiences of (trying to) overcome writer's block. Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Is taking your...

This week, Gaia is joined by our very own Ryan Jefferies. Ryan is a first year PhD student in Psychology at Royal Holloway, but his academic career started with an undergraduate degree in History at UCL. In this episode, Ryan shares his experience of changing academic field, taking a long break from academia, and finding the love of his life in the process. Lastly, he gives his top tips for studen...

This week, Gemma and Gaia Ryan are joined by Pip Brown. Pip is a third year PhD student from the University of Warwick, currently at Royal Holloway on their second study visit. In this episode, Pip shares their experience of doing a study visit during the PhD, how to approach potential research groups for study visits, as well as how to get back into the swing of PhD life when you come back. Lastl...

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Dr Sarah Sampson. Sarah is a Teaching Associate in the Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London. In this episode, Sarah shares her experience of entering motherhood during the PhD and returning to academia after a career break, as well as discussing what universities and supervisors can do to support mothers in academia. Lastly, she g...

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Prof. Chris Watkins. Chris is a Professor of Machine Learning at the Department of Computer Science in Royal Holloway, University of London, and has had a long-standing interest in artificial intelligence (AI)I. In this episode, Chris shares his experience of AI, his thoughts on the ethical implications of using AI in research, and how our role as academics...

This week, Gemma and Gaia discuss the pros and cons of doing a Master's before your PhD, compared to going straight from undergraduate to PhD. Gaia and Gemma share their experiences, and have a look at some of the advice from careers websites. Let us know, did you do a Master's before your PhD, what has been your experience? Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Doe...

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Prof. Saloni Krishnan. Saloni is a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at Royal Holloway, University of London, and has had amazing success within her academic career, however within this she has had her fair share of rejection. In this episode, Saloni shares her experiences of rejection in academia, how to pick yourself up after a set back, and explains how...

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Dr Beatrice Hayes. Beatrice is a Teaching Fellow at Royal Holloway, University of London, and has lots of experience presenting her research confidently. In this episode, Beatrice shares her experiences of public speaking in academia, how presenting your research can help with your viva, and how to manage the scary post-talk questions. Lastly, she gives her...

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Hannah Jones. Hannah is a fellow PhD student at Royal Holloway, University of London, and is researching reading motivation for individuals with developmental language disorders. In this episode, Hannah shares her experiences of academia as someone who is neurodivergent, and discusses what universities and supervisors can do to support neurodivergent individ...

This week, Gemma and Gaia discuss how to survive teaching alongside your PhD. They share the challenges they faced when they started their teaching roles, developing your confidence as a new teacher, and how a teaching role can boost your involvement in the department. Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Do fancy clothes make you more productive? For a full transc...

This week, Gemma and Gaia discuss toxic productivity in academia, and how this can impact PhD students. They discuss their own experiences with toxic productivity, how to tell the difference between just being productive and toxic productivity, as well as sharing some tips on how to set boundaries and look after your wellbeing as a PhD student. Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's...

In this episode, our hosts, Gemma and Gaia, reflect on their journey to becoming PhD students and their experiences so far in the complicated world of academia. This week, Gemma and Gaia discuss their experiences of procrastination as a PhD student. They delve into why we procrastinate and share some evidence-based top tips on how to overcome procrastination! Stay tuned for the end of the episode...

Welcome to The Other Kind of Doctor podcast, where we celebrate the exciting (but crazy) journey of earning a PhD and working within academia. Join our hosts, Gemma and Gaia, as they explore the diverse and unique stories of fellow PhD students, academics and other professionals, who have navigated the challenges and triumphs of academia. From ground-breaking research to personal narratives, each...