Year: Third
(at time of interview: June 2022)
Hometown: Manchester
Education: BSc in Psychology at the University of Sheffield followed by an MSc in Speech and Language Therapy at the University of Essex
What work experience had you gained before coming here?
I worked as a speech and language therapist specialising in acute stroke and stroke rehabilitation for four years. I also shadowed FY1s, SHOs and registrars on a number of on call shifts to get an idea of the different expectations of each grade of doctor.
Why did you choose Warwick?
I really liked the fact that Warwick’s course is graduate only and you don’t join the undergraduate programme after first year. As a slightly older student this was important to me to know that there would be people who were a similar age. Also I liked the fact that Warwick welcomes people from all backgrounds and really values healthcare experience. I don’t have the traditional A levels needed for lots of medicine courses so this felt like the right course for me.
How are you finding the MB ChB so far?
I have really enjoyed my time completing the MB ChB so far. It is very challenging at times but the support given by the medical school helps you get through. I never thought i would be able to learn everything to pass medical school exams but the way the curriculum is designed means that the same concepts come up again and again (each time with a bit more information added) which helps me retain and understand what we have been learning.
How have you found your clinical placements?
I have loved my clinical placements. Warwick encourages early placements and you are interacting with patients from the first term. We get a real variety of placements in a variety of local hospitals. Clinical placements really allow you to see what you have learnt in the lecture theatre in action. And you can practise all the clinical skills you have been learning from day 1 of the course.
What do you most enjoy about the course?
The specialist clinical placements in phase 3 have been my favourite part of the course so far, especially the acute medicine block and the GP block. In these blocks there is a real focus on getting hands on and seeing patients as part of the team, whilst being supervised by registrars and consultants. By getting stuck in you learn so much. My history taking, examination and problem solving skills have definitely improved the most by having a go.
Have you been involved in any extracurricular activities during your time here?
I was the staff student liaison committee (SSLC) rep for my cohort in my second year. This involved asking the cohort about any issues and then feeding them back to the senior teaching team. I also teach in peer seminars for students in the cohorts below. Peer seminars are a great way to help break down complex concepts for people in the years below and also help everyone make sense of all the information we need to know. It is also a great way to revise as to be able to teach a concept you need to understand it. Peer seminars are very popular here at Warwick and I would definitely suggest getting involved. In my free time (yes we do get some whilst doing graduate medicine!) I like playing squash, exploring the local countryside and trying to learn how to do some gardening.
Do you have any idea at this stage about which specialty you’d like to pursue?
I really enjoy general practice and emergency medicine as you get to treat such a broad range of conditions and patients. But never say never to any specialty.
Do you have any advice for people applying to the MB ChB at Warwick?
When it comes to work experience it isn’t necessarily what you do but what you’ve learnt from it that counts. Practise, practise, practise for the UCAT!
If you are considering applying to Warwick you should absolutely do it. There is no typical background for a Warwick student and I think this makes the Warwick course so successful as everyone can learn from each other’s experiences.
Finally, how would you sum up your experience of studying at medical school so far?
Rewarding, challenging and interesting.
