Muhammad Syafiq bin Kamarulzaman

5 Al Razi

Doctor

Table of Content

My Resume

Why I want to be a doctor?

What is medicine?

Career path of a doctor

Being a doctor

The Medical Degree

Handling Interviews

Writing Personal Statement and Referee Statement

Life as a medic

Scholarship Opportunity

Experiences

Additional Information

Acknowledgement

Resume

Name Muhammad Syafiq bin Kamarulzaman

Date of Birth 9 March 1992

Place of Birth Hospital Besar Seremban

Home Address 245, Lorong Mutiara Galla 10/2,

Taman Mutiara Galla,

70200 Seremban

Negeri Sembilan

Telephone No 06-7672673

School Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Integrasi Selandar

School`s Address SBP Integrasi Selandar,

Batang Melaka,

77500 Selandar,

Melaka

Academic Achievement

2004 5 A in UPSR

2007 9 A in PMR

Cocurriculum Achievement and Involvement

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Why I want to be a doctor?

What is medicine?

Medicine is a five/six year course studied at university and in hospitals where you become a

doctor (hospital doctor/GP etc.) when you qualify. The only legal way to become a 'medical' doctor

in the UK is to do a degree in medicine. Be aware, that there are many related degrees such as

biomedical sciences, clinical sciences, medical sciences etc. However, these are science degrees and

not degrees in medicine. It is important that when you apply, you check that the degree you're doing

leads to provisional registration with the GMC (General Medical Council).

Generally the medical course consists of a period of time learning about the science of the

human body in health and disease (the pre-clinical years) and then a period of time (the clinical

years) applying that knowledge when meeting patients. It is a unique degree in that it combines the

art of communicating effectively with patients (and trust me-it really is an art!!) with the science of

the workings of the human body.

Deciding on a career in medicine should not be taken lightly. Remember, it is a very intense

degree lasting five/six years leading to a job where you have to work long hours and requires great

dedication. So, do your researches before you apply and don't be persuaded into applying by others.

Without a real passion for the subject, many students struggle to survive the demanding pre-clinical

years; in fact, it would be fair to say that even for the most motivated of students it can be easy to

lose sight of what you are studying for when trawling through mounds of anatomy, physiology and

biochemistry revision.

Most medical degrees are five-years. If you are a student finishing A. Levels you will probably

embark on a five-year course. The standard five-year course can be 'topped up' to six years by doing

an intercalated BSc. However, some medical schools incorporate this into the medical degree, so it is

automatically six-years. If you are a graduate you may be eligible to apply to a four-year graduate

entry programme. If you do not have the correct qualifications then you can do a six-year course,

which includes a foundation year tagged onto the first five-years.

Career Path of a Doctor

So once you finish medical school you will start your foundation jobs (previously known as

pre-registration house officer, PRHO). The Foundation Programme is a two-year planned programme

of general training which forms the bridge between medical school and specialist/general practice

training. All medical graduates will enter the Foundation Programme immediately following

graduation, which comprises a series of placements in a variety of specialties and healthcare

settings. In order to progress to GP or consultant you have to take exams to become a member of

the respective Royal College. Also remember that there is loads of scope to work abroad if that's

what you fancy. A medical degree means that you can go almost anywhere!

Being a Doctor

This is the decision you will have to make... do I really want to be a doctor? Training to be a doctor takes a long time, so you must be sure that this is something that you're interested in. Being a doctor is very rewarding, but it is also stressful at times, hard work and emotionally draining. Being a doctor, you will make big and small differences to people's lives, so it's important that you are committed. The important thing is to do your research - talk to family and friends, your GP, careers advisors and look on the internet.

The Medical Degree

All medical degrees in the United Kingdom are undergraduate degrees (just as Bachelor of Science,

BSc is). They are usually called 'Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery’; however at

Southampton it's just called 'Bachelor of Medicine'. They are abbreviated to MB BS, MB ChB, MB,

BM BS, MB BChir etc. All of these are the same, so don't get hung up on qualifications! Following

graduating with our MB ChB (or whatever) we are called doctors. This is an honorary title, as we do

not have a postgraduate doctoral degree such as a PhD. However, in some specialities it is necessary

to have a postdoctoral degree. Most medical degrees in the UK lead to provisional registration with

the General Medical Council. However, there are some private medical schools which don't, so be

aware. Some medical students also leave university with extra qualifications such as BSc (Hons), BA

(Hons) or BMedSci (see below).

Private medical schools

There are a number of 'private' medical schools in the UK and many people turn to them when they

fail to gain a place at a 'state' medical school. However I would approach this with great caution.

These schools often run on charters from foreign countries and hence you must sit the PLAB exam

before practicing. They may not be recognised by the GMC and cost a whole load of money! Some of

these schools can be found on this part of the GMC website (opens link in new window).

Getting a place at medical school

There's no denying it... medicine is one of the most competitive degree courses in the UK. Every year

lots of people are denied a place in medical school for many reasons. This is why it's important to get

clued up and do your research. You need to put a lot of time into your application and that means

starting to think about it early. However, there is an element of luck involved, and every medical

school will have slightly different criteria on what to base their offers. There is no medical school that

is easy to get into (otherwise everyone would apply to it, making it more difficult!).

Types of course

Medical courses fall into 3 different categories: Problem-based learning, integrated and traditional.

The main differences lie in the 'pre-clinical' style of teaching. 'Clinical' teaching is similar for all three

types of course and is based in the hospital or in primary care with teaching being performed in

small groups from clinicians. It is important that you look into the different courses on offer - read

the prospectuses and look on the internet before you apply. However, sometimes there is not a

clear divide of the courses, and some integrated courses will also have some PBL and vice-versa.

