BSMS > Postgraduate > Student spotlight: Sultana Akther Suma

Student spotlight: Sultana Akther Suma

A portrait photo of Sultana Akther Suma, BSMS MRes student, standing in a park on a bright day, smiling towards the camera

From Bangladesh to BSMS: Sultana’s research journey
“The important thing has been staying curious, asking questions and being willing to take the next opportunity, even when I didn’t know exactly where it would lead.”

Tell us a little about yourself and what you’re currently studying at BSMS

I’m Sultana Akther Suma, an early-career health researcher currently studying an MRes in Medical Research at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. My current research looks at the effectiveness of simulation-based learning on safe medication administration skills and self-confidence among undergraduate and pre-registration nursing students in the UK.

Before coming to BSMS, I completed an MSc in Global Public Health at the University of Essex, following my Bachelor’s degree in Bangladesh. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to gain experience across clinical practice, academia and community health. In Bangladesh, I was involved in supporting students studying health-related subjects and worked with UNICEF on health and community initiatives, as well as community-led work with Volunteer for Bangladesh. Later, I worked at Coventry University, where I supported undergraduate students in developing their research skills.

What inspired you to pursue an MRes in Medical Research, and why did you choose BSMS for your postgraduate studies?

I don’t think there was one particular moment when I decided I wanted to go into research. It developed through the different experiences I had. My first real experience of research was during my undergraduate degree, when I carried out a primary research project looking at knowledge and practices around menstruation among adolescent girls. Later, when I worked in academia, I supervised students with their research projects, which gave me a better understanding of the process.

My community health experience also made me more interested in understanding the reasons behind some of the health issues I was seeing. Then, after moving to the UK and studying Global Public Health, I had more opportunities to explore those questions through research.

Working at Coventry University was another important step for me. Being part of an academic environment and working with students around research skills made me realise that research and academia were areas I wanted to pursue as a career. By then, I knew I wanted to develop my research skills further, rather than only learning about research through individual projects or as part of a degree. That was one of the main reasons I chose an MRes.

I chose BSMS because the MRes is focused on medical research and the structure of the programme fits well with my longer-term plan to progress towards a PhD. It has also allowed me to build on my previous experience while developing a stronger understanding of how research is designed, carried out and evaluated.

You moved to the UK from Bangladesh to pursue your studies. What was your journey into medical research like, and what motivated you to continue pursuing a career in STEM?

My route into medical research was not something I had planned from the beginning. It developed as my interests changed with each stage of my education and career.

I started my studies in Bangladesh and then gained experience in clinical practice and academia. Working with students gave me a different perspective on healthcare. I became interested in how people learn, how they develop practical skills and how evidence can be used to improve that process.

My community health experience gave me another perspective. Through UNICEF-supported initiatives, I was involved in community health activities, data collection and outreach. Working with communities made me think beyond the individual and about some of the wider factors that affect people’s health.

Moving to the UK gave me the opportunity to develop these interests further. My MSc in Global Public Health strengthened my research foundation, and later my work at Coventry University brought me into a more research-focused academic environment.

For me, STEM has become interesting because there is always something new to question, explore and understand. I enjoy asking questions, looking at the evidence and thinking about what it can tell us. That curiosity has been one of the main reasons I’ve continued moving towards research and want to build a career in this area.

What attracted you to research rather than taking a more traditional clinical route in medicine?

My clinical experience is still an important part of how I think about healthcare. Working directly with patients gave me an understanding of what healthcare looks like in practice.

As I gained more experience, I became more interested in the questions behind what we do. Working with students made me think about how future healthcare professionals develop their skills, while my community health experience made me think about health beyond the individual.

Research gave me a way to explore those questions in more depth and understand what the evidence actually tells us. My current MRes project is a good example. I’m looking at simulation-based learning and whether it is effective in developing safe medication administration skills and self-confidence among undergraduate and pre-registration nursing students in the UK. Because of my previous experience, the topic is familiar to me, but the research process has made me look at it differently.

What I enjoy is taking a question that comes from real healthcare experience and looking at what the wider evidence actually tells us. You have to question the evidence, look at how studies were carried out and understand their limitations. That process of questioning, investigating and trying to understand what can genuinely be learned from the evidence is what has attracted me to research.

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

What does a typical day look like for you as an MRes Medical Research student?

I don’t think I have a completely typical day because it depends on what I’m working on. During my first semester, there was a lot of teaching in research methods and critical appraisal, statistics in health and medical research and advanced qualitative research. I was learning alongside people from different professional backgrounds, including researchers, Medical and NHS professionals, which made some of the discussions particularly interesting.

Now, much of my time is focused on my own research. A typical day might involve searching for studies, screening papers, reading them in more detail and thinking about whether the evidence actually answers my research question. There is also a lot of time spent organising what I find and thinking about how different studies fit together.

