Muhammad Syafiq bin Kamarulzaman

5 Al Razi
Doctor
 Table of Content

My Resume

Why I want to be a doctor?

What is medicine?

Career path of a doctor

Being a doctor

The Medical Degree

Handling Interviews

Writing Personal Statement and Referee Statement

Life as a medic

Scholarship Opportunity

Experiences

Additional Information

Acknowledgement

Resume
Name Muhammad Syafiq bin Kamarulzaman

Date of Birth 9 March 1992

Place of Birth Hospital Besar Seremban

Home Address 245, Lorong Mutiara Galla 10/2,

Taman Mutiara Galla,

70200 Seremban

Negeri Sembilan

Telephone No 06-7672673

School Sekolah Berasrama Penuh Integrasi Selandar

School`s Address SBP Integrasi Selandar,

Batang Melaka,

77500 Selandar,

Melaka

Academic Achievement

2004 5 A in UPSR

2007 9 A in PMR

Cocurriculum Achievement and Involvement

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Why I want to be a doctor?

 What is medicine?

Medicine is a five/six year course studied at university and in hospitals

where you become a doctor (hospital doctor/GP etc.) when you qualify. The only
legal way to become a 'medical' doctor in the UK is to do a degree in medicine.
Be aware, that there are many related degrees such as biomedical sciences,
clinical sciences, medical sciences etc. However, these are science degrees and
not degrees in medicine. It is important that when you apply, you check that the
degree you're doing leads to provisional registration with the GMC (General
Medical Council).

Generally the medical course consists of a period of time learning about

the science of the human body in health and disease (the pre-clinical years) and
then a period of time (the clinical years) applying that knowledge when meeting
patients. It is a unique degree in that it combines the art of communicating
effectively with patients (and trust me-it really is an art!!) with the science of the
workings of the human body.

Deciding on a career in medicine should not be taken lightly. Remember, it

is a very intense degree lasting five/six years leading to a job where you have to
work long hours and requires great dedication. So, do your researches before
you apply and don't be persuaded into applying by others. Without a real passion
for the subject, many students struggle to survive the demanding pre-clinical
years; in fact, it would be fair to say that even for the most motivated of students
it can be easy to lose sight of what you are studying for when trawling through
mounds of anatomy, physiology and biochemistry revision.

Most medical degrees are five-years. If you are a student finishing A.

Levels you will probably embark on a five-year course. The standard five-year
course can be 'topped up' to six years by doing an intercalated BSc. However,
some medical schools incorporate this into the medical degree, so it is
automatically six-years. If you are a graduate you may be eligible to apply to a
four-year graduate entry programme. If you do not have the correct
qualifications then you can do a six-year course, which includes a foundation
year tagged onto the first five-years.

Career Path of a Doctor

So once you finish medical school you will start your foundation jobs
(previously known as pre-registration house officer, PRHO). The Foundation
Programme is a two-year planned programme of general training which forms
the bridge between medical school and specialist/general practice training. All
medical graduates will enter the Foundation Programme immediately following
graduation, which comprises a series of placements in a variety of specialties
and healthcare settings. In order to progress to GP or consultant you have to
take exams to become a member of the respective Royal College. Also
remember that there is loads of scope to work abroad if that's what you fancy. A
medical degree means that you can go almost anywhere!

Being a Doctor

This is the decision you will have to make... do I really want to be a doctor?
Training to be a doctor takes a long time, so you must be sure that this is
something that you're interested in. Being a doctor is very rewarding, but it is
also stressful at times, hard work and emotionally draining. Being a doctor, you
will make big and small differences to people's lives, so it's important that you
are committed. The important thing is to do your research - talk to family and
friends, your GP, careers advisors and look on the internet.
 The Medical Degree

All medical degrees in the United Kingdom are undergraduate degrees (just as
Bachelor of Science, BSc is). They are usually called 'Bachelor of Medicine and
Bachelor of Surgery’; however at Southampton it's just called 'Bachelor of
Medicine'. They are abbreviated to MB BS, MB ChB, MB, BM BS, MB BChir etc. All
of these are the same, so don't get hung up on qualifications! Following
graduating with our MB ChB (or whatever) we are called doctors. This is an
honorary title, as we do not have a postgraduate doctoral degree such as a PhD.
However, in some specialities it is necessary to have a postdoctoral degree. Most
medical degrees in the UK lead to provisional registration with the General
Medical Council. However, there are some private medical schools which don't,
so be aware. Some medical students also leave university with extra
qualifications such as BSc (Hons), BA (Hons) or BMedSci (see below).

