Doctors are required to deal with many challenging situations throughout their career and I have witnessed the harsh realities of the healthcare system when my father was required to have a heart bypass. Witnessing the professionalism of the doctor and bonds formed with him highlighted to me the privilege of such a stimulating profession. This inspired me to want to pursue further knowledge and experience within the medical field.

My choice of A level subjects is a reflection of my love for science and the aspiration for a medical career. Studying A level biology fueled my interest in wanting to know why the complex body works in a specific way. I more specifically enjoyed the section about techniques of manipulating genomes and their functions. To learn more about this I organised a Nuffield placement in a School of Cancer Sciences, and was able to work on my own project about producing a generation of monoclonal antibodies from single B cells. I performed many of the procedures in the lab that were learnt in school, including gel electrophoresis and PCR, which was a captivating experience as I could carry out the speciality from a more complex side than the limited A level biology course. This fine-tuned my independent learning which in turn will be a very valuable skill in my future studies. I have grasped opportunities whenever possible for clinical work experience, gaining more of an idea of what each job entails.

One of the most valuable insights was the placement I had arranged at a hospital in the cardiology department for a week, where the majority of the time was spent in the cardiac catheter laboratory. I observed the way doctors, radiographers, nurses, and technicians worked together pragmatically yet sympathetically, all for the wellbeing of their patients. Working closely with them, I appreciated the importance of multidisciplinary teamwork and how it is necessary throughout the hospital setting. I was lucky to spend a day in the radiology department, where there was an extensive range of diagnostic services. I believe that diagnosis is one of the most important parts of treatment and this is achieved through good communication skills. The sensitivity and compassion displayed by the radiographer when discussing options for treatment indicated to me how important it is to build rapport with patients as well as their families. Furthermore, my confidence with managing the demands of a healthcare course has been further improved by my organisation and leadership in the first year of sixth form, where I spent time mentoring younger students who struggled in their GCSE exams. I devised a plan for the session and taught them myself; covering topics that would later be taught in their lessons.

Through 2 hours a week, I helped to make the subject more enjoyable for them, thus seeing an improvement in their knowledge over time. Such an experience has demonstrated working around my schedule and has taught me how to manage my time between my studies and involvement in the school community. Time management is an important part of a human’s skill for which I have mastered, and this will make university life much more manageable for me. Outside of academia, I enjoy kickboxing and swimming as a way to push my limits. Working in a pressurised field such as medicine would require tremendous motivation and stamina, as well as engraving an ambitious and flexible work ethic to balance professional and personal life. Furthermore, I was lucky to attend a summer school which allowed me to interact with many new people with a similar background and vision of the future as myself.

I believe the various work experience I have gained, proves that I have the determination to study a career which enables me to both advance my scientific knowledge, as well as patient interactions. My capabilities of working independently and managing time efficiently fuels my drive to pursue a career in the medical field.