Hi, my name is Ellie and I am one of the newly elected Education Officers on the Virtual Medical Society Committee. Having just finished year 11 at Swanmore College in Hampshire, my time during this global pandemic could quite easily have been wasted on sleep and Netflix! However, after signing up for the COVID-19 fundraising mission with Medic Mentor, I realised what a difference I could make during this time, not only to NHS workers and their families, but also to aspiring medics, vets and dentists. This inspired me to apply for a committee position and here I am, two weeks after submitting my application, writing my hello to you all! As Education Officers, it is mine and Patryk’s responsibility to organise and arrange topics for debates and presentation sessions based on what is suggested by the rest of the society. These range from ethical scenarios to current affairs, interview questions to PBLs, the list is endless! At the end of the day, we are here to listen to what sort of things you want covering in meetings and responsible for making this happen. We also hope to provide you with many educational resources that could enhance your application and overall, allow you to enjoy this process as much as possible! 

As previously mentioned, I am involved with Medic Mentor’s COVID-19 mission to raise £10,000 for the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund – at the time of writing, we are at over £7000 and counting! I am also a school ambassador, enrolled onto the awards programme (currently aiming for my silver award) and have published an article in the Mentor Magazine. I also attended a National Healthcare Weekend (Now called ‘Getting into Medicine Conference’), in 2019 which was AMAZING! If you are unsure on whether medicine/veterinary/dentistry is for you or not, or you are not certain how to get into one of these careers, then please consider attending one of the conferences. Plus, they’re held all over the country and leave you feeling inspired and captivated in this overwhelming sense to make a difference to not just yours, but other people’s (or animals’!) lives.

For me, personally, I am an aspiring medic. I have a huge interest in emergency medicine and anaesthetics but also enjoy psychiatry and exploring why and how the human brain works. As well as my studies and wider reading, I love getting outside with my three dogs. Living in a rural area of England, I often find myself exploring new paths and routes only to return home hours later! I am also a keen dancer and have performed on London’s West End with my theatre troop. Alongside all of this, I volunteer at a Children’s Cerebral Palsy centre where I help to build confidence and physical strength in children of all ages. This has really helped to develop my own patience and creativity as I often must think of peculiar ways to help the children to move with ease. When asked why I love it, I always answer with “because I have the ability to make the 1% happen”. I guess you could say that this is what has driven me into the medical profession: my desire to have a positive impact. 

In the future, as well as being a doctor, I would love to run a marathon and climb Mount Kilimanjaro – two things that will take huge amounts of determination and dedication, but two things that will feed my passion and love of the outdoors. On a more simple level, however, I aspire to be as content as I am today. I am surrounded by people I love and who love me and I have been given so many incredible opportunities to grow and reflect (a skill you will never stop using throughout your medical career!!). I wish to continue this learning journey and to carry on making a difference to people’s lives. 

I really hope that you enjoy your time in the VMS and that you feel comfortable and confident to express any ideas you may hold; we value every single one of you and no idea is too small or too absurd. 

Have a lovely day and smile bright ????

If you would like to post Ellie a question, please comment below and she will get back to you!