Private medical schools

There are a number of 'private' medical schools in the UK and many people turn
to them when they fail to gain a place at a 'state' medical school. However I
would approach this with great caution. These schools often run on charters from
foreign countries and hence you must sit the PLAB exam before practicing. They
may not be recognised by the GMC and cost a whole load of money! Some of
these schools can be found on this part of the GMC website (opens link in new
window).

Getting a place at medical school

There's no denying it... medicine is one of the most competitive degree courses
in the UK. Every year lots of people are denied a place in medical school for
many reasons. This is why it's important to get clued up and do your research.
You need to put a lot of time into your application and that means starting to
think about it early. However, there is an element of luck involved, and every
medical school will have slightly different criteria on what to base their offers.
There is no medical school that is easy to get into (otherwise everyone would
apply to it, making it more difficult!).

Types of course

Medical courses fall into 3 different categories: Problem-based learning,

integrated and traditional. The main differences lie in the 'pre-clinical' style of
teaching. 'Clinical' teaching is similar for all three types of course and is based in
the hospital or in primary care with teaching being performed in small groups
from clinicians. It is important that you look into the different courses on offer -
read the prospectuses and look on the internet before you apply. However,
sometimes there is not a clear divide of the courses, and some integrated
courses will also have some PBL and vice-versa.

Problem-based learning (PBL)

This is a new dynamic style of course which has been praised by the General
Medical Council (a sort of 'government' for doctors). Pioneered by medical school
such as Liverpool and Manchester, the course is taught with a patient orientated
approach from day one and students are heavily involved in clinical scenarios
from the first year. This type of course requires a great deal of self motivation as
its emphasis is on self directed learning and therefore those who are used to
spoon feeding of information may take some time to adjust. Teaching styles vary
from place to place, but generally consist of small group tutor led teaching with
computer work, practical sessions and a large amount of time for personal study.
It is still unknown whether this type of course is the better way to teach medicine
than the others. Universities offering this type of course include Liverpool,
Manchester, Glasgow, Queen Mary, Peninsula, Sheffield, Keele, Hull and York,
Barts, East Anglia.

Integrated or systems based

This type of course is run at the majority of UK medical schools such as
Birmingham and Leeds and was devised under recommendation of the GMC after
it published the guidelines 'Tomorrow's Doctors' (link opens in new window). It sits
as a compromise between a traditional style course and a PBL course. Although
these courses generally claim to have patient contact from day one, this varies
in the amount from place to place but is often quite limited in the first year to
local community visits. The amount of patient contact increases as the years
progress with there still being a slight divide between pre-clinical and clinical
years. Most students are happy with only having limited contact with patients in
year one as they feel that at this point they do not have sufficient clinical
knowledge base to approach patients on the wards. Teaching is based on body
systems such as the digestive system, learning the anatomy, physiology,
pharmacology and biochemistry of the relevant system and clinical knowledge is
also supplemented. There is also an emphasis on teaching communication skills
and understanding the local community. This type of teaching is a mixture
between lectures, tutorials, self directed learning (and hospital work in later
years) and is suitable for all types of people from those who are used to spoon-
feeding to more individual workers.

