My First Year on the MSc in Clinical Trials

Hi, I’m Olakunmi.

I’m a medical doctor and currently a student on the MSc in Clinical Trials at the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford. I trained in Nigeria and worked as a clinician and researcher before starting this MSc. One of the biggest perks of this course? It’s part-time, so I get to study without pressing pause on my career.

How I got here

I’ve always enjoyed research. From medical school through to my early working years, I was involved in observational and qualitative studies. But clinical research was something different — and honestly, a bit intimidating at first.

When I landed my first 'grown-up’ role working on randomised controlled clinical trials (RCTs), I didn’t know much about the field —  the trial landscape in Nigeria is still quite young. I remember thinking, “Wow, there are so many acronyms, so many moving parts, so many documents — I’m not sure I like this at all.” But as time went on, I started to appreciate all the moving parts. I loved the process, how all the details and structure eventually linked back to improving patient care and public health. I was elated to be contributing to the highest level of evidence to ensure the delivery of evidence-based healthcare (well-designed systematic reviews and meta-analyses of well-conducted RCTs are actually at the top of the evidence pyramid, but you get the gist.) The shift made me want to study trials more seriously, to understand the science behind the work I was already doing. I knew I wanted to learn more.

Why Oxford?

When I started looking for courses, Oxford’s MSc in Clinical Trials stood out immediately. The RECOVERY trial — led by the team at CTSU (Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit), Oxford —  was also in the news a lot, and I was fascinated by the adaptive design and how quickly evidence was generated in the COVID-19 pandemic. As I read more about the course and the course leads, I quickly saw a theme of conducting streamlined, low-cost, resource-efficient trials, and I knew I wanted to learn from them. At first, applying felt a bit daunting. But I was inspired by friends and colleagues who were already studying at Oxford, so I went for it —  and I’m glad I did. The application was straightforward, and the admin team were always quick to answer my questions.

Another pleasant aspect was that Oxford automatically considers most applicants for funding, even on part-time programmes. A few weeks after my offer came through, I received the incredible news that I’d been awarded the NDPH studentship. I still remember how excited I was — it felt like the final push I needed to really believe I belonged here.

The first year in a nutshell

Intense!

About a month before the programme began, I got some reading materials in my inbox. I was shell-shocked and knew I was in for a ride! At the welcome seminars, the course directors reiterated the intensive nature of the course despite its “part-time” nature. They weren’t exaggerating.

Balancing the start of the MSc with other professional commitments made things tricky, and I stumbled early. I didn’t get the best grades on my first formative assessment, but it turned out to be a good wake-up call. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what a formative was (for anyone else who might be new to the term, a formative is an assessment that checks your progress before the graded, “summative” assessments). It was humbling, but it was also a gift as I got to learn from my mistakes without the pressure of grades. Also, it was a reminder that if I knew it all from the jump, then I had no reason to be in the course.

Thankfully, there was support from both my college and the course team to help me keep on track. I came into the programme motivated by a curiosity about the science behind clinical trials and a desire to strengthen my research career, and I can say my confidence in these areas has improved in the past year.

Balancing Work and Study

Like many of my classmates, I’ve been juggling work alongside my studies and finding a rhythm has been a challenge. Over time, I’ve learned to protect blocks of study time and build small habits — like heading to the library straight after work instead of going home first. It’s still a work in progress, but I’m learning to adapt.

Another adjustment has been the virtual nature of the programme. I occasionally miss the face-to-face interaction of a traditional course, but the course has been intentional about fostering connections. Weekly assignments and discussion groups encourage collaboration and help build connections across time zones and borders. The diversity of the group, with people from all sorts of professional and cultural backgrounds, has made discussions richer than I imagined. There are two residential periods during the two years on the course, which provide an opportunity to connect and interact with faculty and classmates, and I am looking forward to them!

Looking Back and Ahead

Even with my years of experience in clinical trials, I’ve learned something new every single week on this MSc. The principles of designing and running cost-effective, impactful studies feel much clearer now.

Reflecting on my first year, I feel more confident, more resilient, and more grounded in my knowledge of clinical trials. Looking ahead, I’m especially excited about developing my own trial idea further in year two and diving deeper into the economics of trials, big data in trials, and more. After a short break at the end of the Trinity Term 2025, I am spending the rest of the summer preparing for my upcoming exams. I am also looking forward to the Summer residential, which would be a chance to connect in person with my cohort, supervisors and others at CTSU.

Thoughts for those considering applying

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

If you’re reading this and thinking about applying, my advice is: go for it! Curiosity is already half the requirement; everything else you’ll grow into along the way.

A quick framework for your personal statement could be the outline of this blog —  start with a high-level introduction of yourself and your work so far, emphasise why you want to study this course and at Oxford, and highlight what your hopes are for the future after completing the course. I would also encourage you to review the course page, watch the course videos on YouTube —  there are loads of information to help with your application.

Take the leap, and I hope to meet some of you in the future as fellow MSc in Clinical Trials alumni!

Olakunmi Ogunyemi is a Year 2 student on the MSc in Clinical Trials (2024 - 2026).