Problem-based learning (PBL)

This is a new dynamic style of course which has been praised by the General Medical Council (a sort

of 'government' for doctors). Pioneered by medical school such as Liverpool and Manchester, the

course is taught with a patient orientated approach from day one and students are heavily involved

in clinical scenarios from the first year. This type of course requires a great deal of self motivation as

its emphasis is on self directed learning and therefore those who are used to spoon feeding of

information may take some time to adjust. Teaching styles vary from place to place, but generally

consist of small group tutor led teaching with computer work, practical sessions and a large amount

of time for personal study. It is still unknown whether this type of course is the better way to teach

medicine than the others. Universities offering this type of course include Liverpool, Manchester,

Glasgow, Queen Mary, Peninsula, Sheffield, Keele, Hull and York, Barts, East Anglia.

Integrated or systems based

This type of course is run at the majority of UK medical schools such as Birmingham and Leeds and

was devised under recommendation of the GMC after it published the guidelines 'Tomorrow's Doctors'

(link opens in new window). It sits as a compromise between a traditional style course and a PBL

course. Although these courses generally claim to have patient contact from day one, this varies in

the amount from place to place but is often quite limited in the first year to local community visits.

The amount of patient contact increases as the years progress with there still being a slight divide

between pre-clinical and clinical years. Most students are happy with only having limited contact

with patients in year one as they feel that at this point they do not have sufficient clinical knowledge

base to approach patients on the wards. Teaching is based on body systems such as the digestive

system, learning the anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and biochemistry of the relevant system

and clinical knowledge is also supplemented. There is also an emphasis on teaching communication

skills and understanding the local community. This type of teaching is a mixture between lectures,

tutorials, self directed learning (and hospital work in later years) and is suitable for all types of

people from those who are used to spoon-feeding to more individual workers.

Traditional or subject-based

This type of course is a bit of a rarity in the new world of medical education. Limited to

establishments such as Oxford, Cambridge and St Andrews, there is a definite pre-clinical/clinical

divide and the pre-clinical years are taught very rigidly in subjects. In some of these institutions you

may have to apply again for a 'clinical' place and your clinical place may not even be in the city you

started! E.g. St. Andrew's students finish their clinical years in Manchester and some Oxbridge

students finish their years in London. This is definitely a course for the scientifically minded and it

could potentially be easy to lose motivation due to the complete lack of patient contact in the pre-

clinical years. Also, students tend to feel a little unprepared and isolated when they take their first

steps into hospital in the clinical years. This type of degree offers much more scope to complete

research (such as a Masters or PhD) without overly disrupting your degree. Definitely a choice for

those with a great deal of motivation and those that like the idea of studying a science degree before

embarking on clinical studies. Different types of people suit different types of course and only you

can decide which one might suit you best. At the end of the day, everybody obtains the same degree

at the end so pick a university where you really think that you will flourish both academically and

socially.

The GMC realised that there was not enough time in the day to teach medical students everything

they needed to know. They therefore identified a 'core' curriculum of which all medical schools must

follow. This does not mean that all medical degrees are taught the same, as there is still much

interpretation and leeway in the way that medical students are taught.

In order to look away from the core the GMC invented SSCs (Student Selected Components) which

are known as SSMs (Student Selected Modules) in some medical schools . SSCs now form up to 25-

30% of the course at some universities so it is quite a good idea to know what they are. They are a

diverse range of projects chosen by the student which give opportunity to study areas of interest in

depth. The majority of the work is self-directed and the emphasis is placed on learning new skills

(study skills, research, IT, reflection etc). Projects can range from sports medicine to the police force,

foreign languages to aromatherapy! This web site was even started as part of an SSC!

This type of learning really reflects the way medical teaching is progressing. With medical advances

occurring so quickly, it is impossible to teach everything a doctor needs to know in five years.

Therefore, the emphasis is on learning skills that will equip you in later life and teach you to go and

source information yourself. These usually form a really interesting and fun part of the course and

also really test your organisation skills!

Intercalating

This is the opportunity to incorporate a degree (BSc or BA) into your medical course. It takes one

year which is often completed after your second or third year. At some medical schools it is

compulsory (most of the 6 year courses), some offer it as an option to all students and at some

places it is only offered to the most academically able students.

The degrees can range from more traditional science topics such as biochemistry, anatomy,

physiology etc to more unusual subjects such as medical law, ethics, journalism and even history of

medicine. There are many reasons that people intercalate-some people want to extend their

knowledge of a particular subject that they are interested in whilst others want more experience in

carrying out research or laboratory work. One of the advantages of doing an intercalated degree is

that it can confer an advantage if you want to enter a competitive field such as surgery. The main

downfall is the extra time and money it takes - it adds a year to an already long degree and therefore

has implications on your bank balance! Daunting it may seem but it is really worth thinking about the

different policies on intercalating before applying. If you have no interest in doing research then

there would be little point in applying somewhere where intercalating is compulsory and conversely

if you definitely want to intercalate then it may be risky to apply somewhere which only offers

intercalation to the top 10% of the year (for example).

If you are really keen you may even be able to intercalate a PhD!

Elective

This is the opportunity to practice medicine anywhere you want in the world for two months during

your clinical years. Electives range from running outreach clinics in developing countries to

accompanying flying doctors in Australia. You may wish to spend your time working on a research

project (for which there is often funding available). There is also often the chance to spend a few

weeks travelling after your placement. Most students see this as a wonderful opportunity to visit far

flung destinations before they qualify, however you can opt to stay at home. The medical school

does not pay for your elective, unless you qualify for a bursary. However many banks offer

professional loans to medical students for their elective.

How am I taught?

Teaching in medical school occurs in many different formats; here are the most common:

Lectures

Lectures take place in a lecture theatre (surprisingly enough!). Lectures will usually comprise your

whole year, so there may be anything from 100 to 300 people in one lecture theatre! It will mostly

be people doing medicine, although rarely dentists and biomedical scientists may also join you. The

lecturer will stand at the front of the theatre and will deliver the lecture, usually via a PowerPoint

presentation. Lectures usually last about an hour and the structure varies depending on the lecturer.

