Future Doc...

Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:51:00 +0000

"Why do you want to come to Barts?"

"Well it's in East London, and there is a brilliant 24 hour bagel shop in Shoreditch"

I shit you not.

But they loved it.

Interview in Two Days...

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:33:00 +0000

Excited. Nervous. Eating chocolate fingers by the truck load. I don't normal binge eat from nerves. Odd.

So I have met with three medical students. One the Student Union President. I have read the following two books cover to cover:
Medical School Interviews - Lee, Picard
Succeed in Your Medical School Interview - Dr See
I prefer the second one by Dr See. He writes from experience and I found that his questions were much more open, making you consider where they could go and what the panel were looking for. Picard seems to waste a lot of questions on what they could ask you in the NHS. This could have been set as a learning point and several pages saved. If you plan to buy any books, I recommend both for the key motivation questions, but if you are short for cash then the second one is the better of the two.

I'm getting too excited. I'm imagining everything I am going to do as a med student. As a doctor. This is bad. I was devastated in August 2009 and three years on, I know that if I don't get this, I will be devastated again. I'll get over it. But being told no to a career that I've given a lot already is... trying to say the least.

Several of my friends and course mates have also got interviews for both undergraduate and graduate medicine at Barts. I think we originally all agreed, non-verbally, not to mention the interviews but as it has got closer, it dominates our conversations. Even friends who aren't applying are probably sick of me talking about it. Without being cocky, I may not be the strongest academic candidate by far, but I have the best extracurriculars. I have a life and all these skills will relate to medicine. My personal tutor at Queen Mary once told me that Barts love people who are well rounded. They look beyond the grades.

The only thing I can hope is that my passion will show at interview. I need to remember to smile. And related EVERYTHING back to Barts. I think I finally understand what X-Factor contests mean when they say "I really want this". I really want this. So much. Wish me luck.

Less than 2 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:52:00 +0000

Excitement!!!!

1st of the Month

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:58:00 +0000

Pinch Punch.

Up early. Off to talk to the Presidents of Barts and the London Student Association (BLSA) for interview tips. I love visiting Whitechapel!

Why be a Doctor Over a Nurse? (Update)

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:52:00 +0000

Update: This is one of the most popular posts on my blog. I assume that it is mainly potential medicine applicants looking at it for ideas for their personal statement and blog. To help my knowledge and yours I thought I would update it with a better understanding.

Doctors gain trust very easy in comparison to other caring professions.
The combination of an mental challenging job with daily interaction with patients and staff is rare in other roles. While I'm not saying that a nurse's job is not challenging, there is only so much they can progress and even specialised they follow protocols.
Teaching and research play a key role in the job. While nurses are involved in research, it is common for the doctor to take the lead and a nurse be involved in the practical execution.
By studying medicine, you have the choice of being a GP, hospital, surgeon or a lab doctor. This level of variety is not afforded by a career in nursing. This initial training is very general so you can literally do anything. When a patient's management exceeds a specialty, they have this knowledge to rely on. This knowledge is also developed through clinical skills that must be tested by Royal College exams
Also doctors are financially rewarded for their work and with clear pay grades that can exceed higher than a nurse.

This is in no way a dig at nurse or any attempt to insult doctors. A question that rises in most interviews which I could be expected to answer one day is "Why do you want to be a doctor?" or "Why a doctor instead of a nurse?". This post will incorporate my feelings and career knowledge so I can answer that question myself. I know I want to be a doctor, but I want to be able to explain it fully and here's my chance.

Above are print screens taken from the NHS website describing the careers of the two areas. To me there is an immediate difference. Nursing is described as a more caring and supporting job, while Doctors are more scientific and diagnostic. Yet I know that many nurses can prescribe, create treatment plans and are independent. Both aim to cure the patient but have different means and procedures. Also Doctors are not just leaders, they are dependent on the team (Nurses and co.) for support and help. It is a group effort.

Many people would beg me not to say these in an interview (People on TSR :P) but I feel they are honest answers to the question. I would of course phrase them differently but money, status and job certainty (in the world not necessarily the UK) are also reasons for medicine. Anyone who is doing it purely to repay the world or help others is kidding themselves. I've done enough work experience and read enough blogs to know this is simply not true. People abuse and use the NHS. Not every patients will want to be saved. You may have a kind heart but unless you are completely dedicated to medicine other reasons must drive.

Blog Theme

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:07:00 +0000

Messing around with my blog. Not sure about it yet. It's very limited in customisation.

In other news. I am very excited about my interview!!!!! Doing a lot of prep right now so hopefully it will pay off.

