Somto Uche, (Aug. 25, 2026)1. What led you to choose the course and Cambridge?
When deciding whether to intercalate (i.e. pursue a Masters after my 4th year of medical school), I wrote down a few non-negotiables. First, I wanted to understand the art of translation. This mattered to me because I'd recently completed an academic internship where I designed a prototype device to facilitate care for immobile patients, and I wanted to learn how healthcare innovations can progress from being merely an idea through to something patients can benefit from. Secondly, I wanted to develop a strong foundation in quantitative research and statistics since I'd had little exposure to both at the time. The MDAT course offered both at a world-class institution.
2. What have you particularly enjoyed about the course?I'm particularly pleased with how we've traced the full development pipeline for medical devices and advanced therapies. In the lectures and case studies, we dove deep into idea generation, prototype testing, clinical trials, implementation, adoption and finally how to raise funding from investors. As someone who sees clinical innovation as central to their future career, having a full end to end perspective was invaluable.
3. How have you found studying in Cambridge?Cambridge has a way of stretching you whilst widening your perspective. I've learnt an enormous amount about fields like engineering and finance, and the realities of practicing medicine in other corners of the world just by spending time with my peers.
There's also this weight that comes with knowing a lot of the greats in science and technology studied here too. Knowing that so many foundational ideas in science and medicine were (and still are) being shaped here, and that I get to be a part of that, is something I'm grateful for.
4. What are your future plans?I want to work across both clinical practice and academia/industry where I can care for patients directly whilst also contributing to solutions at a larger scale. In the short term, I'm looking forward to returning to medical school and using the knowledge I've gained from my time here in the clinical environment.
Brian Man, (Jan. 30, 2026)What led you to choose the course and Cambridge?
I was always interested in business and commercialisation whilst doing my Bachelor’s Degree Medical Biosciences at Imperial College London. I chose this course as it would present an intersection between the two and connect my passion with my previous knowledge, and to bring science into the market. The reason for Cambridge was simple – It is one of the best institutions where I could meet and learn from the brightest minds (and I thought it was prettier compared to Oxford when I visited.)
What have you particularly enjoyed about the course?
I really enjoyed the lectures, I have always liked going to lectures to be honest, but the ones from this course are very insightful as many of the lecturers are passionate and have plenty of experience with start-ups, commercialisation, and science themselves. You also get the freedom to choose your most desired projects.
How have you found studying in Cambridge?
It has been amazing. The people are nice, welcoming and genuinely passionate about their own subjects. It is eye-opening to have conversations with people across disciplines, and genuinely the best experience to see their eyes light up when they talk about their own subjects.
The welfare support here has also been great as everyone genuinely cares about you. Not to mention the environment makes you fall in love with studying - at least it did so for me.
What are your future plans?
I love Cambridge so much, so I really want to stay here after this year, or at least return in the future. That said, I would really like to do a PhD or postgraduate medicine in the short term, and have an international career in the commercial field in the long term.
Gilad Shorer, (Jan. 30, 2026)What led you to choose the course and Cambridge?
I have always been excited by the intersection of healthcare and technology. However, as a medical doctor, I noticed a clear incongruency between the groundbreaking breakthroughs we read about in journals and the actual care that I could offer my patients. My own journey creating small-scale healthtech ventures to address local inequities in the South African healthcare system shifted my whole perspective. While these experiences were incredibly rewarding and sparked my passion for a career in this space, they also quickly taught me how difficult it is to create real world impact from an idea. Ultimately, this drove me to look for a more formal understanding of the translational process. As one of my lecturers put it: “an idea is not innovation. Innovation is the successful application of an idea to create impact.” The course’s clear emphasis on taking innovation “from bench to bedside” is why I chose it. The opportunity to study exactly that at a world-class institution like Cambridge was something I couldn’t pass up.
What have you particularly enjoyed about the course?
I have really enjoyed how varied the curriculum is. It’s unique to be learning the hard science of advanced therapies and medical devices one day and then switching to soft skills like pitching and team building the next. I’ve found the talks fromstart-up founders particularly valuable. Hearing their personal experiences navigating the ‘valley of death’ makes the theory feel much more real. A personal highlight was the negotiation seminar where the class role-played a VC vs. tech startup deal that created an energetic atmosphere and led to some lively debate. Beyond the syllabus, our cohort is a massive highlight. We’re a small, tight-knit group with different backgrounds from all over the world, and the bonds we’ve formed have created a great foundation for a lifelong network.
How have you found studying in Cambridge?
Cambridge is a truly unique atmosphere of forward-thinking innovation that is paradoxically motivated by the university’s rich history and traditions. It is a surreal experience to be biking down a cobblestone street with your formal gown blowing in the wind, passing Newton’s apple tree on your way to a college formal. The 'Hogwarts' comparisons aren’t going away anytime soon. I think it’s natural to have an element of imposter syndrome when you’re surrounded by so many brilliant people, but the university makes a concerted effort to foster community through the colleges, faculties, and societies. It’s a curiosity-driven environment where you are constantly being intellectually challenged, but you feel supported while doing it. It is also very exciting to be pursuing a dream of mine.
What are your future plans?
My current research involves multimodal computer vision to improve cancer detection, and I would like to stay at this intersection of AI, technology, and medicine. Whether through academia or a startup, I want to spend the next few years putting the translational skills I’ve learned here into practice. In parallel, I plan to return to clinical practice in some capacity and work towards specialisation. My long-term goal is to bridge these two worlds as a clinician-scientist, using technology to improve health outcomes at both the patient and population levels.