Last Friday, aspiring Year 12 medics from not only Ipswich School but also other local schools had the opportunity to attend the Medics Insight Day at Rushmere, run by a fifth year medical student, Shezar, from Imperial College London.

During the first half of the day, Shezar aimed to give us a greater understanding of the process of getting
into medical school, involving tips on how to succeed in the UCAT and BMAT (the medicine admissions tests) and how to write a personal statement that is both unique and will meet the requirements of what a medical school likes to see from candidates.Along with this, we were given a detailed insight into the interviews that different universities carry out and very helpful advice on how to be successful in these interviews, particularly the MMIs. This stands for multiple mini interviews and these involve moving around different stations and being presented with various scenarios or asked certain questions, with the role play stations being particularly important for assessing how you handle difficult situations.

After lunch, we moved on to discuss what being a doctor actually entails. We were introduced to the various specialties and routes you can go down as a doctor. There was also an emphasis on patient centred care, an approach that focuses on the patient’s needs and involves them in the planning of their treatment. To finish the day, Shezar gave us an example of PBL, a learning method that several universities use. This is problem-based learning and requires small groups of students to research a case and present their findings. For us, the case was to do with lower respiratory problems. Initially we had to discuss what we would need to research, such as medical history, treatment plans, lower respiratory anatomy, and causes. After this, we were shown how to carry out a lower respiratory examination on a patient, involving observing the symmetry of the chest as a patient breathes in and out and percussion (this is tapping on the patient’s back to determine whether there is fluid in the lungs). This was a fun opportunity to gain a better understanding of what the teaching is like at medical school.

Overall, we all agreed that the day provided a detailed insight into medicine, warning us about some of the harsh realities of working for the NHS but also reinforcing how rewarding a career in medicine is.

Daisy L, Year 12