Hi Laidlaw people!! I was told to write proof of life so this is my proof of life. I am alive and very happy :))
This is an update of what I have been up to:
Tilly (fellow Oxford Laidlaw lady/ best friend/ flatmate/ course peer) and I got the bus from Oxford to Heathrow. Tilly is usually the responsible one however she lost both her phone and her passport in the check in queue. Maybe she was distracted by the random American man asking for our instagrams. The flight was epic! I downloaded loads of podcast, Netflix episodes and 2 books yet found myself spending the entire 9 hours staring at the map that shows you where the plane is at every moment. You could even press on different countries and the app would give you fun facts about them. Unfortunately the facts were not very fun. Maybe that can be my future career! I think I would come up with better fun facts.
The first thing we did when we landed was annoy the locals (by accident!!! Sorry!!!) because we were too sleep deprived to understand where our accommodation was. We are in building 91 and we could find building 90 and 92 but building 91 was non-existent. It felt like we were being pranked (foreshadowing for later that week!!!). So we had to knock on a random man’s door to ask for help. Three times. We were very confused. But now we are friends! I think! So that is good! Also!! The lady working at the reception had the funniest voice ever and I also thought she was pranking us. But I think she was just ill and lost her voice.
Outside of our LIA we have been doing LOADS of exploring. Vancouver is so beautiful. The first thing we did was sign up to UBC (Vancouver’s university)’s outdoor society. It is great because people plan trips we can sign up to and since they have cars we don’t need to worry about transport. We can also use their equipment for free so get ready for loads of camping updates. The FUNNIEST hike was when we went to lake Wedgemount . As we were driving back (at 4 pm), there was an accident on the road. We decided to stop in a nearby town to have some food and watch England in the football game, thinking it would take an hour or so for the roads to clear up. However, the roads did not take 1 hour but 12 HOURS to clear up. This is when Tilly and I thought we were being pranked yet again! We could not believe one accident could cause this amount of chaos and that there was no alternative route to get home. We ended up walking around Squamish (my new favourite place ever) for a very, very, very, very long time. On the plus side Tilly got to try a slushie! It looked a bit disgusting so I just watched. But cool for her! On the less fun side this adventure happened to be on the Sunday before our supposed first day in the office on Monday morning. However, we decided that going into work after an intense hike, having not slept at all was probably not the best idea. Luckily for us our LIA is within BC’s mental health department so our supervisors were very supportive of our decision.
Outside of all of our adventuring we ARE working!!! It is actually extremely interesting. Which makes sense since that is why we applied. But we could not have anticipated how kind the entire team is. Our supervisor is the department head of medical genetics which is a BIG deal. Yet they are so so kind and spending A LOT of time with us even though they are extremely busy. Their team is very small (6 people) so we have gotten to know everyone well. We were invited out to dinner and drinks with them last Friday which was a lot of fun! We have been given our own projects which is amazing! I was not expecting this much responsibility and am very honoured and want to do a great job in return. It was a lovely surprise to find out that we are actually qualified to work on these projects. As “only” an undergrad I was stressing out a bit before starting and feeling a bit of imposter syndrome. Luckily, it turns out I have learnt some stuff at Oxford which has been very useful. Our first project is developing a website for people to use before undergoing polygenic scores to help them make more informed, values based decisions. Our second project is writing an ethical analysis of getting polygenic scores for foetuses. Yesterday we met a lady who actually studied the same course as us (Human Sciences) in Oxford a long time ago and it was so interesting to learn about what she does now. She will be helping us a bit with our second project.
Lastly, I have found the BEST dance classes ever in Vancouver which is so exciting. It does mean that I am abandoning Tilly (who does not dance which is very strange but I have gotten over that shortcoming) twice a week to go to these classes but since she is the coolest ever she understands. Back home I live in the middle of no where so whenever I find a cool dance school I need to make the most of it!!
Lastly for real, in case it it not obvious enough I am SO happy to be travelling with Tilly. We share a wall in Oxford and have the same lectures/ tutorials and all the same hobbies so we have already been spending 24/7 together all term and nothing has changed here. I am so lucky to have the best person ever with me who it is so easy to travel with and who I am having so much fun with.
Okay I hope this is enough proof of life!! See you next week! Unless we get eaten by a bear which is apparently a possibility according to the locals.
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Great stuff Anna! I’d love to see what you do with map fun facts!
Anna, this was an absolute joy to read. It certainly provides convincing proof of life, and it is wonderful to hear how happy and fully immersed you are in your time in Vancouver. Your personality comes through very strongly, and the humour makes the reflection lively and memorable.
Alongside the adventures, there are some important reflections on your Leadership-in-Action experience. I was particularly interested in what you wrote about being entrusted with your own projects. Your initial uncertainty about whether you were sufficiently qualified, followed by the recognition that your Oxford studies had prepared you to make a meaningful contribution, captures a significant moment in your development. That movement from imposter syndrome towards greater professional confidence is worth continuing to reflect upon.
The projects themselves also sound fascinating. Developing a resource to support informed, values-based decision-making around polygenic scores and conducting an ethical analysis of their use in relation to foetuses both involve complex questions about autonomy, uncertainty, responsibility and the communication of scientific information. As the work develops, I would be interested to hear not only what conclusions you reach, but also whether the process changes your own thinking about the responsibilities of researchers and healthcare professionals.
Your description of the team is also revealing. You clearly feel trusted, welcomed and supported despite the seniority and workload of your supervisors. It might be valuable to consider what the team is doing that creates this atmosphere. Are there particular behaviours, structures or ways of communicating that have made it easier for you to contribute? This could become an especially useful reflection on organisational leadership and culture.
I also liked the small example of deciding not to attend the office after the unexpectedly prolonged journey home. Although presented humorously, it raises a useful question about judgement and responsible professional behaviour. Choosing not to arrive exhausted and unable to contribute effectively may have been more responsible than rigidly treating attendance as the only sign of commitment.
This is a wonderfully energetic update, and I would not want you to lose its informal character. For future reflections, try to retain this voice while occasionally pausing to explore one or two of these deeper questions in more detail. You already have excellent material for thinking about confidence, ethical responsibility, leadership, workplace culture and the transition from student to contributor.
Most importantly, I am delighted that you and Tilly are having such a rewarding experience. Please continue to provide proof of life — and take the bear warnings seriously!