Medical School – The Start of The Lifelong Career I Aspire to

The greatest impact on our lives today is our wellbeing. To delve into the physiological mechanisms of the body, study the intricacies of human anatomy, and to use that knowledge to improve the health of others would provide me with the lifelong career I aspire to. In order to gain first-hand experience, I arranged to shadow a doctor in Bangladesh. Though they lack the facilities found in the NHS, I saw the core values of professionalism, competence, patience and resilience upheld by all staff as they attended patients. During one clinic I saw a doctor consult over 40 patients, showing me the limitless endurance with which doctor’s face overwhelming tasks. I witnessed how the team reacted calmly, but methodically when a girl involved in an accident was rushed in, highlighting the rapid thinking and teamwork needed when facing unpredictable situations. Speaking to doctors and medics whilst on a work experience at university showed me the many branches of medicine such as pathology and anatomy. I was fortunate enough to visit the morgue and learn how donated bodies are embalmed and sent to the university for dissection. The respect shown to the deceased is tremendous as they have left their bodies to research in the hope that it may save the lives of others. I look forward to learning about anatomy at university.

Through my own experiences as a patient, I realised that doctors have to interact with a wide range of people which meant that I’d need to build a portfolio of experiences with different types of people. Part of my National Citizen Service (NCS) meant that I worked with people I wouldn’t have normally associated with but it let me gain insight into other cultures. As part of working in a team, I had to put personal views aside to work towards finishing our goals, just as a doctor would when working in teams. To continue building my portfolio, I’ve started to work in a care home for people with learning disabilities where I hope to develop my communication skills with vulnerable people to better prepare me to deal with a range of patients in the future. As an active member of my sixth form, I am a mentor for biology and chemistry. I explain difficult concepts in a clear manner to younger students. I’ve also achieved first aid and CPR training through school enrichment. Outside of school, I volunteer at a library where I run technology-help sessions for the elderly. This involves organising the sessions and doing one-to-ones where I take time to teach the elderly how to use their devices at their own pace. NCS has allowed me to overcome challenges such as leading a team, planning routes and keeping the team motivated, whilst developing integral interpersonal skills.

A doctor’s job can be stressful so it is important to have ways to relax, one of the ways I de-stress is through my hobbies. I indulge in music, when I listen to songs I try to break them down into their components and focus on the individual parts such as drum patterns or melodies. This allows me to observe how the individual part contributes to the song as a whole, a doctor would find this skill useful when forming a diagnosis of a patient. Music is a big source of inspiration due to its limitless creativity, I try to create new songs by taking ideas from existing songs and mixing them on a digital audio workstation.

Ultimately I want to work on the micro-level by helping people combat their illnesses, whilst also engage on the macro-level by conducting life-long research that could prevent more people from falling victim to disease. I believe that I have acquired the skills needed for a long and challenging career in medicine whilst retaining a realistic perception of what being a doctor involves. Medical school is only the start of a lifetime of learning that will be tough but I will face these trials with enthusiasm and determination.