Factors Inspiring My Desire To Study Medicine

My curiosity with the functioning of the human body, the ability to have an impact on patients’ health and how scientific discoveries are put into clinical practice to improve quality of care, are what inspired my desire to study Medicine. This was reinforced through observing a major surgery in which I began to understand the scientific and emotional demands that Medicine requires. Spending a week in a general surgery department in a local hospital, I was able to observe a variety of cases and patients and quickly came to understand that patient care involves multiple medical and non-medical teams. Talking with patients every day and listening to their stories made me more aware of their emotions, improved my empathy towards others and enabled me to realise the importance of the close doctor-patient relationship.

I met a patient with Huntington's Disease whose condition progressively worsened. I found this a chance to learn further about the condition, the significance of treating the patient and not just the disease and how to cope with such situations, from different members of staff on the ward. Using this knowledge, I was able to further research and apply the experience I gained, to write and win an essay about memory formation and loss for the medical sciences prize at Oxford. I participated in the Loreto Medical Journal by writing an essay discussing ‘Crossing Kingdoms for Tissue Engineering Scaffolds’, where I explored using parts from the Plantae Kingdom to form transplantable human tissues. Attending a lecture about ‘Unravelling DNA’ inspired me to read ‘How We Live’ by S. Nuland. Through these, I found how understanding the physiology of cells and tissues can improve patient care and medical technologies. The author explains the interrelationship between the body’s systems, this emphasized the importance of tailoring care based on patients’ own needs and conditions. During a placement in a hospital Diabetes Centre, I was able to understand methods to deal with a chronic disease and how to address each patient’s concerns based on their own condition and history. I developed interest in the complications of Type 2 Diabetes and how different body systems are affected by this condition.

I am now committed to an EPQ about the relationship between changes in cholesterol levels and their effect on micro complications of diabetes. Volunteering with younger children 3 hours a week for 6 months, gave me the opportunity to understand and enhance my communication and leadership skills. Through developing techniques to help less-able students with their work and challenge the more able groups with extra tasks, I believe that the skills I learnt, such as confidence, can be transferred to studying and practicing medicine. Learning to train and teach both others and myself in a short period of time is an ongoing part of being a doctor. Outside my academic life, I enjoy sketching and water-colouring during my free time which allows me to relax and reflect. Using this interest, I participated and won an Architecture Essay Prize at Cambridge by designing a student hub to fit into the college grounds.

Completing the Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s award made me build high resilience and stress management skills in overcoming challenging weather conditions and difficulties in navigation. Having moved to the UK in 2015, I overcame many difficulties ranging from learning a new language to adapting and engaging with a new society. Although challenging, my first year in England was an invaluable experience. I can appreciate some of the difficulties faced by doctors such as dealing with an ageing population and working in a multicultural society. My personal abilities and experiences, I believe, equip me with the required qualities and skills to practice this fascinating lifelong career.