Some lecturers like to keep things very interactive; others like to be more didactic. Some lecturers

may invite patients in to the theatre and some lectures may have a number of different people

speak to offer different view points (e.g. a pathologist, a cardiologist and a biomedical scientist).

Most of the time you will have to take notes yourself, but it is getting more common for lecturers to

provide a handout. Lecturers may also be kind enough to put their lecture on the internet for you to

download at your leisure!

Seminars and tutorials

these consist of small group work or demonstrations. There will be ten to thirty people in each group

and the point is to revise the lecture material or to take the material further. Often there will be

discussion and debate within the group, which is facilitated by a demonstrator. One way to improve

your knowledge and communication skills is to do presentations on certain topics and these are

done in small groups.

Laboratories

Once upon a time medical school was filled to the brim with lab work. Now, the amount of time

spent in a lab has decreased dramatically. Depending on which university you go to will determine

how much of this you will be required to do. Remember, if you intercalate a degree, there may be

the opportunity to do more of this sort of thing.

Dissection

Again, all medical schools once did full body dissection. However, more medical schools are using

videos and computers for their anatomy teaching. Some universities offer teaching from

prosecutions’ only (parts of the body dissected by a professional anatomy teacher), however some

still do full body dissection. Because it is very practical, dissection is usually a welcome break from

lectures and most students get a lot out of it. It also helps you appreciate the differences in the

human body between different people. Some people say that if you want to become a surgeon then

dissection is really useful. I agree to a certain extent, however after five years at medical school and

another few after that you're going to have forgotten it all in any way!

Computer-based

because everything is much more 'technical' these days, more and more teaching is done using

information technology. This can range from on-line exams, to interactive discussion forums and

web-based material. In the future, you will be using mobile phones and other electronic device to

record your histories and examinations! Because of new developments in informatics, it is important

that all medical students are computer literate. If you are not - don't worry, as all universities

provide courses to get you up to speed! Expect to see a lot more of this in the future!

Clinical skills

all medical schools will have a clinical skills area. This can often be located in the school of medicine

or on NHS property. Clinical skills is a vital part of the medical curriculum and helps us practise

certain things before we are let loose on real people! Clinical skills labs are often run by nurses who

are excellent and very experienced at teaching. Here you will learn how to take blood from plastic

arms, do fundoscopy, breast exams, how to catheterise etc.

On the wards

Teaching in the later years of the medical degree mostly takes place on the wards. This can take

many different formats, for example during ward rounds you may be asked to present a case that

you have seen. Or on the ward a doctor may take you to a certain patient to demonstrate a specific

condition. There are also lots of chances for you to see how the rest of the team works e.g. nurses

and midwives. You will also get the chance to do some of the clinical skills you've been practising e.g.

taking blood and inserting a catheter.

Theatres

Theatres are a perfect place to brush up on your anatomy and physiology. If you are with the

surgeons, you will often be asked to 'scrub up' and assist in the operation (i.e. hold equipment and

bits of intestine etc. - not anything major!). If you are with the anaesthetist it's a great opportunity to

brush up on cardiovascular and respiratory physiology.

Self-directed learning

Because medical schools recognise that sometimes everything cannot be fitted into one lecture, they

will ask you to do some extra reading. This is important for when looking through the syllabus for

when the exams are coming around. You will also be expected to do project work and assessments

in your own time.

Handling Interview

Look into different types and styles of interview at different universities, indeed some

medical schools don't interview anyone, some interview a few and some interview everyone! I

wouldn't choose a university on the fact that it doesn't interview. At medical school you'll have to do

lots of presentations, so you may as well get used it! Interviews can last from 10 minutes to 30

minutes (and maybe longer!). However on average it'll be about 20 minutes. There will usually be a

panel of assessors, which may include consultants, general practitioners, university academic staff

and medical students.

We cannot stress enough how important it is to prepare yourself for that oh so important

interview. Despite what you may think, your skills can improve massively with practice, and I am

definitely talking from personal experience. Along with improved communication skills, confidence

also often increases which may just give you the edge over that nervous wreck sitting next to you in

the waiting room. Even if the questions you use for your practice interviews aren't the same as those

in the real thing, it teaches you a framework for answering any question that you may get thrown at

you. Preparation is especially important as more interviews are now assessed objectively (i.e. they

are marked using defined criteria).

Interviews are not just chances for sadistic medics to take out on unsuspecting prospective

medical students, although sometimes it can seem that way! They do have a point to them! They are

useful tools to see if you are capable of making quick and rational decisions that you can explain

clearly under quite a lot of pressure, or to see how much you have thought about all of the issues

surrounding a medical career. They can see whether someone is able to communicate far better

than a personal statement. The point is not to revise the whole of chemistry, biology, the history of

the NHS and the whole of medical ethics, but to see whether you can handle questions under

pressure.

Practising

Practice with anyone: parents, teachers, siblings, friends, pets (I was joking about that last one)!

They really don't have to know the first thing about medicine; they are invaluable in informing you

about your body language, eye contact, and any nervous ticks that you never knew you had! If

possible you can also record your practise interview onto a video or cassette, which may help. You

can check you progress and watch whether you come across well to the interview panel. Some

people go for private interview help and pay quite a lot of money for not a lot of time. Although the

feedback from what I've heard has been good, you can often get adequate help from a teacher and

the list of questions below. However, practising can only help you so much. The interviewers will

never ask you every question you will have practised; therefore you should be ready for anything.

Also, you don't want to sound as though you're reading from a script and sounding over rehearsed.