Traditional or subject-based
This type of course is a bit of a rarity in the new world of medical education.
Limited to establishments such as Oxford, Cambridge and St Andrews, there is a
definite pre-clinical/clinical divide and the pre-clinical years are taught very
rigidly in subjects. In some of these institutions you may have to apply again for
a 'clinical' place and your clinical place may not even be in the city you started!
E.g. St. Andrew's students finish their clinical years in Manchester and some
Oxbridge students finish their years in London. This is definitely a course for the
scientifically minded and it could potentially be easy to lose motivation due to
the complete lack of patient contact in the pre-clinical years. Also, students tend
to feel a little unprepared and isolated when they take their first steps into
hospital in the clinical years. This type of degree offers much more scope to
complete research (such as a Masters or PhD) without overly disrupting your
degree. Definitely a choice for those with a great deal of motivation and those
that like the idea of studying a science degree before embarking on clinical
studies. Different types of people suit different types of course and only you can
decide which one might suit you best. At the end of the day, everybody obtains
the same degree at the end so pick a university where you really think that you
will flourish both academically and socially.

The GMC realised that there was not enough time in the day to teach medical
students everything they needed to know. They therefore identified a 'core'
curriculum of which all medical schools must follow. This does not mean that all
medical degrees are taught the same, as there is still much interpretation and
leeway in the way that medical students are taught.

In order to look away from the core the GMC invented SSCs (Student Selected
Components) which are known as SSMs (Student Selected Modules) in some
medical schools . SSCs now form up to 25-30% of the course at some universities
so it is quite a good idea to know what they are. They are a diverse range of
projects chosen by the student which give opportunity to study areas of interest
in depth. The majority of the work is self-directed and the emphasis is placed on
learning new skills (study skills, research, IT, reflection etc). Projects can range
from sports medicine to the police force, foreign languages to aromatherapy!
This web site was even started as part of an SSC!

This type of learning really reflects the way medical teaching is progressing. With
medical advances occurring so quickly, it is impossible to teach everything a
doctor needs to know in five years. Therefore, the emphasis is on learning skills
that will equip you in later life and teach you to go and source information
yourself. These usually form a really interesting and fun part of the course and
also really test your organisation skills!

Intercalating
This is the opportunity to incorporate a degree (BSc or BA) into your medical
course. It takes one year which is often completed after your second or third
year. At some medical schools it is compulsory (most of the 6 year courses),
some offer it as an option to all students and at some places it is only offered to
the most academically able students.

The degrees can range from more traditional science topics such as
biochemistry, anatomy, physiology etc to more unusual subjects such as medical
law, ethics, journalism and even history of medicine. There are many reasons
that people intercalate-some people want to extend their knowledge of a
particular subject that they are interested in whilst others want more experience
in carrying out research or laboratory work. One of the advantages of doing an
intercalated degree is that it can confer an advantage if you want to enter a
competitive field such as surgery. The main downfall is the extra time and
money it takes - it adds a year to an already long degree and therefore has
implications on your bank balance! Daunting it may seem but it is really worth
thinking about the different policies on intercalating before applying. If you have
no interest in doing research then there would be little point in applying
somewhere where intercalating is compulsory and conversely if you definitely
want to intercalate then it may be risky to apply somewhere which only offers
intercalation to the top 10% of the year (for example).

If you are really keen you may even be able to intercalate a PhD!

Elective

This is the opportunity to practice medicine anywhere you want in the world for
two months during your clinical years. Electives range from running outreach
clinics in developing countries to accompanying flying doctors in Australia. You
may wish to spend your time working on a research project (for which there is
often funding available). There is also often the chance to spend a few weeks
travelling after your placement. Most students see this as a wonderful
opportunity to visit far flung destinations before they qualify, however you can
opt to stay at home. The medical school does not pay for your elective, unless
you qualify for a bursary. However many banks offer professional loans to
medical students for their elective.

How am I taught?
Teaching in medical school occurs in many different formats; here are the most
common:

Lectures
Lectures take place in a lecture theatre (surprisingly enough!). Lectures will
usually comprise your whole year, so there may be anything from 100 to 300
people in one lecture theatre! It will mostly be people doing medicine, although
rarely dentists and biomedical scientists may also join you. The lecturer will
stand at the front of the theatre and will deliver the lecture, usually via a
PowerPoint presentation. Lectures usually last about an hour and the structure
varies depending on the lecturer. Some lecturers like to keep things very
interactive; others like to be more didactic. Some lecturers may invite patients in
to the theatre and some lectures may have a number of different people speak
to offer different view points (e.g. a pathologist, a cardiologist and a biomedical
scientist). Most of the time you will have to take notes yourself, but it is getting
more common for lecturers to provide a handout. Lecturers may also be kind
enough to put their lecture on the internet for you to download at your leisure!

