Merry Christmas

Back home in Weston for the holidays. Missing London already but been Christmas food shopping with my mum and very excited. Had a very serious talk with my dad yesterday about medicine and if I still want it to do. I really do, but I've started considering other things as backups. Maybe I should be arranging internships etc.

Anyhow that discussion is for another post.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Charity

Another post about Christmas. Firstly, very excited. I'm literally shouting "Merry Christmas" at people.

Secondly, thanks to Medicine I've done voluntary work from a young age. I think charity is very important and I think that people should donate small amounts. I'm literally talking less than £5. I think the NSPCC are an amazing charity. They provide support to children in need and would recommend dropping them a donation of just a £1 or so.

And I would also like to big up my Dad at this point. Every Christmas since I can remember, he has always asked for two things. A box of walnut whips and a charity donation. He doesn't care what charity it goes to, just as long as we all donate to charity instead of buying him a present. He is very insistent on that. I wish I wasn't materialistic and could say that as well...

IT'S CHRISTMAS

I know we still have two weeks to go but today is the last radio show before we break up for the Christmas holidays. Subsquently, my co-host has planned probably the cheesiest Christmas show alive and I've been downloading songs ranging from Michael Buble to T.O.W.I.E's Last Christmas. I'm in the Christmas Mood and very excited.

Spent the Friday and Saturday working at the pub, so two days of studying lost to working. Can anyone say money? I sat in my student union coffee shop on Sunday doing work. It was completely unrelated to my course but instead is related to my role at a student representative.

In my levels of procrastination, I managed to convince a very hungover friend to come to the pub and we ended up have a pub crawl (Is three pubs a pub crawl?) of Mile End. We called it a day at 11. I say we, the last pub we could find that was open closed so we were forced to retire.

I have then spent this morning downloading songs for my radio show and meeting with the wonderful VP of Communications (my student union mentor) to discuss how I'm doing as a student rep. I honestly feel like I'm not doing enough and that I am not a representative at all. However, apparently I'm a "student rep extraordinaire!" and doing great. I'm blowing my own trumpet on here, because I'm not crass enough to do it on twitter in front of all the other councillors :P

No news from Barts still. Probably won't hear till January/February now. I keep forgetting and then remembering every time someone asks me what I'm doing after university. I hate that question. It use to be such an easy one to answer, but now I'm starting to be filled with dread. Student Politics and Journalism are starting to attract me but I would need to seriously step up my game for either and would be a big deviation from my course, medicine and everything I have worked for so far.

As always, I'll keep you posted.

Procrastinating

It seems to be a theme today. I have a hockey Christmas meal tonight and two coursework deadlines for Friday.

Instead I have tidied me room to the point of spotless. I've organised my work (wetherspoons) key and badges into an appropriate container.

I've also got in the Christmas mood and built myself a Christmas tree. Feeling pretty happy right now :D

Guide book

BTW, if you ever go to Paris. Get this guide book.

It is amazing or Il est très bon. And the itinerary for a weekend, you can do in a day. Just sayin'

Where I'm Going

September 2008 - Applied to Medical School while at college
Spring 2009 - Rejected from all four choices without interview.
Summer 2009 - Deferred back up choice (Biomedical Science at Queen Mary).

August 2009 - Took a gap year and worked for a government department.

September 2010 - Started Biomedical Sciences at Queen Mary, University of London
September 2011 - Applied to Barts and The London Medical School a year early (benefit of my biomedical degree)
Spring 2012 - Interviewed at Barts and The London. See here.
Summer 2012 - Received deferred offer for five year medicine course at Barts, conditional on a 2:1.

Summer 2013 - Achieved 2:1 in Biomedical Sciences at Queen Mary
September 2013 - Start medicine at Barts and The London Medical School.

What I've Done So Far

Grades
University
2:1 - BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science, Queen Mary, University of London '13
A-Levels
ABBBb - Law, Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Critical Thinking
GCSEs
3A*, 6A, 1B The B was in Graphics. I'm really not artistic.

University Extracurricular
Station Manager of Student Union Radio
Station Writer for Student Union Newspaper and Magazine
Liveblogger for Independent Student Newspaper
Played hockey for the first team Elected as a non-portfolio officer in student union elections

Work Experience
1 week - A&E, ENT and audiology
2 weeks - A&E shadowing an F1
1 week - Forensic lab 1 week - GP surgery

Volunteer
4 years - Local hospital radio station

Jobs
Worked at a local pub
Worked for a government department
Worked at a local supermarket

Awards and Certifications
Several awards from school, university and volunteer work
First aid certification since I was a teenager

Edits - This page is repeatedly updated to reflect my progress towards obtaining a place to study medicine

Where's Wally?

Bonjour. I've been on holiday. For the weekend.

Me and my fellow biomeds planned a last minute get away to Paris. Booked it a month ago and spent two and a half days stuffing my face with crossiants. It was amazing. The views from the Arc de Triumphe are amazing and being soaked on the top of the Effiel Tower was a highlight (weird I know). I've come back with the travelling bug and worst of all I've started looking at other careers...

I still want to be a doctor. Its a dream that has never died. But I'm now 21 and I think I'm mature enough (not too much though) to realise that this may not be a reality. I am still going to try and I will give it my all. I could hear from Barts anytime now until Feburary. I feel 18 all over again. Nervous and full of excitment. If I am rejected, I will be disappointed, I will get drunk and I will pull myself up and try again.

