Non-science student profile: Georgia
What degree did you do before coming to study medicine at Warwick?
I studied Human Sciences (a mix of anthropology and social science) before starting at Warwick.
Did you have any concerns about studying medicine without having a background in a scientific subject?
Definitely, I had been told not to take Chemistry for GCSE because I was so bad at it, so that felt like a scary background to be approaching medicine from! It was definitely nerve-wracking because I had no academic experience in any of the biochemistry or physics that I felt was the ‘hard’ science component of the course.
How did you become involved with the Non-Science Teaching Group?
I heard about the group on the cohort Facebook page before joining and they organised a teaching day before we started to meet other people from similar backgrounds.
What help have you had from the group?
I attended pre-block teaching and seminars each week throughout my first year. The group was really important to me, as we had teaching aimed at those from a non-science background and pitched at exactly the right level. You were never made to feel silly if you didn’t understand a topic and the teachers knew exactly what you were going through, as they themselves hadn’t studied science. They identified the key topics and relatable ways to learn them, which was incredibly valuable.
What difference has this made to you on the course?
It gave me a lot of confidence on the course, as it was such a supportive and engaging team of teachers from the year above to rely on. There was so much support from the group itself, particularly pre-exams, and throughout the year it felt like a safe space where you could ask any question and not feel like you were wasting anyone’s time.
Do you have advice for other students from non-scientific backgrounds applying to the course?
Definitely don’t see it as a barrier to studying medicine! Groups like non-science really help with the transition from humanities to medicine but there are so many other sources of help out there that can help you understand the more complex subjects. The lack of science will also not be an issue once you’ve gone through the first year and are out on the wards; don’t forget that all of you are learning clinical medicine for the first time. I’ve also often found that though I have no pure science in my background, my previous degree and employment helps in other parts of the course; for example interacting with patients or clinical skills, which is just as important as exams!