One thing I didn’t fully appreciate before starting the MRes is how much time research can involve simply thinking. You can spend a long time with one paper, looking at how the study was designed, questioning the results and working out what you can really take from it.

I also find myself connecting what I’m learning with things I have experienced before. The difference is that I’m now looking at them from a research perspective, which has changed the way I approach questions and evidence.

What have you enjoyed most about your MRes so far? Is there a particular research project, experience or achievement that stands out?

The part I have enjoyed most so far has been working on my dissertation because it brings together several parts of my previous experience. It has probably been the experience that stands out most for me during the MRes.

The topic is familiar to me because of my previous clinical and academic background, but the MRes has made me approach it much more critically. I’ve had to look across the available evidence, consider how different studies were conducted and think carefully about what conclusions can actually be drawn from them.I think that has changed the way I read research. I find myself questioning things that I might previously have accepted more quickly.

I’ve also really valued the support from my supervisor, Sara, and the wider research environment at BSMS. Having people around you who are willing to discuss ideas and guide you when you get stuck makes a big difference, especially when you are still developing your confidence as a researcher.

For me, that change in how I think has probably been one of the most valuable parts of the MRes so far.

What opportunities have you had at BSMS to develop your research skills and prepare for a future career in research?

The MRes has given me the chance to strengthen areas I had already started developing through my previous studies and experience. The course has covered research methods and critical appraisal, statistics in health and medical research and advanced qualitative research.

I’ve also had opportunities to learn more about the practical side of research. Training in clinical trials management, Good Clinical Practice, research governance, confidentiality and data protection has helped me understand what is involved beyond the research question itself. I’ve also taken additional training in areas such as Good Research Practice.

What I’ve found particularly useful is learning to think about research as a complete process. A good research question is only the beginning. You also need to think about the methods, ethics, governance, data and how the findings should be interpreted.

These experiences have given me a better understanding of what is involved in conducting research responsibly, and they are helping me prepare for the next stage of my career and eventually doctoral research.

As an international student, how have you found living and studying in Brighton?

Moving from Bangladesh to the UK for my studies has been a big part of my academic journey. By the time I came to BSMS, I had already completed my MSc in Global Public Health in the UK and had lived in places including Essex and London, so studying here wasn’t completely new to me.

Brighton has felt different, though. I spent my first semester getting to know the city as well as getting used to a new course and a much stronger focus on research. One thing I really enjoyed was spending time near Brighton beach, sometimes sitting there and working. It was a nice way to have a change of environment while still getting some work done.

I’ve also enjoyed meeting people from different backgrounds. Coming from Bangladesh and having studied and worked in different settings, I find those conversations valuable because you hear experiences that are very different from your own.

Being an international student has also made me more comfortable with adapting to new environments. Moving between different countries and academic settings has gradually made me more confident in adapting to change and clearer about the kind of career I want to build.

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

What advice would you give to international students who are considering postgraduate study or a career in STEM and research?

I would say you don’t necessarily need to have your whole career mapped out from the beginning. I certainly didn’t.

My own route changed as I gained more experience. I started in one area, then moved into community health, academia, public health and eventually medical research. At each stage, something from the previous one stayed with me and became useful later.

I’d also encourage international students not to underestimate what they already bring with them. When you move to another country to study, it can be easy to focus on what you still need to learn. But your previous education, work and the experiences you have had in your own community can give you a different perspective.

And if you are interested in research or STEM, give yourself time. You don’t need to know everything at the beginning. There were many things I didn’t understand when I first started, and I’m still learning now. For me, the important thing has been staying curious, asking questions and being willing to take the next opportunity, even when I didn’t know exactly where it would lead.

You’re hoping to start a PhD next year. What are your ambitions for the future, and how has your time at BSMS helped you take the next step?

I hope to continue into a PhD and build a long-term career in health and medical research. My broader interests include health inequalities, women’s and reproductive health, maternal and child health, health literacy and migrant health, particularly where research can help us understand barriers to better healthcare.

The MRes has helped me become more confident in working with evidence and, perhaps more importantly, has helped me understand what I still want to learn. For my next step, I want to develop deeper expertise through doctoral research and use that knowledge to contribute to the UK health sector. I would like my research to help improve healthcare and support more effective services, particularly for people and communities who face barriers to accessing them.

There is also something personal behind that ambition. I came from Bangladesh and built my way into STEM through opportunities that were not always easy to find. I know there are young girls and women who have the ability and curiosity to pursue these subjects but may not see research or STEM as something they can realistically do.

In the future, I would also like to use what I have learned to support and encourage more young women from underrepresented backgrounds to consider opportunities in STEM and research. If I can build a career in research while also helping someone else see a path that they may not have thought was available to them, that would mean a lot to me.