This blog post was sponspored by procrastination of a PBL about Long QT syndrome.

UKCAT

UKCAT done. Reference being written. Personal statement planned. Deadline 5 days.

NHS plans

So graduates who want to do the five year MBBS will get no help for tuition fees.
Fuck. That is all.

On an additional note, my best goes out to Merys at I Am Not A Drain On Society. Congratulations on becoming a doctor after a 9 year struggle. Sorry to hear you are in hospital. Get well soon :D

Exams, UKCAT and lots of starbucks

So my first year of university has finished. My exams are over and they could have gone a lot better. I slept through one, had friends down for a gig the day of another and generally was so relaxed about revision that I only panicked twenty minutes before each exam. And yet I loved it because I loved my first year. I've probably fucked myself for the next few years but I couldn't care at the moment. I've jumped through a lot of hoops for medicine and even ended up on a degree that wasn't even my second choice. As my advisor says "If you want to mess up a year, the first one is the one to do it in".

I've spent today buying UKCAT books and sitting in a Starbucks in Piccadilly drinking mocha frappes. It's been pretty cool and I think that I've got a much better attitude for the UKCAT this time round. I'm going to start at the basics going over GCSE Maths, practice speed reading and making sure I do the damn shape tests in my sleep.

Just in case I haven't mentioned, my university (Queen Mary) lets 2nd year Biomeds apply to their Medicine degrees for deferred entry hence the UKCAT stuff. I'm pretty excited about the application process but also hesitant. I'm going to be on a course next year with 80 other people applying for medicine at the same place. I'm sure that will drive me mental slightly. We'll see.

Also I should probably proof read my posts before positing but then it gives me another reason not to post so apologies for the rushed nature. Now that summer is coming they'll be more planned and organised.

Where did the time go? Almost end of the year!

I feel like every blog I start is apologising for not posting enough. I twitter a lot at the moment but blogging usually takes more. Or should take more if I planned it.

I've just finished Week 11 of Semester B of my first year of university. I have one week of official teaching then exam season starts :(

Can anyone say panic? First of all, I don't want to leave 1st year. Being a fresher is brilliant. Being a second year sounds like hard work. Secondly exams. I haven't done any exams for coming up to two years. Not worrying at all. Should be studying but instead I'm finding excuses in London not too.

Today has been interesting. I've had an interview for Drapers (S.U. Bar) and hopefully it was good. I felt it went crap but then I felt that about Sainsbury's and definitely Jobcentre. I had to draw an amazing bar person, then talk about glow in the dark paint for 30 seconds followed by a one on one interview. Odd to say the least. I really hope I get it though. It's on campus, wage is good and I'll be guaranteed a job for two years :D

Housing hunting. I've been looking online a lot but nothing seems to be available yet, apparently I shouldn't be looking till June/July. Plus I'm possibly living in a house that some third years are moving out of so that could make things nice and simple. Really hope so.

Course is good. Writing that, I sound like a postcard or an email to a distance relative. It is though. I'm enjoy the topics, maybe not the lectures but the topics for sure. Plus I seem to be holding my own so far. Exams will prove different I'm sure.

Medicine applications are also approaching. After exams, I'll have to look at booking my UKCAT and applying through QMUL. Should be an interesting experience which I'll blog about for future biomeds who are using this course as a slingshot to medicine.

Semester B and House Hunting Drama

I honestly can't believe I'm in the second semester of the first year already. It's flying by. Christmas was brilliant. Hope you guys had a great new year. Diving into the new semester, the content is definitely increasing in size and depth. I'll be studying histology, biochemisty and phyisiology. I'm loving the modules so far, although histology is going to take up a lot of my time. I can just sense it.

So what's new at uni? Loads of stuff is going on and I'm determined to keep my involvement up this term. I need to go the gym alot more! So far, I've been twice :O I know, shame on me. I just get a little nervous in front of all the guys doing free weights. Might try getting up early seeing as most sports club use the afternoons.

I'm joining the Tennis Club as well. After going on holiday over the Christmas break to Centre Parcs, I realised how much I miss Tennis so I'll be playing that again. I also really loved swimming, so I'm going to be going to the pool in Mile End at some point.

I'm really glad to be back but part of me still wants to be in Medicine at Barts. I know I'm not the only one thinking this and I even discovered that my flatmate has a blog. I had a quick look through and it's nice to know that 1. we are thinking the same thing and 2. he actually likes our flat. He's very mysterious you see, likes to keep himself to himself and it's difficult to know what he's thinking.

For example, our flat get on so well that we've started looking for a house together for next year however I was considered my flatmate would pull out and live with his sports team. Yet when another flatmate questioned him, he was adamant he would live with us and went house hunting the next day. Good to know :D

House hunting is turning into a drama. Somehow and fuck knows how, but a group of six has turned into eight. I like the two girls who want to live with us but they haven't even asked most of my flatmates. They just started looking for eight bedroom houses. In fact, I only found out because one of my flatmates walked in on three (current flatmate and the two friends) of them looking at houses. Mental. So I'm going to have to sit down and find out what's going on because this can easily get out of hand.

Looking forward to tonight :D Going to have a Cheese and Wine evening with some course mates. Going to dress up smart and get drunk. Cheap. Classy. Can't go wrong.

Oh and as a bragging point, because I can brag here because I'm a faceless person and I'm not doing it at an individual, I scored 99% in a Human Anatomy practical and also got published in the magazine for my student union. Pretty proud of myself if you don't mind me saying!