Welcome to the last episode of season 2 of The Other Kind of Doctor podcast! As Gemma and Gaia are graduating this year, and are stepping down as hosts, they spend this episode looking back over their PhD journeys, and reflecting on things they have learnt along the way.

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Why do we feel nostalgic for old media?

The Other Kind of Doctor podcast will be returning in Autumn 2025, with new host, new topics, and new guests!

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Bluesky: @tokod.bsky.social

Thank you to Sophia Wilhelmi & Izzy Reid, Royal Holloway undergraduate music composition students, who composed our Season 2 jingle!

Thank you to Royal Holloway Doctoral School for funding this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Gemma and Ryan are joined by Katherine Griffiths. Katherine is a PhD student at Royal Holloway. In this episode, Katherine talks about her experience in building a successful supervisor-student relationship, balancing being independent and needing help from your supervisor, and how to manage expectations. Finally, she provides her top tips for PhD students wanting to build a positive supervisory relationship.

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - How long does it take for a house to feel like a home?

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Bluesky: @tokod.bsky.social

Thank you to Sophia Wilhelmi & Izzy Reid, Royal Holloway undergraduate music composition students, who composed our Season 2 jingle!

Thank you to Royal Holloway Doctoral School for funding this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Emily Gow. Emily is a research impact manager at Royal Holloway. In this episode, Emily explains what impact is, why it is important, and how this differs from public engagement. Finally, she provides her top tips for PhD students wanting to maximise their research impact.

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Do we prefer the countryside when we get older?

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Bluesky: @tokod.bsky.social

Thank you to Sophia Wilhelmi & Izzy Reid, Royal Holloway undergraduate music composition students, who composed our Season 2 jingle!

Thank you to Royal Holloway Doctoral School for funding this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Prof Dawn Watling. Dawn is associate pro-vice-chancellor of postgraduate research at Royal Holloway. In this episode, Dawn shares why it is important to go out into nature as a PhD student, whether house plants count as nature, and what to do if you have limited access to natural spaces. Finally, she provides her top tips for making the most out of nature.

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Is it true that opposites attract?

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Bluesky: @tokod.bsky.social

Thank you to Sophia Wilhelmi & Izzy Reid, Royal Holloway undergraduate music composition students, who composed our Season 2 jingle!

Thank you to Royal Holloway Doctoral School for funding this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Gemma and Gaia discuss how to build a stronger PhD community. They discuss how a strong PhD community can help with managing loneliness, and provide tips on how to get things started.

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - What is better, audiobooks or physical books?

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Bluesky: @tokod.bsky.social

Thank you to Sophia Wilhelmi & Izzy Reid, Royal Holloway undergraduate music composition students, who composed our Season 2 jingle!

Thank you to Royal Holloway Doctoral School for funding this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Dr Tim Holmes. Tim earned a PhD in neuroscience at Royal Holloway, and later transitioned to industry, working with clients such as Coca-Cola, Apple, and Disney. In this episode, Tim shares his experience of transitioning to industry, what motivated him to make this change, and describes the differences between academic research and industry research. Lastly, he gives his top tips for PhD students looking to pursue a career in industry.

Find Tim's LinkedIn profile here.

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Do daylight lamps actually work?

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Bluesky: @tokod.bsky.social

Thank you to Sophia Wilhelmi & Izzy Reid, Royal Holloway undergraduate music composition students, who composed our Season 2 jingle!

Thank you to Royal Holloway Doctoral School for funding this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Gemma and Gaia discuss how to deal with perfectionism as a PhD student. They discuss why perfectionism is more common in academics, why this is not always helpful while studying for a PhD, and provide some tips for dealing with perfectionism.

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - What are some of the most unusual research areas?

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Bluesky: @tokod.bsky.social

Thank you to Sophia Wilhelmi & Izzy Reid, Royal Holloway undergraduate music composition students, who composed our Season 2 jingle!

Thank you to Royal Holloway Doctoral School for funding this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Brandon Wade. Brandon is a PhD student and lecturer in the Media Arts department at Royal Holloway. In this episode, Brandon shares his experience of studying for his creative PhD, discusses what the application process was like, and highlights some of the challenges he has experienced. Lastly, he gives his top tips for individuals wanting to pursue a creative PhD.

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Why do we rewatch TV shows so much?

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Bluesky: @tokod.bsky.social

Thank you to Sophia Wilhelmi & Izzy Reid, Royal Holloway undergraduate music composition students, who composed our Season 2 jingle!

Thank you to Royal Holloway Doctoral School for funding this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**Please note: This episode contains discussions of mental health and suicide**

If you are experiencing distress, please contact Samaritans on 116 123, open 24/7, or call 999 (UK) in an emergency

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Simran Frontain. Simran is a PhD student in the Classics department at Royal Holloway, University of London. In this episode, Simran shares her experience in academia with chronic illnesses, and how this has influenced her education journey, as well as explaining what support supervisors need to give to students that have chronic illnesses. Lastly, she gives a key piece of advice that would help other individuals suffering from chronic illnesses embarking on their PhD journey. 

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Will a four-day work week actually work?

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Bluesky: @tokod.bsky.social

Thank you to Sophia Wilhelmi & Izzy Reid, Royal Holloway undergraduate music composition students, who composed our Season 2 jingle!

