Why do you want to study this course or subject?
Focus on passion, motivations, and subject knowledge.
For 18 months I worked as a music technician fixing saxophones, and convinced myself the work was a bit like medicine — diagnose, select treatment, develop skill. Shadowing a dermatologist showed me how naïve that was: humans aren't broken instruments. Each patient brought needs far beyond the need to be 'fixed', and the consultant adapted to every one of them. Rohin Francis's lecture on how far the human body can be pushed sent me to Why We Get Sick by Nesse and Williams, where I met the idea of competitive evolution between rhinoviruses and our defences — the virus exploiting the very ICAM receptors lymphocytes upregulate. That a disease evolves with us, against us, is what makes me want to study medicine.
How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?
Focus on academic skills, relevant modules, and specific examples.
My A-Levels have given me a foundation in scientific reasoning that I expect to draw on throughout medical school. The repetitive nature of practising an instrument or sport to achieve proficiency mirrors the commitment I witnessed in the dermatologist perfecting his practice. Studying for Grade 8 saxophone, piano and LAMDA acting alongside school has developed my organisational skills, as I have to manage weekly lessons, competitions and practice sessions. I read Death by Scarre to understand grief, and Why We Get Sick to deepen my interest in human immune responses. These have given me the academic discipline to thrive on a demanding course.
What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?
Focus on work experience, volunteering, or relevant reading.
During the COVID pandemic I volunteered at a vaccination centre. In one shift a patient collapsed and produced coffee-ground vomit; as the first responder, I was nervous and unsure how to proceed, and alerted more qualified staff who reacted quickly. The speed of the deterioration, and the calm of the team that stepped in, showed me what diligent management of a fragile patient actually looks like. At a care home, staff supported residents through dying — patient, unhurried, never rushed. Reading Death by Scarre alongside that experience helped me sit with grief instead of trying to fix it. Teaching piano to eight-year-olds taught me communication skills. Judo taught me to lose in front of a crowd — useful, I suspect, for ward rounds.