Your UCAS form

Before your interview, scrutinise your UCAS form and be expected to be asked questions on

ANYTHING YOU HAVE PUT DOWN - if you lie on it then you've got a good chance of being found out

(although some medical students have admitted to elaborating the truth!!) You can turn the

interview around to your advantage if you are well practiced. Talk about what you had gained from

your experiences mentioned on your UCAS form rather than just reeling a list off of what surgical

procedures you have seen. You could also try to link your experiences to something you have read

about in journals/newspapers recently if you're feeling really clever.

Medical issues and ethical questions

Get up to date on current medical issues - read the science/medicine supplements in the broadsheet

newspapers and try looking at websites such as the Student BMJ. Also think about the ethical

consequences of any medical stories with a moral theme. Think through the pros and cons of the

common ethical dilemmas such as abortion, euthanasia and child consent. It is important to give an

honest but balanced answer to ethical questions. Doctors have to be able to weigh up the good and

bad consequences of their actions on a daily basis and you may need to demonstrate this skill in an

interview.This site is useful for ethical info: UK Ethics Clinical Network .

The tough question

If you get a question where you haven't the foggiest of the answer, it would probably look better if

you just admit that you don't know than go waffling about something completely irrelevant for the

next half an hour. If you manage to get some brownie points later in the interview ,then the

assessors will probably forget about the first incident.

The obvious question

Nearly all medical schools will ask the question "Why do you want to be a doctor". Think about this

carefully and make sure the answer is an honest answer, and not from someone else. People often

get really hung up on this question and try to avoid the cliché answers. However, if your reason is

the cliché, then there's nothing you can do about it - just go with it!

Body language

Body language is very important in interviews. Try to be relaxed - don't slouch on the chair, but don't

fig it too much or look rigid. Try not to adopt a defensive posture e.g. by crossing your arms. There

are many theories about body language and how it can be perceived, but don't go over the top. Put

your hands on your lap and make hand movements when trying to express yourself (but don't go too

over the top). Don't be too relaxed (e.g. putting one foot on the other knee). Keep eye contact with

the interviewers and last of all-please, please, please remember to smile!!!!! I've done my fair share

of interviewing and it really makes the whole atmosphere so much better if a candidate comes in

looking happy and gives the impression that they are enjoying the interview.

Entering and leaving the room

Walk in confidently, with your head up high (remember you're not marching though!). Say hello,

smile and make eye contact with each interviewer. Shake their hands if they offer. They should invite

you to sit down and then they will introduce themselves. When you leave, thank them for their time,

smile again and say goodbye. They will be discussing you when you leave the room, so it's good to

leave a good lasting impression.

What to wear

For boys this means shirt and tie, clean shoes, black socks and look clean! The 'scruffy' look may be

in at your school, but it certainly isn't at a medical interview! If you have a suit then you may want to

wear that, but it's not essential. For girls, it's a bit more difficult. Generally you need to look smart;

Skirt/trousers and a blouse/top. Don't show any cleavage, midriff or underwear. If you're unsure, go

for the safe option. Remember if you're going to become a doctor you should dress in a professional

way. On a personal note, I'd always say not to wear anything outrageous e.g. brightly coloured tie, as

instead of making you stand out it'll make you look like a Pratt!

"Do you have any questions for us?"

There is conflicting advice about what to do about this question. If you genuinely don't have any

questions to ask, then say something along the lines of "all of my questions have been answered by

reading the prospectus and speaking to medical students". Don't ask any old question for the sake of

it; that may make you seem stupid! However, if the interviewers invite you to ask a question and you

have one, then ask it! The interviewers will not mind you asking a question!

What to take to interviews

If the university wants you to take anything then they will tell you. Some universities like to see GCSE

certificates and passports. Some people like to take their Record of Achievement as proof of what

they've done. Take things to keep you occupied during the train journey or in the waiting room e.g. a

magazine or your personal statement. A bottle of water always comes in handy for 'dry mouth

syndrome'!

Medicine in the news

If you want to be a doctor you should have an interest in medicine. Quite often interviewers will ask

questions along the lines of "have you read anything in the news recently about medicine?" In order

to be prepared you need to do some reading! Don't go overboard on this. Interviewers don't expect

you to recite the latest piece of research on some obscure condition. Keep it simple, both for you

and the interviewers; don't try to be too clever - if the interviewers think you're being cocky, they'll

ask you a really complicated question and you'll look stupid! When I applied (only four years ago) I

didn't have internet access, so I had to look at the newspapers. I collected various cuttings and re-

read them on the train to my interviews! The best thing that you can do now is use the internet.

Here are some useful websites, which are updated regularly and provide a good, comprehensive

round up of the latest news in the world of medicine :

Bright Journals Library

BBC Health

Student BMJ (British Medical Journal)

National Library for Health

Guardian Medicine

Medical news today

I personally wouldn't do much more than the above, unless you're really interested. Remember if

you bring up an ethical problem; be prepared to be asked on it!

Practice questions

This is a list of questions all of which have been asked at interviews in the past compiled by a

group of medical students. They are certainly not exhaustive, but exist to give you a guide of the

sorts of things that you could be asked about.

Why do you want to be a doctor?

What is the format of a good team?

Do you read any medical publications?

Would you prescribe the oral contraceptive pill to a 14-year-old girl that is sleeping with her

boyfriend?

How do you see Britain's healthcare system in 20 years time?

If you had £1 billion to spend on a certain aspect on healthcare, what would you spend it on?

Tell me about any medical advances you have read about recently.

What are the good and bad points about being a doctor?

How would you balance your outside interests with studying a degree?

What are the qualities of a good doctor?

Which quality is the most important?

What single healthcare intervention could change the health of the population the most?

Name a sector of society which has poor access to healthcare?

What have you gained from your work experience/hobbies/community work?

What qualities do you have that mean that you will be a good doctor?

How do you cope with stress?

What are your best and worst qualities?

When you graduate, what will you be remembered for by your peers?

What did you do in your year out?

What areas of responsibility do you have?

How would you deal with angry/distressed patients?

