David came to Maynooth in 2018 for his ERASMUS semester whilst studying Biology at the University of Salamanca. He is currently back in Spain studying for a master’s in Bioinformatics at Instituto Carlos III, the biggest public medical organisation in Spain!

By Lauren Valentine

• Name: David

• Home country: Spain

• University: Maynooth (ERASMUS) in 2018

• Course studied: Biology

• Currently: Studying for a master’s in Bioinformatics applied to personalised medicine and health

• Advice to students: “I’d recommend that Spanish people learn English so they can expand their job prospects. Also, studying science can be challenging and you need to study hard, so you’ve got to love the subject if you’re going to choose it.”

Can you tell us about your ERASMUS experience?

“I have stayed in 9 or 10 countries so far, mostly to learn English or as part of high school exchange programmes where the EU funded trips to promote young people’s European experience. The countries include Italy, Turkey, Morocco, France, Andorra, Portugal, Ireland, England, Germany and Malta! I think my favourite was Turkey because it’s so different – I spent a month there.”

How did you like your time at Maynooth University?

“Before I came to MU, I thought it would be better to do 5 months instead of a year because I had to do my final thesis back here in Spain. Now, I wish I’d chosen a whole year because I loved it and felt like I wanted more time there, and I really think you need a year to get the full experience. Studying abroad is great because you get to be a tourist and a citizen at the same time: you have to find somewhere to live, but you’re also discovering new places all of the time! I loved the trips I took in Ireland with an organisation for ERASMUS students, who ran trips to places like Cork, Belfast and many more. I chose Ireland mainly because I like the weather in the UK and I really wanted to improve and practice my English.”

Do you think strong English skills are particularly beneficial in your field?

“I think so yes. Jobs for scientists are hard to come by in Spain, so people go to more powerful countries like the UK, Ireland or Germany. Ireland also has some interesting laboratories, for example my cousin is working for a big pharmaceutical country over there and I’d love the chance to do the same. Maynooth was a good place to practice English, specifically outside of my studies because the common language of social activities, even among other foreign students, was English. That’s what I wanted to do – practice speaking with natives. I’m always reading scientific papers and lots of the words are very similar, so the course material wasn’t difficult to understand.”

 How have you reached the point you’re at now in your education?

“After my bachelor’s degree, I did a master’s in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the university of Salamanca. At the moment I’m studying for my master’s in Bioinformatics, as well as working for a department in my university, Instituto de Salus Carlos III, in Madrid. This is thanks to a collaboration grant which will prepare my entrance to the doctorate degree programme. I chose Bioinformatics because I love reading and computing, and this degree is about using databases, planning and other computing languages to make programmes control scientific information.”

Where do you see your career in the future?

“In February, I’m due to start my final MA thesis and can choose to do it in places like Madrid, Barcelona, Toulouse, the UK… I’ve not decided yet. I’ll present that to the professors in January 2022. Then I’d like to go into a career in research and hope to do a PhD in Spain. In order to secure PhD funding in Spain, you have to do it in 3 years and then go away to the EU or America to do a post-doctorate programme. I think I’ll begin by following this pathway, and if I change my mind, I can go into a private company to do research.”

With many life lessons and new experiences, David says he found his ERASMUS experience extremely beneficial. “I loved Ireland and loved my experience at it was very useful for me. I think everybody who studies a degree should do an ERASMUS trip!”

Want to know more about David’s career and research? Find him on LinkedIn:

David Martinez Delgado