When did you leave Chesterton Community College?

I left Chesterton in 2022, having entered in 2017.

What is your current job title or field?

Currently, I am a first year medical student at Clare College, University of Cambridge.

Did you know as a teenager which career you wanted to pursue or did you come to realise this later on?

I enjoyed my Science classes best during secondary school, especially my Biology class so I knew I wanted to go into a STEM field. However, when I was in secondary school, I didn’t quite know what specific career I wanted to pursue.

How did you start on your career?

My initial interest in the science subjects motivated me to choose the A Levels of Biology, Chemistry and Maths. I did various work experiences, but the one that I felt was the most meaningful was when I shadowed an oncologist in Addenbrooke’s Hospital. That opened my eyes to what a doctor actually did; the fact that it was a career that was so heavily involved with scientific skill as well as human skills really resonated with me. From there, I continued to find out as much about medicine as I could throughout my time at sixth form, from going to talks, to trying to find more work experiences, to volunteering at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

What do you like about your job? High points?

Medical school is a really exciting time! There’s always something to do and I really enjoy the fact that there’s so much to uncover and learn about the human body. Unlike some other subjects, there’s not only lectures but also a lot of hands-on practicals where you have to figure out how to carry out experiments from scratch. At Cambridge, the medical course also includes full body dissections to learn anatomy; this is such a privilege and is an incredible way to learn from real life. In medical school and throughout a medical career, teamwork is essential and so I’ve gotten really close with my classmates and also my teachers which makes learning the material a lot more fun!

What is the first advice you would give a student wanting to follow in this direction?

To try and learn as much as you can about medicine to cultivate your passion in the field. Medicine as a career famously requires lots of training, even beyond medical school. However, this speaks to the ever-changing, exciting nature of medicine. Therefore, I think it’s important to maintain a curiosity in it!