Middle of the Pack

This is unofficially the middle of the first year of my Medical Degree at Newcastle University. We have 13 different cases and we are currently halfway through the sixth. October and January exams have come and been passed. I am currently the 223rd ranked student out of 454 medical students across both Newcastle and Malaysia campuses. That places me roughly in the middle of the pack.

This is also the middle point of my projected nine year university voyage and a convenient time to reflect on what has happened previously and what is to come now.

Certainly the first four years have proved that I can be great, galvanise opinion, become an effective team leader and understand critical situations.

But of course, a few failures remain including the lack of a publication, becoming president of a society and never finishing at the top of my degree class.

Those still linger as I am currently at the halfway point but I feel very clear about the end-goal at this point in my medical school career. All that needs doing now is to put in the work.

OFFER

May have taken four years but yesterday Newcastle offered me a place to study Medicine on their five year course for 2017 Entry! Just sheer euphoria. I was actually on my second shift as a healthcare assitant in A&E when I noticed a notification. After seeing the preview 'Further to your interview,' I was honestly bracing myself for a rejection but...

'Further to your recent interview for a place on the A100 MBBS programme at Newcastle University, I am pleased to inform you that we would like to make you an unconditional offer for 2017 entry. Please find the offer letter attached here.'

Just so fulfilling to know that all this work was worth it. All the lectures, essays and dissertations have all come resulted in a dream being fulfilled. Just so grateful to all my close friends, family members and lecturers over the past year for all their support.

The best days are still ahead!

Rejection, Interview, _ #1

Two days ago, I received an invitation to an interview for 2017 Entry from Newcastle. This is for the five year programme having originally applied to them earlier this year.

The interview was today and this was actually a phone-based panel interview with two selectors. So I've been trying to cover as much ground for the interview and particularl panel-based topics whilst also addressing some of the areas in which I did not perform so well in at the panel-based Plymouth interview.

The interview was scheduled for 20 minutes and it went by extremely quickly. The questions were very generic and open-ended. On reflection, I felt that the themes of my responses addressed the questions well but I think I could have delivered the content a bit more succinctly. I felt quite nervous initially when questions were asked based on the content of my responses. The interviewers were very straight-faced and professional so it was hard to tell if these questions were answered properly with strong conviction. Collectively, I felt that I had improved from the Plymouth interview but will this improvement lead to a medical school place?

Ultimately, there are areas in which I know I need to improve in. Particularly around preparing myself for questions ensuring that I answer questions concisely. Current work as a healthcare assistant is proving to be particularly useful in understanding a variety of hospital-based protocols but also understanding how to interact and communicate with medical professionals and patients. I feel confident that increased clinical exposure will particularly help in improving communication skills.

And Rejection #4.

Southampton rejection pre-interview.

And that wraps up my 2017 Entry Cycle application. Unfortunately, it seems that a low admissions score was the culprit this cycle. But my scores have improved from last year and I don't particularly feel any less determined to get in. If anything, I know I'm close. Just need to get myself in as many interview rooms as I can next year. And so, preparation for 2018 Entry shall begin soon. Armed with fresh ambition, a renewed personal statement and hopefully better a better admissisions test score, we'll have another crack at trying to get in. 

Just one more teaching week, two more essays and a 10,000 word dissertation left in my Cambridge Masters degree. My dissertation deadline is on the 31st July. I will find out my startdate for healthcare assistant work soon but I hope to start, at the very least, before submitting my next UCAS application.

The immediate outlook is up. More experience through hospitals, clinical practice and being around medical personnel will help me adopt a more clinical mindset that should help me through interviews. After one interview this year, I know I am close.

But one day I will get in and that day will be a special day.

Healthcare Assistant News!

After three medical school rejections (yet to hear from Southampton), I've decided to apply for full-time healthcare assistant work. I've applied to four different posts (Orthopaedics at one Hospital, two community based clinics and Emergency Department at another Hospital).

News from today is that I have a conditional offer of appointment to be a Healthcare Assistant in the Emergency Department!

Had an interview last week and the nurses were extremely kind and warming. Along with a few standard questions on your past and what you plan to do, I also had questions on ethical scenarios and thankfully, I could think more coherently and articulate myself better than I did at my medical school interview and fortunately, I got a job offer.

Sheer relief that ethics and interview practice has paid off and I'm extremely excited to now proudly become an NHS employee.

 And so hopefully this begins a long career in hospital-based healthcare. Medical school applications await in upcoming months but healthcare assistant work is something new to look forward to.

The Back Nine

Had Halfway Dinner last Tuesday. A well put on occassion at Girton actually where 2nd year undergraduate, 2nd year PhDs and 1st year MPhils come together for a formal dinner. It reminded me of Matriculation Dinner when everything felt so new and exciting. New people to meet. Lots of alcohol to plunge into and another lifting speech by the Mistress.

Results from my opening two Modules are back:

71% - Introduction to Genomics
61% - Genomic Sequencing Methods

The 61% was a painful one. Especially when seeing all your fellow students are consistently hitting 75%+. Feedback and comments were deserved but still very frustrating to read nonetheless. I felt as if I had written as good an essay as I've written previously but my grasp of the title meant '80% of the essay is irrelevant.' Onto the next assignment.

And onto happier days. As today, feeling a lot more relaxed and calm about my work and the future. Having spoken to a close friend (now an MPhil student) on whether failing to get into Cambridge as an undergraduate motivated him. His response was love of the subject motivated him.
That is what I need. Just to love my work again. Take it day by day and maybe, just maybe, I will love the journey I'm on. And just as it did with my friend, that will help build the person I want to become.

Comeback Kid

Halfway Dinner of my Masters Degree at Cambridge tomorrow. Just 4 Assignments and a 10,000 word Thesis await. Plans for life after Cambridge are underway.

Last week, submitted an application towards Healthcare Assistant work at a hospital nearby to where I live in South-West London. Quite keen on working and immersing myself in an NHS hospital. Experiences there will definitely help for future interviews in being able to reflect upon areas in which I have learnt and improved upon.

That also means PhD applications will wait. The goal very much remains Medical School. A PhD thereafter is a significant possibility, especially knowing my research will be within a specialty I plan to practise in.

Significant personal development also must take place. 

1. Not just having confidence in your own ability but exuding that confidence and placing that confidence in others to believe in you.

2. Communication skills. Thinking more simply. Not trying to be overly articulate.

3. Calmness under pressure. Never letting anything fluster you or your ability to perform.

Those three areas are the key qualities that I feel make a great clinician but also a great quarterback. Tom Brady won his fifth Super Bowl ring last night. A guy who rose to the top of his field from absolute obscurity, fuelled with opinions of his doubters. That is the story of the Comeback Kid.