Phoebe Whitley

Phoebe found herself uncertain about her undergraduate course choice after her A levels. Though she had a passion for physics and excelled in mathematics and biology, she struggled to determine her desired career path.

"I vividly remember attending the Open Day at Reading and being instantly drawn to its vast green campus. The Biomedical Engineering talk left a lasting impression on me, particularly the warmth and approachability of the academics I met on the day."

Fast forward several years, and Phoebe now thrives as a graduate physicist at Ultra Energy, a prominent player in the field of nuclear engineering. Armed with a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Reading and a Master's in Physics and Engineering in Medicine from UCL, Phoebe's academic journey has paved the way for her successful career.

One aspect that appealed to Phoebe about the BEng Biomedical Engineering programme at the University of Reading was the diverse range of module options available.

"Even though it's called biomedical engineering, you could choose between a variety of modules. If you preferred programming, you could select all the programming modules, or if you liked biology, you could opt for more biology or medicine-focused modules. Plus, the small class sizes meant we got to actually know each other and our lecturers."

As Phoebe progressed through her degree, her passion for radiotherapy and medical treatments grew.

"I really enjoyed and loved those modules. By Year 3, I knew that these were the modules I would take."

After completing her undergraduate degree, Phoebe continued her academic journey with a Master's programme at UCL, where she further honed her skills.

"I use so much of the knowledge I learned from my undergraduate degree for my job. Things like particle physics that I learned in my first year at Reading. Coding languages like Python that we were taught from the first year are also something that I use daily." 

Phoebe thoroughly enjoys her job as a graduate physicist at Ultra Energy.

"I love my job. I work on so many exciting projects, mainly focussed on radiation monitoring systems for Small Modular Reactors. It’s hard sometimes but it's definitely helped that my modules and my courses have prepared me for the workplace." 

When asked if she would recommend the Biomedical Engineering course at Reading, Phoebe wholeheartedly says yes.

“I always say to my friends, I loved Reading. I don't have a single bad thing to say, especially about the department. The degree is such a versatile one. Even if you don’t go to a job directly related to the degree, you've got so many skills such as problem-solving, analytical data analysis, critical analysis skills that you could still then use at your job.”