I became involved with Medic Mentor after becoming a medical student. I found out about it through my university newsletter and last summer was my first time mentoring at summer school, as well as my first teaching experience.
Working with students to create a personal statement in just under five days helped me to realise how beneficial the summer school programme really was. Not only did the students leave with a finished first draft, but also with increased confidence in their abilities. As an applying student, I would never have believed that it was possible to have a finished personal statement within a week. It felt like quite a daunting task to put all my school experiences, as well as extra-curriculars into 4000 characters. Although I had supportive teachers that were willing to guide me, I think attending summer school would have made me less anxious about writing a personal statement at the beginning of Year 13, with the application deadline approaching.
Applying to medicine is a long process, and it can sometimes be quite difficult to plan for each of the different steps, like the aptitude tests. Preparing for the UCAT was quite stressful as it was a time pressured exam with different sections being tested. It can also be quite a lonely experience because while it is important to do practice questions consistently in the weeks leading up to the exam, it can get quite overwhelming. I found that organising my practise questions in the order they came up on the exam was most helpful as it helped me get used to the format. Advice for the UCAT would be to have a schedule, so that you are able to get in the practice you need, but also aren’t sat at your desk all day and have time to do things you enjoy. For the exam: know when to move on to other questions, remember all the questions are worth the same number of marks.
Being involved in running the programmes offered by Medic Mentor, such as the Medical Leadership programme as a scholar has allowed me to see how valuable these are for students. Students can develop their communication and leadership skills through speaking to their peers about relevant topics in medicine. This is really good preparation for medical school interviews as admissions panels are not only looking for how academically capable applicants are, but also how well they are able to articulate their thoughts.
I was most worried about the interview aspect of the medicine application because it was a novel experience, and in class I was usually the quiet student. I found that having a few experiences from my work experience or extra-curricular activities that I could talk about confidently, whilst also linking in skills and qualities of a good doctor, was the most useful interview preparation. Additionally, attending taster interview sessions was quite valuable because I was able to practice under timed conditions for each interview style. It is important to get as much practice as possible, which can be done with family members, or even teachers if you ask very politely!
Studying for maths and science A-Levels can be quite different to studying for other subjects. While there was a lot of content, what worked well for me was to read up on a particular topic before it was taught in class, and then consolidating afterwards by doing practice questions. This allowed me to ask more questions in lessons, where I would be able to receive help first hand.
Looking back on my application journey, I realise that a lot of my anxiety and nervousness was a result of the fact that there were so many different things to do and various deadlines to meet. I was a successful applicant; however, I do feel that I would have really benefitted from the more structured approach offered by Medic Mentor. The application cycle can feel never ending, but it is a good taster of life as a medical student!
I have really enjoyed being a medical student so far and am looking forward to starting my fourth year. Although it has been a lot of work, I have also been able to get involved in projects and meet people that I would not have been able to outside of medical school. One project that I have really enjoyed being a part of is the Medic Mentor Scholarship programme, which I joined at the beginning of third year in university. The scholarship programme is designed to supplement the work done in medical school. For example, an educational project in ‘Business and Management’ that I started at the beginning of the year has been very flexible, allowing me to engage more with the Chief mentors as well as the other scholars, and learn more about an area that is not taught in medical school. I applied to the Scholarship programme because I would be able to develop key skills such as teaching, leadership and delivering presentations which I feel are vital to success as both a medical student and as a doctor. Moreover, having access to tailored support and constructive feedback on my performance from Chief Mentors is extremely valuable in guiding improvement. I would really recommend thinking about applying to be a scholar because not only are there a variety of existing projects to be involved in, but also lots of creative freedom to design your own in an area you are passionate about.
