A new academic year is upon us, and something that we look forward to every year is seeing our former students being accepted into the universities of their dreams to do degrees centred around medicine, healthcare, science, and research. It’s even better when they reach out to let us know and mention that their medical training course with BioGrad helped them stand out in their university interviews.
Last week, we chatted to Muhammad Amir, who studied Clinical Skills and Medical Research in August last year. We caught up with Muhammad to congratulate him on being accepted into the University of Manchester to study medicine, and to discuss what he got out of his time with BioGrad.
We chatted to Muhammad just after he’d finished Freshers’ Week, “it’s been enjoyable. It’s been nice to meet new people,” he explains when I asked how everything has been so far. “Right now, I’m just looking to take everything one step at a time, but when I was applying to medicine, what really excited me was the early patient interaction. It’s a good thing that the university allows us to do this, even as soon as the first year starts you get to speak to real patients.”
The communication element of university is something that is particularly exciting for Muhammad, especially after partaking in one of our medical training courses. “I thought Dr Jamie Paweleck was really passionate and gave us good insights into medicine. I remember on the first day, we learnt about taking a patient’s history and had simulations of speaking to a patient. I found that interesting because we were finding out a little bit more about how to diagnose the way a doctor would. They gave us the medical insight, but more importantly, they gave us the insight on how to communicate with patients, and the different types of skills that you would use.”
At BioGrad, we know how important it is to stand out to universities and provide ample learning opportunities to young people through medical training courses. Muhammad stood out to us when applying for a scholarship to study with BioGrad, and we continue to be impressed by his journey into medicine. Far from being easy, Muhammad doled out some advice to students going into their A-Levels, “In terms of A-Level exams, it can be a stressful time for anyone, especially if you do end up securing a medicine offer. I think the best way to manage stress is to have a lot of different hobbies. So, for example, for me, I just like going on walks, going to the gym, things like that.”
Focusing on personal statements can sometimes take over when it comes to revising and studying for the A-Levels themselves, and pressure can increase with so much going on. Muhammad remembers how imperative it is to manage stress and prioritise, “It’s important to stay on top of your work, especially because maybe you just sat the UCAT, and you’ve got interviews coming up, personal statement and everything and it can be easy to forget about A-Levels, but actually, it’s so important to focus on them from the beginning so that it doesn’t pile up and that way you can manage your stress. For me, I was still making Anki flash cards throughout everything. So then when it came to exam season, I had already a good foundation and I just had to go over things. I think that’s important just to stay on top of your work and maintain your hobbies, go out with your friends, go to different events, and have a good time.” And the study-life balance will remain in university, too. “[The University of Manchester has] got a lot of great societies, some of which I’ve already joined, such as the Islamic Society. I’m looking forward to playing cricket as well at the university, things like that. And I think it’s good for me to make new friends.”
A career in medicine is one that most decide from a young age, so it was interesting to learn that Muhammad wasn’t thinking about pursuing medicine originally. “I ended up doing a bit of engineering work experience, and I realised that sitting down in an office and doing a job like that wasn’t really for me. I wasn’t sure on medicine, but I tried different options, and I realised that with medicine, I had the opportunity to speak to different people and that’s something I really enjoy, meeting and building my relations, and that’s kind of what sparked my interest. And the fact that the degree has many specialties.”
As for the future? Muhammad is completely open to the learning experience and riding the university wave. “In our university we’ve got years 3-4, and that’s all placements. So, we get to see different specialties. So that’s what I’m looking forward to, and that’s what I think will help shape my decision”. The passion is there too, and we can tell that this will be a time of thriving for Muhammad. “As a medical student, I do look forward to the studying element of it. I think the human body is so fascinating, so intricate. But it’s so deep how everything’s kind of working together, and each thing you can spend your whole life studying and you wouldn’t fully understand it.” Come what may, studying medicine at university means taking each step as it comes and immersing yourself in the university experience. It’s a scary time, in the best possible way. The future is opening up right before your eyes, and you begin to live more independently.
At BioGrad Education, we offer science and medical training courses for young people aged 16–19 to bolster experience, stand out in university interviews, and allow young people to test-drive their careers. As we close our interview, Muhammad imparts advice on anyone joining one of our courses, especially when applying for one of our scholarships, “just give it a good go. If there’s something you’re interested in, go for it. You’ll meet new people; I still stay in touch with a few people from my group. You’ll get good insights. On top of everything else, I like the fact that BioGrad offers scholarships for these courses. You might think, ‘oh, there’s only one or two, you’re never going to get it’, but there’s no harm in applying. Just be yourself. Tell your story and you might end up getting it.”
Our science and medical training courses for young people aged 16-19 are more varied than ever before. To find out more and find the course that may open up your future and allow you to test-drive your career, visit BioGrad Education’s website.