I have also purchased a brand new Apple Macbook Air :D
My laptop broke last week and I've been putting off getting a replacement. I've wanted one for ages. I finally took the plunge and bought one. It's so... SEXY

INTERVIEW!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:04:00 +0000

I can HAPPILY announce that I have an interview for undergraduate medicine at Barts in February. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

FML Update

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:30:00 +0000

My Dad scanned across a copy of the letter (sent to my home address, god knows why?) and I've only been rejected from graduate course, not undergraduate. Fingers crossed. Ish.

FML

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:06:00 +0000

Rejected from Barts. Dull microbiology lecturers. This day has been shit.

I'm so famous...

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Hope your New Year was just as good as mine. I'm full of Christmas food and chocolate, preparing for my return to the academic world. I will be writing a post based on many comments including Ms-Ellisa's about my alternative plans. However this post isn't about that. It's about an intriguing comment that I got on my last post.

I'VE WON AN AWARD

...sort of.

I was recently featured in a Top 10 Medical Student Blog list run by Medical Artist. I came in eight. I'm delighted that I was even featured on the list at all. After all, while I study Biomedical Science, I wouldn't consider my self a medical student in that sense. I reserve that title for those studying medicine and the fact everyone else on the list is a true medical student makes me wonder if I'm in the wrong category. Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful to Medical Artist for their recognition and appreciate the potential for more readers BUT I would like anyone reading this blog to know that I am:

studying Biomedical Sciences at Queen Mary, UoL;
applied to Medicine at college before Biomed;
currently applying to Medicine while studying Biomed

Hope that clears everything up. Also check out the list because I regularly read number one and have casually glanced at other sites featured.

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:32:00 +0000

Back home in Weston for the holidays. Missing London already but been Christmas food shopping with my mum and very excited. Had a very serious talk with my dad yesterday about medicine and if I still want it to do. I really do, but I've started considering other things as backups. Maybe I should be arranging internships etc.

Anyhow that discussion is for another post.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Charity

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:19:00 +0000

Another post about Christmas. Firstly, very excited. I'm literally shouting "Merry Christmas" at people.

Secondly, thanks to Medicine I've done voluntary work from a young age. I think charity is very important and I think that people should donate small amounts. I'm literally talking less than £5. I think the NSPCC are an amazing charity. They provide support to children in need and would recommend dropping them a donation of just a £1 or so.

And I would also like to big up my Dad at this point. Every Christmas since I can remember, he has always asked for two things. A box of walnut whips and a charity donation. He doesn't care what charity it goes to, just as long as we all donate to charity instead of buying him a present. He is very insistent on that. I wish I wasn't materialistic and could say that as well...

IT'S CHRISTMAS

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:51:00 +0000

I know we still have two weeks to go but today is the last radio show before we break up for the Christmas holidays. Subsquently, my co-host has planned probably the cheesiest Christmas show alive and I've been downloading songs ranging from Michael Buble to T.O.W.I.E's Last Christmas. I'm in the Christmas Mood and very excited.

Spent the Friday and Saturday working at the pub, so two days of studying lost to working. Can anyone say money? I sat in my student union coffee shop on Sunday doing work. It was completely unrelated to my course but instead is related to my role at a student representative.

In my levels of procrastination, I managed to convince a very hungover friend to come to the pub and we ended up have a pub crawl (Is three pubs a pub crawl?) of Mile End. We called it a day at 11. I say we, the last pub we could find that was open closed so we were forced to retire.

I have then spent this morning downloading songs for my radio show and meeting with the wonderful VP of Communications (my student union mentor) to discuss how I'm doing as a student rep. I honestly feel like I'm not doing enough and that I am not a representative at all. However, apparently I'm a "student rep extraordinaire!" and doing great. I'm blowing my own trumpet on here, because I'm not crass enough to do it on twitter in front of all the other councillors :P

No news from Barts still. Probably won't hear till January/February now. I keep forgetting and then remembering every time someone asks me what I'm doing after university. I hate that question. It use to be such an easy one to answer, but now I'm starting to be filled with dread. Student Politics and Journalism are starting to attract me but I would need to seriously step up my game for either and would be a big deviation from my course, medicine and everything I have worked for so far.

As always, I'll keep you posted.

Procrastinating

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:55:00 +0000

It seems to be a theme today. I have a hockey Christmas meal tonight and two coursework deadlines for Friday.

Instead I have tidied me room to the point of spotless. I've organised my work (wetherspoons) key and badges into an appropriate container.

I've also got in the Christmas mood and built myself a Christmas tree. Feeling pretty happy right now :D

Guide book

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:18:00 +0000

BTW, if you ever go to Paris. Get this guide book.

