An Pham says:
After completing my master in microsystems in Norway, I came to Copenhagen to begin my PhD student life. "Why Denmark?" The answer is very simple. I wanted to learn about the Danes, about the Danish culture. I got a good impression of Copenhagen in my first visit in summer 2007. But how do I feel now, working at BME as a PhD student, and not a tourist anymore?
The first day at work in BME, I was introduced to everyone in the building and it was a warm welcome. The working environment is very professional. Other colleagues are willing to offer help if I have problems, although my project does not sound as though it is in any way related to BME, as it is about fish. I am allowed to use all facilities as long as they are maintained well and I do not disturb others. There is a journal club every Wednesday morning where we discuss our projects, the problems and how to solve them. Then we discuss a journal paper to see what can be learned, what should be improved and what is not good. Besides the professional activities, there is a cake club every Friday afternoon, where we enjoy the cake together after a busy week. Sometimes we get together to play a football or a Danish baseball match in the summer. At Christmas, the group had a party which included a little team building.
In short, I am happy to work here at BME and my impression of Copenhagen has not changed. It was not a mistake to come here.
Michael Pihl says:
If someone asked me why I am doing a PhD in biomedical engineering at DTU, the short answer would be:
'The interdisciplinary field between the medical world and the world of engineering really interests me, and I find it highly motivating that, sometime in the future, my research might actually help ill people. It also counts that DTU provides a great study environment, socially as well as physically - and not least scientifically'.
The somewhat longer answer would be: 'I began studying Medicine and Technology in 2003. It is a joint venture programme between DTU and the Faculty of Health at the University of Copenhagen, and therefore, I got introduced to both the technical and the medical side of the field from the very first day. The programme has been very exciting and a great education in biomedical engineering.
My BSc thesis was within medical ultrasound about blood flow visualization, and it introduced me to the topic I am working with today. I continued the track in my MSc thesis with a project in 2D ultrasound vector flow imaging, and today my PhD project is about 3D vector flow imaging. I find it very exciting to be a part of this interdisciplinary (BME) group spanning physicists, engineers, mathematicians, and medical doctors. And I appreciate the international atmosphere students from other parts of the world introduce.
I also like the social atmosphere, for instance our weekly student cake club, and the good physical environment, not to forget, with two people sharing an office - this is superior to most places I have visited abroad. And, sometimes - I admit that - I run into obstacles in my PhD project - when that happens it is great to have helpful colleagues, and because of our different backgrounds it is always easy to find someone to discuss your difficulties with.