Were you scared of doctors when you were young?

What do you think about abortion/euthanasia etc?

What qualities do you think colleagues appreciate in a doctor?

How many hours do you think a junior doctor works?

How is the NHS structured?

What is the difference between primary and hospital care?

Why medical research is important?

What is the postcode lottery?

What makes you angry?

Can you describe a situation that has been stressful?

How do you deal with stress?

If complains were made about you as a doctor, how would you respond?

Do you think that doctors need to ask for consent when taking organs from a dead person?

Where would you draw the line?

What if it was only a small blood sample?

What do you think you will find most difficult about a career in medicine?

Give an example of when you have worked in a team, and why is teamwork important Who works as

part of a team with doctors?

What have been the most significant advances in medicine over the past 10/20/50 years?

Why don`t you want to be a nurse?

How have you found out that medicine is the correct career for you?

What aspects of the course here appeal to you?

Hints and tips

Smile at your interview

Get involved in local community projects - assessors are much more impressed by long term

commitment than a week in the summer holidays

Be yourself

Dress smartly for your interview (an opinion is formed of you within 5 seconds of you

entering room)

Read the broadsheet newspapers and make a scrapbook of then relevant medical cuttings-

this is perfect thing to read on the train down to your interviews

Have as many practice interviews as you possibly can

Make sure you maintain good eye contact and a relaxed body language during your

interview

Research into what a career in medicine involves (it's not all like ER!) (see what is medicine?)

Look into the different interview styles of different universities (either through their

websites or some of the forums out there (see links). Some universities like to ask questions

about your A. Levels and are quite academic, whereas most others use the interview for

what it is for and not to assess your knowledge, but assess whether you're appropriate for

a degree in medicine.

Be prepared! Medical schools can give anything from a week to a month's notice for

interviews.

Interviewers should not ask you about any other institutions or courses you may have

applied to. If they do you can either be honest or say you'd rather not say. Afterwards it's

important that you let the most senior admissions tutor know what has happened.

Keep up to date on medical stories in the press, interviewers often question your interest in

medicine.

Although it can be a disadvantage to be too extravagant and over the top, you should try

and make a happy medium between this and withdrawn. Interviewers want to see that you

have a passion for studying medicine.

You must do your best to attend the interview. By this I mean only ask to re-schedule if you

have something that is impossible to get out of. Interviews take a lot of organising; some

medical schools are fine with changing the dates and some medical schools are less willing.

When you are invited into the interview room, take your lead from the lead interviewer.

Shake the interviewers' hands and take a seat when invited to.

If you are a re-sit candidate and get asked why you didn't get any offers or didn't get the

grades, then be honest. Don't blame it on your teachers or school for bad advice - this

makes you sound a bit immature and petty. After all of the information is out there

somewhere!

Before your interview, read through that universities website and prospectus, as you can

always get asked 'why this university?' Also, you'll look silly if you ask a question about the

university which can easily be found on their website.

Communication is vital during the interview. Make sure you speak clearly and coherently.

Don't put on a ridiculous accent, just speak how you normally do.

Although wearing a suit jacket is not essential, it can be useful for hiding those embarrassing

sweat marks!

Some universities ask questions based on your A. Level subjects. This mainly applies to the

Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but be prepared, especially if you bring it up!

If you do not hear something an interviewer asks, then ask them to repeat it.

At any point that you get rejected, the medical school can give you feedback if you write to

them.

People often struggle with ethical questions, take a look at this thread from

newmediamedicine.com (link opens in new window) to help you out.

If you get a really difficult question, then remain calm. Perhaps ask the interviewer to re-

phrase it. Think, take your time and be honest.

Writing Personal Statement and Referee Statement

Personal Statement

Apart from achieving the required grades at A2 level, your personal statement is the single most

important factor on the road to medical school. This short piece of text can decide whether or not

you get that sought after interview or not.

Primarily, it is best to cover the fundamentals. Nearly all UCAS applications are done on the internet

these days, so no excuses for bad handwriting! Spelling and grammar mistakes reflect badly so

check, check and check again before you submit it. Also, get your teacher to have a look over it for a

second opinion. English teachers are generally good for checking the way it sounds and any dodgy

bits of grammar. Remember things like medicine, doctor and university do not require capitalisation

(unless you are talking about the University of Leeds or Doctor Bloggs). The personal statement must

be no more than 47 lines long (on the UCAS website - be aware: 47 lines in MS Word does not mean

47 lines on the form!) and no more than 4000 characters. If it is under the characters but over the

lines it will not be processed and vice versa. UCAS provide an example personal statement in pdf

here.

In terms of timing for your UCAS application, don't leave it until the last minute. This will just make

you really stressed! Careers teachers are less busy earlier on (they get more and more busy as the

deadline for submission looms) and therefore they should be able to afford you much more time and

energy for help and advice. Also, depending on the university, the earlier the application, the earlier

the interview and (hopefully!) offer which allows you to get the whole process out of the way before

starting to revise for your A2s (although it doesn't always work out like that!)

Although you may be applying to other non-medical courses you only get one personal statement.

Tailor this to medicine and nothing else. Other courses may write to you to ask for another non-

medical personal statement, but this is rare.

It is important that your personal statement reads in a logical manner. Here is an example of a good

format:

Why you want to study medicine

Work experience you have completed

Voluntary/community work

How you have researched into a career in medicine e.g. Medlink, or work experience

Hobbies, activities and achievements

Areas of responsibility including paid employment

Conclusion about why you should be picked

Why do you want to be a doctor?

People get in such a twist about this part of the personal statement. Use this section to explain to

the universities why YOU want to do medicine, and how you came to that decision. People worry

about saying the cliché thing and spend lots of energy trying to think of something original. The best

thing you can do is be honest. If this means writing the cliché thing, then do it! Here's a website to

offer some help: Essay Edge.

