My Goal To Become A Biomedical Research Scientist
The idea of taking part in the research to find new cures for diseases, coupled with my keen interest in chemistry and biology, highly motivate me to study Biomedical Sciences. I find this a challenging course in a field that I’ve always enjoyed learning about since my IGCSEs. I’m convinced it will help me to fulfill my potential, helping me achieve excellent communication, research and IT skills, and become a top research scientist working at the boundaries of current knowledge.
During my A Level Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics, I have developed a wide range of skills that are crucial for undertaking this course. Biology has helped me gain knowledge and understanding about our body; Chemistry has improved my practical skills; and Maths has developed my analytical and problem-solving abilities. I am firmly convinced that this course will further enhance my qualities, allowing me to become a successful biomedical research scientist.
To improve my medical knowledge, I have completed two relevant FutureLearn online courses, both affiliated by the University of Birmingham. The three week course on Parkinson’s, where I became aware of how drugs affect the body, was really captivating and is an example of an area that particularly interests me. The other course was about how drugs are developed and the stages they have to pass before they get into the market. This gave me an overview on how expensive and long drug development can be. Furthermore, I read ‘Medical News Today’ on a daily basis, to keep up-to-date with recent medical advances. One article that caught my attention was about treating acute kidney disease with vitamin B3. This is the kind of research I would like to pursue as a career path. When shadowing a doctor at the rheumatology ward in Quiron hospital, Tenerife, I had the valuable opportunity to look at some radiographs of a patient suffering from pleuritis. It was rewarding to observe the difference between affected lungs and normal lungs. This gave me a practical example of the involvement of biomedical research scientists in medicine.
To gain valuable experience of working in a care setting, I helped in ‘Maria Grazia’ care home in Lessona, Italy, during the summer holidays. Every day, I engaged with the residents in activities and fed them their meals, learning the importance of patience, empathy and commitment when working in care environments, as well as the importance of good communication skills. I also carried out my own independent literature search into Alzheimer’s and dementia, diseases that affected many of the patients there, giving me an insight into how the complex processes in our body affect our health and wellbeing. By taking a Sports Leadership award, I boosted my leadership, teamwork, organisation and communication skills. I had to plan and lead lessons to students of all ages and nationalities so I learned the importance of flexibility; an essential quality for a biomedical scientist or student. After Sport’s Day, I wrote a report describing its events, which was published in the local newspaper. I enjoy writing and look forward to improving my scientific writing skills. I also participated in a charity event at my school, involving a toy collection for a local orphanage where many of the children also had Special Needs. My role involved writing to parents to ask for donations and spending a day with the orphans at a water park where we gave out the toys. It was very rewarding to see the children’s delight from being in our company and receiving the gifts.
Having lived in Singapore, Italy and currently in Spain, I speak three languages and have the ability to adapt to different environments quickly. I believe this, along with my academic abilities, will help in me to face some of the challenges involved when entering university. I feel that this course will further my knowledge and furnish me with all the tools I need to become a successful scientist in a medical field.
