I previously attended Taylor High School and I’m now a first-year medical student at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Medic Mentor Scholarship:

Being a Medic Mentor scholar is amazing! As a scholar I can give back and help other aspiring students. In addition, I can develop myself further and refine the skills possessed by amazing doctors. As the scholarship provides endless opportunities such as research projects, on- going support, teaching and mentoring. The scholarship also allows me to tap into a wide network of medics who are at different stages in their career pathway, allowing me to gain invaluable knowledge and expertise that will aid in achieving my future ambitions.
Within Medic Mentor I’d like to focus on mentoring other aspiring students and seeing if improvements can be made to the amazing resources, conferences and summer schools. In addition, I’d like to explore my interest in medical education and it’s why at the moment I’m researching into what educational programmes/interventions already exist which teach medical students about different transferable skills.

Medic Mentor Journey:

I came to Medic Mentor as an aspiring student in S4. Attending the ‘Getting into Medicine’ conference had made me confirm my decision to study medicine. Having been inspired from the conference, I went on to become a Medic Mentor school ambassador allowing me to learn more about medicine. In S5, I attended the Medic Mentor Summer School. Having not gotten a place the first-time, I studied pharmacy for a year at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow and achieved a diploma in pharmaceutical sciences. Through the ongoing support from Medic Mentor and implementing everything I had learnt from the summer school; I attained a place in medicine the year after.

Why Medicine?:

From the intricate cellular mechanisms to the to the scientific methodologies; science has always fascinated me. I was so amazed by the subject at school, that I’d spend my free time teaching what I learnt to others – something that I still love to do. From various work experiences, I came to understand that the doctor not only uses their science knowledge to diagnose/treat the patient but also teaches the patient about their condition. This combination of using science to treat and teach made me develop that motivation for medicine.
The most thing I enjoy about medicine is that there’s always something exciting happening. From learning about the complexities of the human body to working in a team on PBL cases to meeting new people and attending medical conferences all around London! I love the endless opportunities that studying medicine brings, such as doing research and getting involved in amazing organisations like Medic Mentor!

Why Barts?:

Due to its location, studying at Barts exposes you to a great diversity of people and so you are exposed to a massive range of health conditions. I also chose Barts due it’s great heritage (the oldest medical school in England) and the amazing opportunities it provides such as completing a BSc or MSc alongside my medical degree. Being able to observe doctors in practice and learn clinical skills from year 1 is what also madeBarts the number one choice for me.

Experiences/Achievements/Interests/Hobbies:

Whilst studying pharmacy, I was a representative for the British Pharmaceutical Student’s Association. At school I got involved in setting up a public speaking society and mentored pupils who went on to win awards. I also helped run a science club to get more pupils interested in the subject. Furthermore, through my DofE awards I taught pupils first aid skills and attended football coaching courses from the Scottish Football Association. I’m looking to continuing my interest in teaching by becoming a peer teacher for the Medical Education and Support Society) at Barts. After leaving high school I wanted to help other pupils with the UCAS process and so I got involved in running a UCAS day where pupils came and asked for advice. Related to that I also went out to schools to give UCAS talks and advice based on my experiences. This is something that I still enjoy doing and have continued at Barts through their Student Assisted Medical and Dental Applicants (SAMDA) volunteering group. SAMDA provides support and advice to year 12/13 from East London with their UCAS medical/dental applications. I was also a representative for the Surgical Society and got involved with setting up our annual surgical conference this year. I’m also a part of BL Open Minds – a society that runs mental health workshops at a local school.
I also enjoy cricket, football and table tennis. My other hobbies include photography, training at the gym and volunteering. My spare time is also spent running my tutoring business – Academic Core.

Ambitions:

I want to pursue a career in surgery. At the moment I’m considering a career in trauma and orthopaedics. Unlike other specialities, the chaos and quick paced environment that trauma provides means one must think quickly and apply immediate effective interventions to take control of a situation. Orthopaedics also interests me because of all of the cool equipment (such as drills and hammers etc.) that one can use to help their patient. Alongside this I’d like to do something medical education related; which is why I’m considering an Academic Foundation Year and doing a medical education teaching project. In addition, I also have an interest in entrepreneurship and so starting up and running a business related with medicine is also something I’m considering.