Student blogs

One of the wonderful things about our master’s programme is the diversity of backgrounds and experiences we all bring to the table. Some of us come directly from their bachelor’s, some have had a gap year or two in between, others have already built a career before finding their way to toxicology.

Mousumi belongs to the last group. With a degree in Nutrition & Food Science and few years of work experience, it was her thesis project that sparked this whole new interest within her – the interest that led her all the way to Sweden, to study toxicology at KI. See for yourself:

Who are you and what led you to toxicology?

Hi! I’m Mousumi, I’m 28 years old and I come from Bangladesh. The division in Bangladesh that I’m from is Sylhet, so I’m a “Sylhet-furi”, as girls from there are called. 🙂

I previously studied Nutrition and Food science in the University of Dhaka. There, I had the opportunity to do my master thesis on antioxidant-rich food and how it reduces organ toxicity. This made me curious for toxicology and I knew I wanted to combine my interests in food and toxicity; as food toxicology. That’s why I’m here now to learn more about toxicology.

After graduation from nutrition and food science, I also worked as a Lecturer in Nutrition & Food Engineering at Daffodil International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. So, naturally, many people wondered why I left that behind and went to study toxicology instead – a fully new field to me. And the answer is: because my thesis made me curious for toxicology. And I will go back to teaching after graduating from the Toxicology Master’s – but with new knowledge!

What have you enjoyed most about your studies here so far?

I enjoy the study pattern here. There is so much variety in how our studies are structured: we have lectures, presentations, assignments, paper reading, PBLs, case-studies… We also read a lot of papers, which I think is good because it keeps us updated with the ongoing research and because it’s a useful skill for our professional future.

All these different methods together make learning very interesting, and I especially love group works and solving cases together. In my country, these types of studying are not very common. For example, the teaching training I took for my work as a lecturer didn’t include any of these formats. So, besides what I learn about toxicology here, I also want to incorporate the group-based learning methods to my teaching when I go back to my work in Bangladesh.

What do you like most about Stockholm?

I enjoy that Stockholm is calm and not too overcrowded. Also, the social atmosphere is very pleasant – there is a sense of “you do you” around and I don’t feel pressured or judged by anyone. But I do miss my family, which especially made the winter season difficult for me. What I like doing here is going for walks outside. I really liked the snowfall in winter, as I’ve never seen snow before, and now in spring, I enjoy the sunshine. The city of Stockholm is beautiful, but I especially enjoy going for walks in nature, along the water. Looking down onto the lake at Västra Skogen, where I live, gives me the same feeling as the riverside area in my hometown in Bangladesh.

What were the biggest surprises for you?

Our exams! We really had a lot in the first semester. Especially the concept of having a 2-day-long exam was very new to me, I couldn’t imagine something like that before. But fortunately, it all went well, so the biggest stress is over for now.

I was also surprised by the silence. As I said, I previously studied in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. And since Stockholm is also the capital of its country, I thought it would be as busy and crowded here, but it isn’t. That’s something that surprised me, and I’m really enjoying it.

What advice would you give your past self?

Well, I’m a very emotional person and tend to homesickness, so moving here all by myself was not easy for me.

That’s why I would like to tell my past self that it will be alright. And that, on this journey, I will learn so much about taking care of myself, about overcoming challenges and managing stressful times. And that I will need to be patient. I realized patience makes a lot of things easier.

In a nutshell

Talking with Mousumi showed me what different knowledge and skills we all bring to the table. She looks at toxicology through a food and nutrition lens, and I find it inspiring that it was a thesis project that opened this door for her (or that made her curious to look for this door!). I’m also impressed with the clear plan Mousumi has for her professional future – as this is something I myself definitely haven’t figured out yet.

Thanks for reading and see you next time!