No Straight Path - Elisha's Path into Medicine

Why did you choose medicine?

When I began sixth-form, I had little idea of what I wanted to study at university. I'd say I began to gain a sense of direction after I attending a one-week Psychology residential in Cambridge ran by Villiers Park. I remember the week featured a brain dissection demonstration, a group project and university-style lectures.  The lectures on forensic psychiatry I found particularly interesting and it drew me into finding out more about psychiatry, and I subsequently stumbled across medicine. 

As a first-generation medical student, I don’t think I ever really knew before that people who studied medicine became doctors, so this in itself was a revelation.  This is why outreach opportunities like Villiers Park and In2MedSchool are so essential, so students can fully realise their potential and options no matter their background.

I actively sought any opportunity I could after that, attending any and every webinar I could during lockdown, which only affirmed my desire to study medicine.

Ultimately, I chose medicine for a culmination of things. I enjoy science, I like to challenge myself academically, it can be very hands-on, and while it’s considered a generic interview answer: I like to help people. Now, in my clinical years, the theory is translated into practice, and I have the privilege to observe the impact doctors and the wider medical team can have on patients' lives.

2. What was your medical school application journey like?

I always describe it as convoluted. As I said earlier, 16-year-old me had no clear direction and wasn’t very well-informed on my options. 

I realised I had to re-think my A-Level choices in order to open more doors to myself, and arguably realised this too late. I began with English Literature, Psychology, Photography and Media Studies!

I soon realised that many degrees required certain A-Level subjects, such as Biology. I was too late in the academic year to change subjects, and I was devastated at this. Though, after negotiation, I came to an agreement with the Head of Biology that I could self-study biology without any teaching, and if I scored well in the end-of-year exam in biology, I could be enrolled in the Year 13 classes - which is exactly what I did.

Later came the revelation that I wanted to do medicine. So, in Year 13 I picked up Chemistry and Maths, and I was split between Year 12 classes for these new subjects and Year 13 classes for Biology and English Literature (during lockdown!), and following this I did a third year of sixth form to complete Chemistry and Maths.  

3. How did you first get involved in In2MedSchool?

In my first year of medical school, I applied to be a mentor, but I unfortunately didn’t hear back. I remained keen to be involved with the charity, so applied to be Regional Head for the Exeter region when the opportunity arose during my second year. I found it incredibly fulfilling to be recruiting mentees and facilitating mentorship pairings. 

I was then delighted in the summer to accept the role as National Team Lead. I have been really enjoying being part of the subcommittee, sharing ideas and contributing to change-making discussion. It has also enabled me to continue working with the Mentorship Team which I am very passionate about, and extend my scope to other South West regions to include Plymouth, Bristol, Oxford and Southampton. I have the pleasure of working with these regions’ Regional Heads, initially showing them the ropes but now supporting them as they work hard to spread the message of In2MedSchool and maintain progress in their respective regions. 

4. What has been your highlight at In2MedSchool?

It’s hard to pick just one! Regional Heads have the opportunity to run in-person events for mentors at their university, and I really enjoyed running mine last year and sharing my experiences of In2MedSchool and why I believe widening participation is important. But, perhaps even better, was assisting this year’s Exeter Regional Heads Maddie and Millie to run their own event in November, and listening to their inspiring talks about their own journeys, and seeing them share their passion for the charity to the audience of medical students. 

But I also have to mention the networking events that In2MedSchool run, as you can spend a lot of time working behind a screen, so it’s brilliant to meet the committee members face-to-face. You feel like part of a community, sharing a common goal and values, and these are medical students and doctors from all across the UK and many hold leadership positions outside of In2MedSchool in addition so make very interesting conversation! For instance, I was honoured to receive an ‘No Missed Opportunities’ award at The Regional Head Winter Dinner, and in September we had an induction and social event in London which was great fun, and got to physically meet the team members I had only previously interacted with virtually.

What are your three pieces of advice for students applying to medicine?

1. Research into different universities and their entry requirements. This will help you make smart choices on where you apply, for instance you may be able to get contextual offers as a WP student, and a common interview question is ‘why this university?’, so it’s good to be able to justify your choices (e.g. teaching style, format of the course).

2. Dig deep. There’s lots of free opportunities out there including essay competitions, webinars and summer schools, but they can be hard to find. I’d recommend looking into UNIQ or Sutton Trust summer schools, and of course the resources, events and mentorship offered by In2MedSchool!

3. Be tenacious. I thought I’d be the minority in starting medical school at 19; I was not. Many students took gap years for various reasons, and I’ve met many students who completed medical sciences degrees first. So, if it takes you a bit longer to get there, or you don’t take the conventional route, that’s absolutely fine. Enjoy the journey!