Meet Our Graduate Saad

Reflecting on the moment he received his results, Saad shared his elation, "Achieving an optimum score to secure my journey into Medicine has been a long-term goal of mine, and upon seeing my results, I was ecstatic to finally see my dream come true. This was all thanks to the wonderful support from my teachers at BIS Abu Dhabi, and I was elated to have done myself and my family proud."

Saad is now set to pursue his further education at the University of Plymouth, where he will be studying Medicine. When asked about his choice of university, he explained, "I chose the University of Plymouth for its integrated course delivery, providing the best of both worlds via detailed lectures as well as group-based learning methods which greatly help in consolidating knowledge."

Sharing some fun facts about the University of Plymouth, Saad mentioned, "The university employs the latest learning technologies, such as Virtual 3D Anatomy & Dissection. This offers a real human 1:1 anatomy system, easing the learning of anatomy and physiology as an alternative to traditional cadavers. The university also offers early clinical exposure which I feel is incredibly useful in learning a doctor's role and qualities as you progress through university. This provides the opportunity to speak with patients, learning more about how illnesses affect their lives. Additionally, two of my subject teachers also have experience in Plymouth; my Geography teacher is from there, and my Biology teacher studied at this university."

Explaining his passion for Medicine, Saad stated, "The sciences, particularly Biology and Chemistry, have always intrigued me since early secondary school; I knew I wanted to pursue a career in that field. My love for human biology brought me towards the decision of going into healthcare. I was fortunate to be able to complete over two weeks of work experience shadowing doctors of various specialties. This cemented my decision of joining medicine, as I witnessed the holistic approach doctors took to ensure their patients were healthy both in and out of the hospital."

Looking forward to his move to Plymouth, Saad expressed his excitement, "From what I have read about Plymouth, it is a great place, offering an amazing quality of life, stunning waterfront location, and a buzzing city centre. Being a coastal city, it is similar to Abu Dhabi. I have also heard great praise for Plymouth as one of the best and affordable UK cities to live in, so I look forward to studying there."

Discussing the benefits of studying the IB Diploma Programme at BIS Abu Dhabi in preparing him for university, Saad emphasised, "Undertaking 6 subjects in the IB greatly improved my time-management skills and ability to deal with multiple assignments at once. By virtue of this, I feel that it has prepared me well for university life in general and especially for medicine, a fact I was also able to underscore in my interviews. The IBDP course has also given me early exposure to research, in which the most memorable essay was my Biology IA. I conducted a practical investigation to document and analyse the effect of gender on olfactory perception (sense of smell). I will be able to utilise my research skills that I have developed during IB in medical school, particularly evaluating and researching for sources to construct a method."

Regarding his future career aspirations, Saad explained, "Medicine provides a pathway to many different routes of specialisation, which I am planning to pursue. I will be able to make a more informed decision on my specialty of choice once I have gone through placements in different hospital departments. Medicine is forever advancing, and as that is going on, I am looking forward to increasing my knowledge as new treatment comes to light. This will contribute to my continuous professional development where I can engage in such research myself or discuss it at conferences."

During his time at BIS Abu Dhabi, Saad was actively involved in various extracurricular activities, making the most of his experience while completing the IB Diploma Programme. He completed the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award during which he partook in tutoring primary and secondary students in the subjects of English and Mathematics. He also attended the Model United Nations CCA in Year 12 and competed in an International MUN event between different British schools. Saad's academic achievements extended to the Junior, Intermediate, and Senior UKMT Mathematics Challenges, where he earned multiple awards for his exceptional results. Moreover, he enjoyed being part of the Wakeboarding CCA, along with participating in a variety of sport-related activities, including badminton and scuba diving.

Reflecting on his memories from the school, Saad shared, "I was fortunate to take part in some of the many school trips that BIS Abu Dhabi offers, the Basic and Advanced Switzerland Trekking, as well as the multiple trips to Dibba. These experiences developed life-long memories along with my enthusiasm for hiking. I already miss the iconic lunchtime football games and every other time where we tried to get the opportunity for a football match."

As he bids farewell to BIS Abu Dhabi, Saad expressed what he will miss the most, "A sense of attachment to the familiar faces of teachers and the surrounding environment will remain with me. It will be a bit of a strange experience to be continuing the following year in a different place to this school."

In closing, Saad expressed his gratitude to his teachers, saying, "I would like to thank all my teachers for their guidance and for encouraging me to push forward, with special mention of Ms. Batty, Ms. Juett, Ms. Roughley, Mrs. Carmen Gil, Ms. Ashworth, Ms. Osman, Mr. Stanier, Ms. Butler, Mrs. Mackinven, Ms. Lakshmi, Mr. Mitchell, and many more."

Congratulations, Saad! We wish you all the best in your exciting journey as you pursue Medicine at the University of Plymouth. Your passion for healthcare and the experiences gained at BIS Abu Dhabi have undoubtedly prepared you for a successful and fulfilling career ahead.