Example

"I want to study medicine because I really enjoy my science A2 levels and I like working with people. I

recently spent one week shadowing doctors at St James's University Hospital in Leeds where I had the

opportunity to see procedures such as keyhole surgery, endoscopies and suturing. Also for the last

year I have visited an old peoples home one afternoon per week. I regularly read the Student BMJ and

have attended a Medlink conference at Nottingham. I play hockey for my school team and have

recently been promoted to captain. I also take part in a mentoring scheme at school where I help

year 7 pupils with their reading. I am currently working toward my silver Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

I work in McDonald's every Saturday morning. I am a dedicated, hard working pupil and I believe that

I will make a good doctor."

The above example demonstrates that the student does a lot of extra-curricular activities but does it

really show anything about their personality or their insight into the career? Remember that

admissions tutors have to read hundreds of UCAS forms like this and they (quite rightly!) can get a

bit bored of them! Don't be afraid of showing a little bit of your personality in the form. Make sure

that you outline what you have learned from everything that you have done and how this has

confirmed your chosen career, rather than just writing a boring list.

For example:

"I spent a week shadowing doctors at St. James's University Hospital in Leeds. I was lucky enough to

be able to observe various procedures which I found fascinating and I also noted the importance of

the trust involved in the doctor patient relationship and how important it is that a doctor is able to

work as part of a team."

So, try brainstorming exactly what you have gained from everything that you have written down and

mention anything that you were particularly interested in (but be prepared to mention it at

interview). Even a part time job in McDonald's can demonstrate responsibility, organisation and

teamwork!

You need to be selective on what you put on your personal statement. Sometimes there may not be

space to put everything on! You need to have a compromise of enough activities with enough

details, rather than just a list with no explanation, or one activity with lots of detail.

Need to cut down characters or lines?

1. Remember it's a personal statement, cut out anything unnecessary!

2. Don't repeat yourself

3. Cut out the waffle - be concise!

4. Get rid of pointless words e.g. the name of the hospital/doctor you worked with, exact dates

(just put X months), pointless adjectives etc.

5. Ask your referee to mention some stuff that you cannot.

6. Get some structure to your statement

7. At the end of the day if you can't get it under the lines/characters you may just have to chop

whole sentences.

Referee's statement

This forms the last part of the UCAS form and consists of a statement from your teacher, tutor or

academic supervisor. It is important that the person writing this knows what sort of information the

medical schools are after. Don't be afraid to ask if your tutor knows what to write or prompt them

(obviously in a very polite way!). You want to stay on the 'right' side of your tutor at all costs! Below

is a summary of what medical schools are after:

1. Commitment e.g. re-iterate the measures taken to find out about a career in medicine (work

experience, conferences) and knowledge of the realities of life as a doctor.

2. Staying power e.g. interest, passion, enthusiasm to study and time management.

3. Communication skills e.g. interaction with staff and other pupils, listening skills, contribution

to class, how they accept criticism.

4. Humility e.g. ability to care, involvement in the wider community.

5. Academic achievements - predicted grades, reasons for poor GCSE grades, 'late developers',

certificates, prizes.

6. Leadership e.g. positions of responsibility, prefects etc.

7. Team work e.g. sports, committees etc.

8. Mitigating circumstances e.g. anything that may affect academic performance. If the person

writing the referee's statement does not have all the information needed for the

application it is important that information is sought from other sources.

If the person writing the referee's statement does not have all the information needed for the

application it is important that information is sought from other sources.

Life as a medic

Social life

No source of information about Medical School would be complete without a mention of the

fantastic social life. Everyone has heard the cliché that medics work hard and play hard. However, it

only exists because it is true! Nearly all medical schools are based in large cities with a massive

variety of social and cultural activities. On top of this, medical school is a close-knit community and

medics spend a lot of time in each others company both in and out of the classroom.

There are many medics' sports teams which allow you to get involved in an activity which is often

less competitive and less time consuming than the union teams. The medical society (MedSoc) is

often one of the biggest and most active societies in the students' union. As well as organising balls,

parties, days out, sports days etc, anyone can get involved in the running of it. There are also other

medical associations such as MedSIN (Medical Students International Network), the medical school

magazine and the medics' charities committee. All these social events allow you to meet students

from different years forming a very informal support network-which is great for borrowing revision

notes!!

Academic life

Everyone's heard the rumours..."Wow, you're going to do medicine, that's really hard isn't it?!" And,

they're kind of right! However, most degrees at universities are difficult. If they were easy, then

everyone would do them and they would mean nothing. Imagine doing three years of biochemistry

or physics, how that would be hard! Students doing these subjects often have just as many hours as

medical students and have just as much work to hand in. However, one thing that separates

medicine from the rest is the length of the course. It can be up to six years, which is a long time.

Often you will have very long hours on the wards, lots of work to do in your own time and revision.

And often you will be placed away from home. It is hard and it's a long slog. If you want to become a

doctor, you must also think "Do I want to be a medical student?", as you need to be a student before

you're a doctor! However, don't despair, there is light at the end of the tunnel and there is always

plenty of time (except during exams!) for fun and play!

Hobbies and interests

Just because you're a medical student, doesn't mean that you have it sit in all day working. The best

thing you can do is to learn to relax; the easiest way to do this is by joining a society or sports club.

Before you apply to university, you should check out their student union's website to see how many

clubs and societies are on offer. This is a great way of making new friends, competing in

competitions or just having a laugh.

There are loads of things on offer, including performance societies (musicals, bands, dance,

backstage stuff), political and campaigning (political parties, animal rights, refugee support,

environmental stuff), religious and cultural (religions, international societies) and loads of others

such as outdoor pursuits, real ale, radio, newspaper, work in the community and much more. As far

as sports go, there are the normal ones you'd expect and some unusual ones such as lacrosse and

korfball. Most societies and clubs cater for experts and beginners. If you're into something and there

isn't a society there to cater for your needs, then you can always set one up!