It is amazing or Il est très bon. And the itinerary for a weekend, you can do in a day. Just sayin'

where i'm going

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:46:00 +0000

Was rejected from Medicine at College. Took a Gap Year, worked for the Department for Work and Pensions and then went to Queen Mary, UoL for Biomedical Science.

I have applied to Barts in my 2nd year of Biomed. I'll let you know how it goes.

What I've Done So Far

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:41:00 +0000

University
Biomedical Science, Queen Mary, University of London '13

A-Levels
ABBBb - Law, Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Critical Thinking
(grades linked to subject respectively)

GCSEs
3A*, 6A, 1B
The B was in Graphics. I'm really not artistic.

University Extracurricular
QMessenger & CUB
Quest Radio
QM Hockey - 1st Team
Work at Wetherspoons
Student Representative on QMSU

Where's Wally?

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:26:00 +0000

Bonjour. I've been on holiday. For the weekend.

Me and my fellow biomeds planned a last minute get away to Paris. Booked it a month ago and spent two and a half days stuffing my face with crossiants. It was amazing. The views from the Arc de Triumphe are amazing and being soaked on the top of the Effiel Tower was a highlight (weird I know). I've come back with the travelling bug and worst of all I've started looking at other careers...

I still want to be a doctor. Its a dream that has never died. But I'm now 21 and I think I'm mature enough (not too much though) to realise that this may not be a reality. I am still going to try and I will give it my all. I could hear from Barts anytime now until Feburary. I feel 18 all over again. Nervous and full of excitment. If I am rejected, I will be disappointed, I will get drunk and I will pull myself up and try again.

This blog post was sponspored by procrastination of a PBL about Long QT syndrome.

UKCAT

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:08:00 +0000

UKCAT done. Reference being written. Personal statement planned. Deadline 5 days.

NHS plans

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 22:01:00 +0000

So graduates who want to do the five year MBBS will get no help for tuition fees.
Fuck. That is all.

On an additional note, my best goes out to Merys at I Am Not A Drain On Society. Congratulations on becoming a doctor after a 9 year struggle. Sorry to hear you are in hospital. Get well soon :D

Exams, UKCAT and lots of starbucks

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Mon, 30 May 2011 18:34:00 +0000

So my first year of university has finished. My exams are over and they could have gone a lot better. I slept through one, had friends down for a gig the day of another and generally was so relaxed about revision that I only panicked twenty minutes before each exam. And yet I loved it because I loved my first year. I've probably fucked myself for the next few years but I couldn't care at the moment. I've jumped through a lot of hoops for medicine and even ended up on a degree that wasn't even my second choice. As my advisor says "If you want to mess up a year, the first one is the one to do it in".

I've spent today buying UKCAT books and sitting in a Starbucks in Piccadilly drinking mocha frappes. It's been pretty cool and I think that I've got a much better attitude for the UKCAT this time round. I'm going to start at the basics going over GCSE Maths, practice speed reading and making sure I do the damn shape tests in my sleep.

Just in case I haven't mentioned, my university (Queen Mary) lets 2nd year Biomeds apply to their Medicine degrees for deferred entry hence the UKCAT stuff. I'm pretty excited about the application process but also hesitant. I'm going to be on a course next year with 80 other people applying for medicine at the same place. I'm sure that will drive me mental slightly. We'll see.

Also I should probably proof read my posts before positing but then it gives me another reason not to post so apologies for the rushed nature. Now that summer is coming they'll be more planned and organised.

Where did the time go? Almost end of the year!

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 23:25:00 +0000

I feel like every blog I start is apologising for not posting enough. I twitter a lot at the moment but blogging usually takes more. Or should take more if I planned it.

I've just finished Week 11 of Semester B of my first year of university. I have one week of official teaching then exam season starts :(

Can anyone say panic? First of all, I don't want to leave 1st year. Being a fresher is brilliant. Being a second year sounds like hard work. Secondly exams. I haven't done any exams for coming up to two years. Not worrying at all. Should be studying but instead I'm finding excuses in London not too.

Today has been interesting. I've had an interview for Drapers (S.U. Bar) and hopefully it was good. I felt it went crap but then I felt that about Sainsbury's and definitely Jobcentre. I had to draw an amazing bar person, then talk about glow in the dark paint for 30 seconds followed by a one on one interview. Odd to say the least. I really hope I get it though. It's on campus, wage is good and I'll be guaranteed a job for two years :D

Housing hunting. I've been looking online a lot but nothing seems to be available yet, apparently I shouldn't be looking till June/July. Plus I'm possibly living in a house that some third years are moving out of so that could make things nice and simple. Really hope so.

