An introduction to Amrit

Hello, My name is Amrit. I am in my second year at Warwick Medical School and it has absolutely flown by! This is my first post so I will tell you a little bit about my background, why I chose Warwick and my experience so far. I graduated in Sports Science in 2009 and following that I worked as a Healthcare Assistant on a care of the elderly ward for a year and as a Clinician’s Assistant in a children’s hospital for another year. Both of these jobs gave me great exposure to healthcare and medicine, and I would definitely recommend some sort of work on a hospital ward, voluntary or paid, if you are considering medicine.

I chose Warwick because I liked the idea of studying in a large cohort of graduates all from a variety of academic backgrounds and experiences. It certainly comes into its own when studying in groups, which is a big part of the learning style at Warwick. Being part of such a large group is great, and there is definitely a sense of camaraderie amongst the cohort when going through tough exam periods.

Since starting in September 2012 to now we have gone through all of the major body systems. I am in the final term of our Phase I block (pre-clinical), where we are currently studying the urinary and respiratory systems, neurobiology, pharmacology and the human life span. The learning curve throughout the course is pretty steep and the work load is high, but the fascinating topics and clinical focus of the course is really engaging; from the first week of the course it has felt like we are preparing to be doctors.

We have patient exposure pretty early on the course. In the first term we visited patients in their home and learnt how their condition affects their day to day living. From the second term we have half a day in hospital where we have the opportunity to take histories and carry out clinical examinations on patients. The whole experience is pretty nerve racking at first but you soon get used to it, and you learn a great deal, even from the briefest encounter with a patient.

Although some days it may feel like it, studying medicine is not all work. In my spare time I enjoy staying active, playing squash and running. I am also a member of some societies; at the moment I am part of the committees for the Teddy Bear Hospital, Peer Support and SLIME (Students Leading in Medical Education). My highlight so far has been working as part of Peer Support, a society run by second year medics who teach the first years. Education is something I’m really passionate and being part of this committee has been a great experience. There are loads of clubs and societies to get involved in, and if there isn’t one already set up for your sport or interest it is really easy to set one up yourself.

At the moment we are preparing for our end of Phase I exam, the final hurdle to getting into the Clinical Phase, so hopefully the next time I post I can tell you about my experience of Phase II.

Sarah Hill : 09 Dec 2013 10:57 |  Tags: Amrit Mbchb Second Year Student Warwick Wms |  Comments (0) |  Report a problem