One of our committee members has written a good article about balancing work with other

interests, why he does WAMS and all sorts of other interesting things about uni life! You can read it

by going to the BBC Leeds Student Life (link opens in new page) page.

Students' Unions

Students' Unions (or guilds or union societies) are one of the best things about coming to university.

They have so much to offer in terms of representation, leisure time and getting involved. Students'

They are not just about a cheap pint! Unions are there for you while you are at university. They are

there to represent you to the university and the media. They are a democratic organisation and can

really make a big difference to your life at university. Students' Unions are totally separate from the

university and therefore are in a perfect position to lobby the university for better facilities, lecturers

etc. Most student unions are affiliated to the NUS (National Union of Students), who campaign for

student issues on a national basis.

Democracy

Student unions are run by students for students. On the ground level unions are run by executive

officers, who are all students taking a sabbatical year. They are helped out by a large number of staff

and all decisions must be ratified by the Union Council, the highest decision making body in the

union.

Welfare

All student unions run a Student Advice Centre or Welfare Services, which give friendly, impartial

advice. It is there to help you with housing disputes, finance, university appeals, immigration and a

whole load more.

Issues

If you feel strongly about any sort of issues then it's easy to get involved. Why not run a campaign on

something you feel passionate about?

Clubs and societies

Student unions have loads of activity going on. From performing to campaigning, from religion to

outdoor activities and loads of sport from the normal to the plain weird! There is the student

newspaper, radio station, R.A.G (Raise and Give), Student Community Action, Nightline, all run by

student committies. There must be something there to take your fancy!

Bars

Student Unions own and run their own bars and clubs, so there's plenty to keep you occupied of an

evening!

Shops

Student unions often have their own shops such as newsagents/supermarkets, off licence, card shop,

job shop, book shop and more. There may also be commercial outlets such as travel shops and

insurance shops.

Representation

One of the main jobs the student union will do is represent student views to the university.

Support at medical school

Many people think that as soon as you start university, then you are left on your own, but this is not

true! In medical schools there is a large amount of support available:

Student support. In most medical schools there will be some sort of committee which may

be your first port of call for problems with the course.

Medical school staff. Leaders of the course are there for both academic and pastoral

support. Often there will be one person designated to your year, who is there for support.

Personal tutors. Nearly all medical schools offer a personal tutor scheme. If you're lucky,

your personal tutor will take you out for meals!

Student unions. Student unions offer friendly and impartial advice. Go and see your elected

officers or find the student advice centre. They can help with all sorts of issues such as

housing, immigration, money and representation.

Nightline. All major student unions offer a 'nightline' listening and information service.

Chaplaincy. The Chaplaincy represents many faiths and offers spiritual and pastoral advice.

Equality. All universities will have a department to help students with disabilities e.g.

dyslexia.

International Office. Here's where international students can go for specialist advice.

Counselling.

Security services.

Highs of medical school

Practical course with hands on experience

Varied subject matter

Leads to a worthwhile exciting career with a guaranteed job that pays well!

Sense of community within the medical school

Great social life with a large mix of people

You may need to manage your time, but there're still loads of opportunities to get involved

with things.

Lows of medical school

Lots of exams-it's hard work!

Shorter holidays than other university students

Need to be quite self-motivated

Social life can be a bit too good (can be distracting!)

Some people say it's hard to mix with students on other courses (although I think this is utter

rubbish!)

Different course structure means that medics can have exams at different times.

Although it's okay to go to lectures still half drunk, it's not the best idea to do it on the

wards!

Scholarship Opportunity

PERMOHONAN TAJAAN JPA DAN MARAUNTUK LEPASAN SIJIL PELAJARAN MALAYSIA 2008DI BAWAH PROGRAM IJAZAH LUAR NEGARA 2009

1. Permohonan adalah dipelawa daripada calon-calon yang menduduki peperiksaan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2008 untuk mendapatkan tajaan Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) atau Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) bagi mengikuti pengajian di bawah Program Ijazah Luar Negara tahun 2009.

2. Permohonan boleh dibuat melalui aplikasi atas talian (on-line application) melalui laman web http://www.jpa.gov.my mulai tarikh keputusan SPM 2008 diumumkan secara rasmi.

3. Tarikh tutup permohonan tajaan Program Ijazah Luar Negara (PILN) 2009 adalah 7 hari selepas permohonan dibuka.

4. Maklumat lanjut mengenai program/bidang kursus, syarat-syarat permohonan dan cara memohon boleh diperoleh dengan melayari laman web http://www.jpa.gov.my mulai tarikh iklan ini disiarkan. Calon hendaklah membaca dan memahami kesemua maklumat mengenai program/bidang kursus, syarat-syarat permohonan dan cara memohon sebelum membuat permohonan.

5. Program Pendedahan Kerjaya Seorang Doktor di hospital-hospital Kerajaan yang terpilih di seluruh negara akan diadakan selama 5 hari mulai 23 sehingga 27 Mac 2009. Program ini diwajibkan kepada semua calon yang memohon untuk mengikuti pengajian dalam bidang perubatan di bawah tajaan JPA.

6. Calon-calon dikehendaki menyemak maklumat terkini mengenai permohonan melalui laman web http://www.jpa.gov.my : a. Keputusan panggilan bagi mengikuti program Pendedahan Kerjaya Seorang Doktor : 20 Mac 2009 b. Keputusan panggilan temuduga JPA : 25 Mac 2009

7. Temuduga JPA akan dijalankan di beberapa pusat di seluruh negara mulai 31 Mac hingga 3 April 2009. Bagi calon yang terpilih untuk menghadiri temuduga diwajibkan untuk membawa Borang Pengesahan Pendapatan Bulanan Keluarga yang telah disahkan dan dokumen-dokumen lain yang ditetapkan.