Course is good. Writing that, I sound like a postcard or an email to a distance relative. It is though. I'm enjoy the topics, maybe not the lectures but the topics for sure. Plus I seem to be holding my own so far. Exams will prove different I'm sure.

Medicine applications are also approaching. After exams, I'll have to look at booking my UKCAT and applying through QMUL. Should be an interesting experience which I'll blog about for future biomeds who are using this course as a slingshot to medicine.

Semester B and House Hunting Drama

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 17:26:00 +0000

I honestly can't believe I'm in the second semester of the first year already. It's flying by. Christmas was brilliant. Hope you guys had a great new year. Diving into the new semester, the content is definitely increasing in size and depth. I'll be studying histology, biochemisty and phyisiology. I'm loving the modules so far, although histology is going to take up a lot of my time. I can just sense it.

So what's new at uni? Loads of stuff is going on and I'm determined to keep my involvement up this term. I need to go the gym alot more! So far, I've been twice :O I know, shame on me. I just get a little nervous in front of all the guys doing free weights. Might try getting up early seeing as most sports club use the afternoons.

I'm joining the Tennis Club as well. After going on holiday over the Christmas break to Centre Parcs, I realised how much I miss Tennis so I'll be playing that again. I also really loved swimming, so I'm going to be going to the pool in Mile End at some point.

I'm really glad to be back but part of me still wants to be in Medicine at Barts. I know I'm not the only one thinking this and I even discovered that my flatmate has a blog. I had a quick look through and it's nice to know that 1. we are thinking the same thing and 2. he actually likes our flat. He's very mysterious you see, likes to keep himself to himself and it's difficult to know what he's thinking.

For example, our flat get on so well that we've started looking for a house together for next year however I was considered my flatmate would pull out and live with his sports team. Yet when another flatmate questioned him, he was adamant he would live with us and went house hunting the next day. Good to know :D

House hunting is turning into a drama. Somehow and fuck knows how, but a group of six has turned into eight. I like the two girls who want to live with us but they haven't even asked most of my flatmates. They just started looking for eight bedroom houses. In fact, I only found out because one of my flatmates walked in on three (current flatmate and the two friends) of them looking at houses. Mental. So I'm going to have to sit down and find out what's going on because this can easily get out of hand.

Looking forward to tonight :D Going to have a Cheese and Wine evening with some course mates. Going to dress up smart and get drunk. Cheap. Classy. Can't go wrong.

Oh and as a bragging point, because I can brag here because I'm a faceless person and I'm not doing it at an individual, I scored 99% in a Human Anatomy practical and also got published in the magazine for my student union. Pretty proud of myself if you don't mind me saying!

Unrelated

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 13:29:00 +0000

In a completely unrelated post, I'm having a very techy holiday and having been messing with Ubuntu on my laptop. Any suggestions for cool apps is appreciated!

I really want a mac, purely for Keynote though. Powerpoint is shit. I still hate Apple though even though I own an ipod, iPhone and love Steve Job's presenting skills.

IT'S CHRISTMAS!!

noreply@blogger.com (Future Doc) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 13:14:00 +0000

I got an email in a lecture this morning as someone commented on a post I wrote three years ago :O It reminded me I hadn't blogged in a while although I have been hitting up TSR recently for kicks.

What I can not believe the most, is that it's been three months since I started university. I have managed to survive, make friends, reasonably pass my modules and have fun! It's gone by so quickly that I've been using facebook photos as a memory jog.

Yet as I approach the last few days of term, I've completed my first essay due for tomorrow (I love my course for the lack of essays). I have a French essay I am avoiding (I'm learning French if I forgot to mention) because I've missed two lessons in a row and will probably have to miss the lesson tonight due to Christmas dinner at uni for £4!!! I get a beer and everything.

While I feel I've done reasonable alright in the course so far (apparently I'm in the top 10 for Human Anatomy module. So BRAGGING ABOUT THIS) I definitely need to "pull my socks up" (borrowing this brilliant phrase from a course mate). The competitive streak that medicine seems to create is still there but I have suppressed it (Thank God). Some of the people on biomed are so insanely competitive and grade obsessive it makes me want to vom a little.

It really does make for 'cringeful' entertainment sometimes, especially when you get to mess with them i.e. "I've done hardly any revision for this mini-test" "Really, I've done about 30 hours so far but definitely not enough" :P

Christmas is coming as well. I've had my first Christmas dinner at uni on Tuesday with some course mates and then I'll be having another one this afternoon for £4 at the curve.

Regarding my blog, over Christmas holidays I'll do some updating. Need to change some links and while I love the theme I think a fresh one is appropriate. Plus I'll put a few posts about my medicine application that will be coming up next year.