London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

As a Distance Learning student, I have always wanted to go and visit LSHTM in person: to see the John Snow pump handle, the beautiful building in Keppel Street, and study in the Library!

A month to study at Keppel Street

This May, I got to do just that. Distance Learning students have the opportunity to do Mixed Mode Learning (formerly known as Blended Learning), whereby they can opt to take some modules in-person at the school. I decided as soon as I started my MSc Epidemiology that I wanted to do this. So I arrived in the bustle of London at the end of April, ready for a month of Advanced Statistical Methods in Epidemiology.

An initial highlight of my visit was a tour of the LSHTM buildings by a member of the Student Experience Team. I was shown around both buildings of the school, getting a close look at the historic Keppel Street building and the new Education Centre at Tavistock Place. We toured the Library, the Pumphandle Social, and all of the best spots to revise, host study group sessions, get food and drinks, and socialise. This tour was a phenomenal way to start my time in London!

In the few days before classes for my module started, I explored London and spent time at the LSHTM Library studying for my ongoing courses. Then, finally, it was time for my first lecture in the John Snow Lecture Theatre. The lecture theatre is so big that it’s almost dizzying, and sitting there for my first class I couldn’t help but feel a huge sense of awe and excitement to be taking my course there. The best part of the John Snow Lecture Theatre is, of course, the Broad Street Pumphandle on display just outside - a must-visit for any (aspiring) epidemiologist!

Learning from epidemiology legends

As a Distance Learning student, you spent hours, weeks, and months learning from, and interacting with, faculty members online. While I was in London, I realised that many faces were actually already familiar, having spent countless hours with them on Moodle discussion boards, or in online lectures! It was so nice to introduce myself in-person to faculty members whom I had already learned so much from, and everyone was so welcoming, kind, and friendly.

During the course of my studies for this module, I was most excited to be taking classes and listening to lectures taught by living epidemiology legends. For example, I had several classes taught by Richard Hayes, who came up with the between-cluster coefficient of variation (k) along with his colleague Bennett in 1999. Having learned about this coefficient for my exams, I couldn’t believe that I was being taught by the person who came up with it! Learning from someone who has contributed so much to both epidemiology and the field of statistics was amazing and massively enriched my learning experience

I will be honest, the module Advanced Statistical Methods in Epidemiology was definitely a challenge! It required a lot of dedication, and hours of study groups and exchanges with other students. I think that’s what stuck out to me the most during my time in London: the students were so enthusiastic, welcoming, and open! I immediately found friends and was integrated into study groups and LSHTM’s social life, and it made the completion of the module, and my entire experience, so genuinely enjoyable. 

London: West End, Kew Gardens, and the pump!

But it wasn’t just at the School that I had a blast. London is such a wonderful and vibrant city. I went to watch a musical in London’s West End for the first time in many years (and was introduced to Hamilton!), and went to Kew Gardens for long, scenic walks at the weekends. Most importantly, I went to what used to be Broad Street and visited the famous (replica) John Snow water pump - and enjoyed a pint in the John Snow Pub directly beside it!

If you are a Distance Learning student considering doing Blended Learning, and it is feasible for you to do so, I can only recommend it. It was one of the most intense, yet exciting and intellectually stimulating months of my life! It goes by so quickly, but in the whirlwind, you end up making unforgettable friends, challenging yourself, and realising just how much you’re truly capable of.

• More from Fiona: International Day of Women and Girls in Science: My journey through education and research
• Study with LSHTM from anywhere in the world. Discover Epidemiology by Distance Learning.
• Information on Blended learning: flexibility meets quality
• Contact Fiona and other distance learning student ambassadors via our student and alumni ambassadors page