Thank you to Royal Holloway Doctoral School for funding this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Ian Lacey. Ian is a PhD student in the Department of History at Royal Holloway, University of London. In this episode, Ian shares why PhD students should be networking/ going to conferences, how to get over the awkwardness of chatting to people you’ve never met, as well as discussing the importance of a strong online profile. Lastly, he gives his top tips for PhD students wanting wanting to network at conferences and events.

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - How many people in the UK have a PhD? 

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Bluesky: @tokod.bsky.social

Thank you to Sophia Wilhelmi & Izzy Reid, Royal Holloway undergraduate music composition students, who composed our Season 2 jingle!

Thank you to Royal Holloway Doctoral School for funding this podcast.

Thank you to Sophia Wilhelmi & Izzy Reid, Royal Holloway undergraduate music composition students, who composed our Season 2 jingle!

Thank you to Royal Holloway Doctoral School for funding this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Dr Vanita Chamdal. Vanita is a Teaching Fellow at Royal Holloway and a therapist. In this episode, Vanita shares why it is important to look after your wellbeing whilst also making sure you are still productive, and what support supervisors and universities should be providing to PhD students. Lastly, she gives his top tips for protecting your wellbeing when studying.

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Do astrological signs influence personality?

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Bluesky: @tokod.bsky.social

Thank you to Sophia Wilhelmi & Izzy Reid, Royal Holloway undergraduate music composition students, who composed our Season 2 jingle!

Thank you to Royal Holloway Doctoral School for funding this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Dr Jamie Moffatt. Jamie is a Post-doctoral Fellow. In this episode, Jamie shares his experience of securing a research post-doctoral position after his PhD, and discusses how to approach potential labs as well as how to know if a post-doc is right for you. Lastly, he gives his top tips for PhD students wanting to apply for a research post-doc

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - How do dog and cat people differ?

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Thank you to Sophia Wilhelmi & Izzy Reid, Royal Holloway undergraduate music composition students, who composed our Season 2 jingle!

Thank you to Royal Holloway Doctoral School for funding this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Dr Matthew Talbot. Matt is a Teaching Fellow in the Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London. In this episode, Matt shares his experience of taking an interruption during the PhD and how to get back into a routine after taking one, as well as discussing what universities and supervisors can do to support PhD students wanting to take an interruption. Lastly, he gives his top tips for PhD students wanting to take an interruption.

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Can you become a morning person?

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Thank you to Sophia Wilhelmi & Izzy Reid, Royal Holloway undergraduate music composition students, who composed our Season 2 jingle!

Thank you to Royal Holloway Doctoral School for funding this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Courtney Hooton. Courtney is a Psychology PhD student at Royal Holloway, and is also guest manager for The Other Kind of Doctor podcast! In this episode, Although they aren't relationship experts, Gaia, Gemma and Courtney share their experience of balancing a relationship while studying for a PhD, and discuss tips for supporting a partner that is studying for a PhD.

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Are naps a good thing to do?

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Thank you to Sophia Wilhelmi & Izzy Reid, Royal Holloway undergraduate music composition students, who composed our Season 2 jingle!

Thank you to Royal Holloway Doctoral School for funding this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Gemma and Gaia discuss how to get back into a routine after summer! They discuss we struggle to get back into a routine after a break, and suggest their top tips for getting back into the swing of PhD-Life.

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - How much sleep do you actually need? 

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Thank you to Sophia Wilhelmi & Izzy Reid, Royal Holloway undergraduate music composition students, who composed our Season 2 jingle!

Thank you to Royal Holloway Doctoral School for funding this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Season 2 of The Other Kind of Doctor! This week, Gemma and Gaia discuss how to survive your first term as PhD student! They share the challenges they faced when they started their PhD, how to transition to a new way of working, and establishing your support network as a PhD student.

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Do fidget toys help with concentration?

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Thank you to Sophia Wilhelmi & Izzy Reid, Royal Holloway undergraduate music composition students, who composed our Season 2 jingle!

Thank you to Royal Holloway Doctoral School for funding this podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We get a lot of comments on our podcast explaining how 'professional' and 'seamless' our podcast episodes are... So we thought we would share our many bloopers from season 1!

We had such a great time recording season 1, and we will be back very soon with exciting new content for season 2.

Enjoy (and apologies to our supervisors)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Lewis Champion. Lewis is a History PhD student at Royal Holloway, and is also working full-time as a Data Analyst. In this episode, Lewis shares his experience of working full-time while studying for a PhD, and discusses how to maintain a good work-life balance, as well as some of the challenges he has experienced. Lastly, he gives his top tips for working full-time while completing a PhD.

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Do lie detectors actually work?

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Jo Grace. Jo is studying for a PhD at the University of Southampton, and is also the founder of The Sensory Project. In this episode, Jo shares her experience of transitioning from working within practice to working in research, and discusses what can be done to improve collaboration between research and practice.

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Do highlighters actually help learning, or do they just look pretty?

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Gemma and Gaia are joined by Sarah Richardson. Sarah is an English PhD student ay Royal Holloway. In this episode, Sarah shares her experience as a long-distance PhD student, how to set boundaries when working from home, as well some of the challenges she has experienced. Lastly, she gives her top tips for long-distance PhD students.

Stay tuned for the end of the episode for this week's 'Brain Bites' - Is it better to take handwritten notes or computer notes?

For a full transcription of the episode, please visit our website (https://theotherkindofdoctor.wordpress.com/episodes/)

Check out our social media accounts for bonus content and behind the scene footage.

Twitter (X): @otherdoctor_pod

Instagram: @otherdoctor_pod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.