Student Article: Enthralled by Preserving Life

Every year, 15-20% of students decide to apply for an ambitious and altruistic future in Medicine. Some of them have dreamt of this moment all their lives, others decided to take up this career path from being inspired by a teacher or doctor. In spite of that, they come together and work towards a future one would describe as gratifying… even inspirational.

From where I stand, medicine has always been a target I was striving to achieve since I was a little girl. I have always admired the puissance and self-control that doctors are privileged to have. They can manage daunting and high-pressured situations, deal with indignant patients and ‘head- scratching’ cases, yet they still remain sharp-witted and ready to conquer anything that might stand in their way. I have a lot of things to learn before I have the honour to be in their position. 

I was perplexed as to how I would start to prepare myself until I was presented with an opportunity to complete a four-week medical work experience course led by a British company called Pre-Med Projects; specialising in short courses that help with the medical school personal statement, med school interviews, UCAT and BMAT examinations. Students are also able to see what hospital work experience was like, where they can shadow doctors in a variety of hospital departments, visit medical schools and learn about life as a healthcare professional.

The course in which I took part, was held last year in February, online via Zoom by a radiologist doctor called Dr. Osama each Saturday afternoon. In the 2 hour Zoom call, Dr. Osama was accompanied by another specialist (depending on the field we were investigating that week), and they went through the whole process of finding out the symptoms of the ‘’patient.’’ They explained how the investigation first starts with the medical history of the patient, different tests that might be taken to find out more information, surgeries that would be suitable to complete and finally the diagnosis and treatment plan. At the end of the course, everyone received a certificate of completion, signed by Dr. Osama, which we can use for our applications to university. 

In these 4 weeks we covered the following medical fields:

• ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat)- Otolaryngology
• Respiratory Medicine
• Ophthalmology
• Rheumatology

The best part of each period was that we, the students, were able to give our opinions as to what tests should be performed, what different graphs showed and what further investigations could be conducted to help diagnose and treat the patient. This was done through interactive quizzes that Dr. Osama would set up for us across the time frame in order to make sure that we understood everything that was discussed. After each session finished, we had access to the resources presented in the meeting as well as the recordings for us to revisit.

This course has prepared me in different ways. It has once again strengthened my understanding of the complexity this position of employment offers and  the amount of details you have to pay attention to as they can be fatal for the person you need to save. Not only have I enhanced my knowledge about the human body but now I know which types of tests are suited to be performed when different organs are of concern. It has also showed me the importance of teamwork and communication. It’s strenuous to complete such a task on your own, but when you have someone to collaborate with and ask for opinions then we can learn so much more and draw on each other’s strengths. We all played a role in finding the solution to that particular case. Even though we were novices, we tried our best to help Dr. Osama and the other specialist.

I wholeheartedly recommend this course to anyone who wishes to become a healthcare professional in the future. A work experience is a vital ingredient to success in your medical applications; get researching and find opportunities like these that will undoubtedly spice up your CV for university and even when applying for a job after! 

This article has explored my work experience with Pre-Med Projects and how it has made me keener on helping preserve life, and urging to make a change in the world. A change for the better. 

Bianca, Year 11 student