My Aspiration To Become The Health Care Professional

The human body fascinates me in how it works; I've found it to be intellectually stimulating, in particular how adeptly the body can fight off infections and diseases. My grandmother, whom I live with, has regularly been in and out of the hospital due to breast cancer. This led me to start reading medical journals, such as the BMJ, to read up on chemotherapy treatment and how critical early diagnosis is in these situations. The health care professionals working together to help her and other patients have inspired me in showing me how rewarding a career in medicine can be.

Through my A-levels I have gained excellent academic skills; I am highly organised and prioritise what needs to be done and when for. I have problem-solving and analytical skills. I meet deadlines and ensure work is completed to high standards. I have been working as an administration employee at a domiciliary care company for over a year. As part of my role, I communicate with service users to help get them the high standard of care needed, I also complete house visits alongside other employees to get feedback to help improve services. I volunteer as a St John Ambulance First Aider, in which I successfully completed a training program. Part of my role includes working as a team at busy events. I liaise with other First Aiders, Paramedics and Nurses. I have weekly training as First Aid is constantly evolving, with techniques being improved constantly. To relax I practice mindful meditation and am a member of an athletics club where I compete with other members of the club in races, I do this in order to keep fit and studies have shown that regular exercise improves mental health. In college, I was a health ambassador during year 12. This was an enrichment group where I met weekly with other students to promote healthcare issues in college. We hosted a wide range of campaigns, including breast cancer awareness, where we fundraised and donated profits to breast cancer research, this campaign was especially important to me due to my grandmother being diagnosed with it. I became a certified youth mental health first aider in October, mental health is very important to me personally. Partaking in the course has meant I feel more educated about increasingly common problems and also able to spot signs of those struggling, to help get any assistance needed. As primary care is such a fundamental part of the NHS, I shadowed a general practitioner for two weeks, during my Easter holidays. Along with observing a range of patients, I also accompanied a doctor on house visits of housebound patients.

The experience highlighted to me the importance of being empathetic and understanding. I volunteer weekly at an Oxfam charity bookstore which has helped improve my communication skills as I meet people from different demographics and to relay sometimes complex information I have to explain in a clear and concise manner. Along with store stocking, I also operate the cash machine which demonstrates responsibility and trustworthiness. As an avid reader I enjoy a variety of genres, recently I came across 'When breath becomes air', an autobiography by a neurosurgeon who was diagnosed with and died from lung cancer. It was an interesting read as it offers an insight into his experiences in dealing with his terminal illness, it has further fuelled my desire to study medicine so as to help improve people's lives, not just physically, but also to be able to offer support in difficult times. Regularly working as part of a team, during work, college and volunteering, has meant I feel confident and enjoy working in a team and with new people; which is a good skill to have as doctors often consult other healthcare professionals. I believe medicine as a career would allow me to bring together my love of sciences whilst also making a profound difference in people's lives.