8. Pelajar-pelajar yang memohon tajaan MARA boleh menyemak maklumat terkini mengenai permohonan melalui laman web http://www.mara.gov.my: a. Keputusan panggilan dan maklumat temuduga MARA : 27 Mac 2009

9. Pertanyaan mengenai masalah teknikal semasa mengisi borang permohonan atas talian boleh dibuat dengan menghubungi talian 03-88853550 atau 03-88853559. Talian-talian ini dibuka setiap hari dari jam 8.00 pagi hingga 10.00 malam mulai tarikh keputusan SPM 2008 diumumkan secara rasmi.

10.Pertanyaan mengenai program tajaan JPA boleh dibuat dengan menghubungi talian 03-88853892 (10 talian), pada setiap hari bekerja mulai jam 8.00 pagi hingga 5.00 petang atau emel di alamat piln2009@jpa.gov.my.

11.Pertanyaan mengenai program tajaan MARA boleh dibuat dengan menghubungi Bahagian Penganjuran Pelajaran MARA di talian 03-26915111 (sambungan 1133, 1109, 1120, 3623, 3624, 3629, 3620 dan 3619) pada setiap hari bekerja mulai jam 8.00 pagi hingga 5.00 petang atau emel di alamat webmaster@mara.gov.my.

12.Calon-calon hendaklah sentiasa melayari laman web www.mara.gov.my http://www.jpa.gov.my dan laman web http:// dari semasa ke semasa untuk mengetahui perkembangan dan pengumuman terkini mengenai permohonan PILN 2009.

Iklan ini dikeluarkan oleh Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam Malaysia

JPA PENERAJU PERKHIDMATAN AWAM

SYARAT-SYARAT PERMOHONAN TAJAANPROGRAM IJAZAH LUAR NEGARA (PILN) TAHUN 2009

UNTUK LEPASAN SIJIL PELAJARAN MALAYSIA 2008Permohonan adalah dipelawa daripada calon-calon yang menduduki SPM pada tahun 2008

bagi kali pertama untuk mendapatkan tajaan Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) atau Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) bagi mengikuti pengajian di luar negara. Calon-calon yang berjaya dipilih bagi program luar negara dikehendaki mengikuti kursus persediaan di kolej-kolej yang ditetapkan di dalam negara sebelum mengikuti pengajian di luar negara.

Pelajar-pelajar cemerlang yang berminat dan terpilih di bawah program ini adalah digalakkan untuk mengikuti pengajian di dalam negara dan akan ditempatkan di Universiti Penyelidikan iaitu Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia dan Universiti Malaya. Calon-calon mestilah memenuhi syarat-syarat umum dan khusus permohonan seperti berikut:

I. Syarat-Syarat Umum a) Warganegara Malaysia (bagi tajaan MARA calon mestilah Warganegara Malaysia dan Melayu/Bumiputera);

b) Umur belum mencapai 18 tahun (19 tahun bagi pelajar peralihan) pada 31 Disember 2008;

c) Mendapat sekurang-kurangnya gred 2A dalam tiga (3) matapelajaran berikut:

i) Bahasa Melayu;

ii) Sejarah; dan

iii) Pendidikan Islam atau Pendidikan Al-Quran dan As-Sunnah atau Pendidikan Syariah Islamiah atau Pendidikan Moral dan;

d) Mempunyai kesihatan yang baik dan tidak mengidap penyakit-penyakit kritikal seperti Hepatitis, Aids, HIV dan sebagainya.

II. Syarat-Syarat Khusus

Permohonan Program Penaja Syarat / Gred Minimum

1) Perubatan Negara : Australia, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Republik Czech, Russia, United Kingdom, Poland & Program Berkembar (International Medical University, Melaka-Manipal Medical College, Penang Medical College)

2) Perubatan Negara : Australia, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Republik Czech, United Kingdom

JPA

MARA

Mendapat sekurang-kurangnya gred 2A dalam enam (6) matapelajaran berikut: a) Fizik b) Kimia c) Biologi d) Matematik e) Matematik Tambahan f) Bahasa Inggeris

& Poland

3) Pergigian Negara : Australia, India, Ireland New Zealand & UK

4) Pergigian Negara : India

5) Farmasi Negara : Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, & Program Berkembar (International Medical University)

6) Farmasi Negara : Indonesia

7) Optometri Negara : New Zealand & United Kingdom

8) Perubatan Negara : Jordan & Mesir

JPA

MARA

JPA

MARA

MARA

JPA / MARA Mendapat sekurang-kurangnya gred 2A dalam enam (6) matapelajaran berikut: a) Fizik b) Kimia c) Biologi d) Matematik e) Matematik Tambahan f) Bahasa Inggeris; dan

mendapat sekurang-kurangnya Lulus dalam matapelajaran berikut : g) Bahasa Arab (Komunikasi) / Bahasa Arab Tinggi

Experience

Medical Student

Huda

"I think I decided to become a doctor when I was about 15, but the decision didn't just happen over-

night! I'd grown up being around hospitals because my father is a doctor, but that wasn't enough to

make me sure that I wanted a career in Medicine too. I had no help getting working experience from

my school; I just got a phonebook and learned to ask for myself! Its great to get lots of work

experience of different varieties so you can see the job you might be doing from all angles. I did a

week in a local hospital and a week at my GP's surgery. The non-medical voluntary work I did

involved longer placements and was just as valuable. I worked in an elderly peoples' home every

Sunday for six months and also helped at a summer school reading scheme for ten year olds. These

jobs really helped me to gain confidence and recognise that I wanted a job working with people - it

really impressed the interviewers that I dedicated so much time to the work. I found it a bit difficult

to make friends in the first year due to there being some events that I couldn't attend because I

don't drink alcohol. Now however, I have a wide and strong group of friends and I'm really enjoying

my time on the wards seeing patients and following them throughout their care."

General Practitioner

Acknowledgement