Biology Club (September 2015)

This term, I have been volunteering once a week at the biology “Goafers” after-school club. I help to teach younger students the scientific process, and how to organise and carry out experiments. This is good fun, and I have discovered that I quite enjoy teaching others; I believe that my communication skills and patience have…

AS Results (August 2015)

Although I didn’t go to results day at school because I was preparing for my UKCAT the next day (in which I got 2750), I soon discovered that I had won 4 As (Chemistry, Biology, History and English) and an A* in my EPQ; a very busy year paid off!

General Practice Work Experience at Boundaries Surgery, Four Marks (7th and 9th July 2015)

I was able to arrange two days of work experience with Boundaries Surgery at Four Marks in Hampshire. In my time there, I shadowed Dr Liz Hughes, Dr Kate Smeaton, Dr Phil West, and Nurse Hazel Cox. General practice is by no means the sedentary job that it is sometimes portrayed to be. I noted…

HIV Clinic Work Experience in a London Teaching Hospital (6th July 2015) (Names removed for reasons of confidentiality)

Out of pure serendipity, I came in contact with an acquaintance who works at a London teaching hospital HIV clinic. After we had exchanged a few emails in which I stressed my enthusiasm for medicine, she kindly invited me to have a day of work experience with her. During the day, we saw fifteen African patients, twelve of…

Chemistry Presentation on Anaesthetics (18th June 2015)

 In June this year those of us looking to apply for medical or veterinary courses at university were offered the opportunity to make presentations to the class on the medical application of chemistry, and I decided to do one on anaesthesia. I was interested by how we are not exactly sure how general anaesthetics work,…

Royal Marsden Work Experience (31st March and 1st April, 8th and 9th July, 6th August 2015)

Earlier this year, I was very kindly offered some work experience by an eminent ENT surgeon, Mr Peter Rhys-Evans, who works at the Royal Marsden in London. From this, I learnt much about the anatomy of the neck and development of cancer, in addition to the non-scientific skills required for medicine, such as communication and…

Mock Election (April 2015)

Last year at school, there was a mock election, with sixth form students campaigning for political parties, which were then voted for by the whole school. In order to have a bit of fun and improve my public-speaking skills, I decided to set up the UKIP campaign (not because of my political views). Having recruited…

General Practice Work Experience in Porchester (30th March 2015)

At a careers networking event at school, I met a GP, Dr Rachel Elliott, who very generously gave me the opportunity to spend a day shadowing her at her surgery in Porchester. Having only ever before been with a GP as a patient, I found it very interesting seeing things from a doctor’s perspective. Often perhaps as important as medical care are inter-personal…

Election to Captain of College (March 2015)

Shortly before Easter in 2015, I was voted Captain of College by pupils and staff for 2015/2016. This was a great honour, and will be a really useful life experience. I have already helped to organise, attended, and talked at several events, including making a speech in front of 1,000 people at the lower school…

Biology Presentation on Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (March 2015)

In biology, as we were studying genetics at the time, our teacher asked if any of us wanted to give presentations on genetic disorders. I decided to produce one on the disease that I had discovered from seeing the skeleton of Mr Jeffs at the Hunterian Museum. I was limited to ten minutes, but still…