By being part of The Access Project’s Medicine Society I have been able to gain a better understanding of what medical schools are looking for, what skills (both academic and non academic) I need to have, what skills I have which are good and what skills I need to work on and how I can improve them, for example my communication skills which are important for a doctor .
I was able to attend a trip to Hull York medical school. During this trip I was told about the life of a university student, for example different societies I can be part of and the support available for me which made me more keen to attend university. I also learnt more about the teaching style some medical schools use (Problem Solving Based Teaching).
I was able to understand how to write a personal statement, what to include in it and what admission officers look for when assessing them.
I had the opportunity to ask questions about medicine directly with doctors and nurses working in the hospital. In addition, I was able to ask current medical students about the life of a medical student from and also learnt some basic things doctors do such as taking blood pressure, drawing blood and CPR.
I was able to know more about the fifth non-medicine choice that I have on UCAS, how best to choose it based on the similarities and differences of alternatives to medicine courses. I was told about different routes to medicine such as the graduate route and the foundation route and how each is different from the other, which increased my confidence.
Taking part in the society was a great help for me so far, as I was able to find people who share the same dream as me and we were able to discuss things together and help each other out. I was able to ask for help when I needed it and when I was stressed. The experience has greatly increased my confidence about making my application next year.
Mahsa Ahmadi, Year 12 Access Project student in the East Midlands
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