To Do...

This post is just going to be about things that I do at school, and things that I've done or am going to do in order to improve my personal statement.

Firstly, of course, is the all important UKCAT. Most universities require that you do the UKCAT (except Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol) and universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and some London ones require the BMAT. I've started practicing a bit for this test, and I have to say I'm finding it so hard, especially Abstract Reasoning. I'm okay on Decision Analysis, but the others throw me because of the strangely worded questions. So I'm determined to practice hard over the Summer so that I can get the best result possible!

Then we have work experience. Ahhh, work experience. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get any work experience in a hospital but I've managed to find a volunteering opportunity in a Children's Hospice, and some work experience in a school for disabled children. Hopefully if I reflect really well on what I learn from these experiences then I'll be able to sound just as good as applicants who have been to a hospital. Also, in March I went to Lourdes and volunteered for the HCPT with disabled children, and I'm aiming to try and get some work experience in a GP during the Summer as well.

We've been told at school to go to some lectures, so I'm planning on watching some TED talks and downloading some lectures on iTunes U. I've bought quite a few books to read as well, and I'll list the books that I'm reading at the bottom of this post. I'm probably going to do a few book reviews as well so anyone interested could read them; and also it'll benefit me because I'll be able to reflect on what I've read! I'm going to some science lectures next week and I'm going to do a first aid course, so those will contribute too.

I try to do quite a few extra-curricular activities and I'm currently taking part in our school musical, Mary Poppins, and I've been in other school shows too. I want to set up a Medical Society in my school so that we can discuss medical issues, because it'll give me some drive to research more things, and I can give advice to the lower years too! I do singing lessons, I'm in my school choir and I go to Rangers (which is part of Girl Guiding UK) so I really hope that I'm okay on the extra-curricular front!

I think that's it? Sorry it's been such a long post! I just thought maybe things I do could help you think of ideas of things to do as well.

Books I've read/am going to read:

• The Viral Storm - Nathan Wolfe - DONE
• The Emperor of All Maladies - Siddhartha Mukherjee
• The Epigenetics Revolution - Nessa Carey
• Bad Science - Ben Goldacre
• How We Die - Sherwin B. Nuland - IN PROCESS
• Medical Ethics: A Very Short Introduction - Tony Hope - IN PROCESS