In Term 6, students in Year 12 with an interest in medicine, dentistry and healthcare related careers like biomedical engineering had the incredible opportunity to visit St Mary’s Hospital and Imperial College London to participate in a range of clinical skills workshops that provided them with an understanding of what a career in medicine or healthcare consists of. 

It was a day filled with interactive, hands-on experiences which opened the door for students to engage in many inspiring conversations and gain a valuable insight into the realities of studying medicine and clinical teaching at medical school.

Upon arrival at St Mary’s Hospital, WA students were greeted by a cohort of Imperial medical students and teaching doctors. We had the opportunity to rotate around a carousel of activities including: venepuncture skills, inserting feeding tubes, hand-washing skills, monitoring blood pressure, and, most excitingly, interacting with training mannequins. At the venepuncture station, we learnt about the important steps needed to carry out what is seen as a simple blood test but can go very wrong very quickly if, for example, the needle is inserted at the incorrect angle. This station was led by an NHS nurse which highlighted to the aspiring medics the importance of all the different roles needed to run a hospital, and that at medical school students will be taught by both teaching doctors, nurses and other specialists. Perhaps one of the most memorable stations was learning the correct method to wash your hands and maintain the right hygiene using fluorescent hand cream - this really opened our eyes to the importance of cleanliness in clinical settings in order to keep yourselves and the people around you safe, as well as the amount of germs that we carry around unnoticed. The professional running this station had also been an IB student and is currently a teaching doctor at Imperial College, which gave a valuable insight into the range of pathways one can take after studying medicine and provided a clarification on the academic as opposed to the practical route. It is always particularly special to have the chance to speak to medical students and doctors who themselves navigated the IB Diploma programme, and receive advice on how we can maximise the benefits of the course to apply to medical school and reflect meaningfully on the skills we have developed from the IB in our personal statements and interviews.

Alongside our practices, we were fortunate enough to speak with doctors who shared their own experiences and journeys through medical school to achieve the position they are at now, giving us a realistic idea of the resilience one needs to succeed within this field. An interesting topic that came up at the blood pressure station was that of intercalated degrees. We have learnt most about this from the students themselves as they are currently navigating the process and being allocated their choices. An intercalated degree is a year of research in either the third or fourth year of medical school, which provides students with an additional degree. This was very important to know about for future reference.

The station we enjoyed the most was the simulations using the teaching mannequins, that are designed to replicate real life situations and scenarios medical students would be faced with in rotations on wards and placements. The mannequins were controlled by the teaching staff through a computer and several of us had the exciting opportunity to test out our CPR skills, highlighting how physically demanding it actually is.

Later that day, we arrived at Imperial College London to attend a series of lectures by current PhD students. One researcher that really fascinated us was Seihee, who spoke to us about her work exploring how AI can be used in the discovery of drugs and for cell detection. This gave us a glimpse into how medicine and technology can work together to further develop the future of healthcare, as well as how AI can be used positively to increase the amount of cutting-edge research. Whilst all of the research projects we heard about were closely linked to healthcare and medicine, not all of the students were medics, which goes to show the diversity of careers when it comes to medical sciences in general. For example, one of the researchers had successfully engineered a portable device that is able to measure muscle fatigue in surgeons in theatres. This required months of research and trial and error but again highlights the importance of different specialists like engineers, mathematicians, chemists, alongside medical professionals to inspire change, innovation and advancement in the medical field in the UK. Universities often search for this holistic understanding of how medicine operates and the importance of not only doctors but nurses, healthcare assistants, engineers and other specialists behind the scenes.

Finally, we would like to sincerely thank St Mary’s Hospital and Imperial College London for hosting us and giving us this unforgettable opportunity to explore and experience the world of medicine in a way we never thought possible at this stage. Most of all, we would like to thank Mr Mohamed, who has worked for months to organise this incredible experience, and for his leadership of the MedSci Club that has encompassed countless opportunities and support for us this year! Thank you so much!

Jiya and Rola, Year 13