Hello, my name is Holly Brennan, I am currently in Year 12 at Harlington Upper School studying Chemistry, Maths, Physics and Further Maths(AS). My aspiration is to become a doctor.
My journey with Medic Mentor started with the ‘Insight into Medicine Conference’ on the 29th of February 2020 in Hatfield. The speakers at the conference were so passionate about educating the young people about the application process, what it was like studying medicine, life as a junior doctor and all of the research opportunities. It made me aware of the complexities involved in applying to Medical School. I signed up for the Volunteering campaign lead by Medic Mentor in partnership with the Royal Benevolent Fund. I enjoyed helping to raise money to support doctors on the front line. Knowing our efforts would make their day slightly less stressful during these difficult times, was one of the most rewarding things I have done in lockdown and is something I am very proud of. I signed up for the Virtual Medical Society which has been extremely informative. It has helped me focus on tasks I need to complete as well as my Sixth Form work allowing me to be a lot more productive during lockdown. I have always loved Art and wanted to be able to showcase my work in a positive way. The magazine competition was the ideal way for me to bring my interest in Art and Medicine together. I brainstormed many different ideas until I found one I was happy with and appropriately represented the theme ‘Future in Crisis’. The next part of my journey with Medic Mentor was successfully applying for the Medical Leadership Programme. I was very fortunate to be accepted right before the COVID-19 Innovation Programme. This programme was extremely valuable and I learnt various skills from it, such as: how to write an abstract, how to use the Vancouver referencing style –both of which I have used this week to help complete a research paper as part of my Physics course. Working with my team remotely was a new and successful experience. We were in daily contact via Zoom and divided our workload evenly based on our strengths and preferences to meet all deadlines.
I have worked as a Customer Team Member at my local Co-operative for a year. I have enjoyed working through lockdown and it has been very rewarding to welcome the vulnerable to the store, assist them with their shopping and have a chat to check on their general wellbeing.
I am currently in the process of setting up a Medical Society at my Sixth Form which will allow aspiring Medics, Dentists and Vets to have information about the application process much more readily available at an earlier stage. My goal is that the Sixth Form have a strong support system available to all students interested in these three fields. I am a member of the Sixth Form Charity Council and Student Leadership Group which are platforms for me to voice my opinion on what can be improved in the school. Currently, I peer mentor a student in Year 11 in GCSE Chemistry, Physics, and Biology. I had to complete a safe guarding and welfare course before I could commence one to one sessions with my students. During the COVID-19 lockdown I also attended the Oxford Physics Masterclass.
I have been missing my sporting activities during lockdown. I play for local teams in both football and Gaelic football. I am Vice-Captain of the Claddagh Gaels Gaelic football team and cannot wait to take them to the All British Championships in the future. I have been Captain of Flitwick Eagles football team for 8 years and have such a strong bond with all my teammates (seen pictured).
Continuing with the Medical Leadership Program will be a great opportunity to develop my confidence in speaking and sharing my ideas with large groups of people. Furthermore, it will also help the development of my interview skills, as well as vital communication skills.
Written By Holly Brennan