Seminars and tutorials

these consist of small group work or demonstrations. There will be ten to thirty
people in each group and the point is to revise the lecture material or to take the
material further. Often there will be discussion and debate within the group,
which is facilitated by a demonstrator. One way to improve your knowledge and
communication skills is to do presentations on certain topics and these are done
in small groups.

Laboratories
Once upon a time medical school was filled to the brim with lab work. Now, the
amount of time spent in a lab has decreased dramatically. Depending on which
university you go to will determine how much of this you will be required to do.
Remember, if you intercalate a degree, there may be the opportunity to do more
of this sort of thing.

Dissection
Again, all medical schools once did full body dissection. However, more medical
schools are using videos and computers for their anatomy teaching. Some
universities offer teaching from prosecutions’ only (parts of the body dissected
by a professional anatomy teacher), however some still do full body dissection.
Because it is very practical, dissection is usually a welcome break from lectures
and most students get a lot out of it. It also helps you appreciate the differences
in the human body between different people. Some people say that if you want
to become a surgeon then dissection is really useful. I agree to a certain extent,
however after five years at medical school and another few after that you're
going to have forgotten it all in any way!

Computer-based
because everything is much more 'technical' these days, more and more
teaching is done using information technology. This can range from on-line
exams, to interactive discussion forums and web-based material. In the future,
you will be using mobile phones and other electronic device to record your
histories and examinations! Because of new developments in informatics, it is
important that all medical students are computer literate. If you are not - don't
worry, as all universities provide courses to get you up to speed! Expect to see a
lot more of this in the future!

Clinical skills
all medical schools will have a clinical skills area. This can often be located in the
school of medicine or on NHS property. Clinical skills is a vital part of the medical
curriculum and helps us practise certain things before we are let loose on real
people! Clinical skills labs are often run by nurses who are excellent and very
experienced at teaching. Here you will learn how to take blood from plastic arms,
do fundoscopy, breast exams, how to catheterise etc.

On the wards
Teaching in the later years of the medical degree mostly takes place on the
wards. This can take many different formats, for example during ward rounds
you may be asked to present a case that you have seen. Or on the ward a doctor
may take you to a certain patient to demonstrate a specific condition. There are
also lots of chances for you to see how the rest of the team works e.g. nurses
and midwives. You will also get the chance to do some of the clinical skills you've
been practising e.g. taking blood and inserting a catheter.

Theatres
Theatres are a perfect place to brush up on your anatomy and physiology. If you
are with the surgeons, you will often be asked to 'scrub up' and assist in the
operation (i.e. hold equipment and bits of intestine etc. - not anything major!). If
you are with the anaesthetist it's a great opportunity to brush up on
cardiovascular and respiratory physiology.

Self-directed learning
Because medical schools recognise that sometimes everything cannot be fitted
into one lecture, they will ask you to do some extra reading. This is important for
when looking through the syllabus for when the exams are coming around. You
will also be expected to do project work and assessments in your own time.
 Handling Interview

Look into different types and styles of interview at different universities,

indeed some medical schools don't interview anyone, some interview a few and
some interview everyone! I wouldn't choose a university on the fact that it
doesn't interview. At medical school you'll have to do lots of presentations, so
you may as well get used it! Interviews can last from 10 minutes to 30 minutes
(and maybe longer!). However on average it'll be about 20 minutes. There will
usually be a panel of assessors, which may include consultants, general
practitioners, university academic staff and medical students.

We cannot stress enough how important it is to prepare yourself for that

oh so important interview. Despite what you may think, your skills can improve
massively with practice, and I am definitely talking from personal experience.
Along with improved communication skills, confidence also often increases which
may just give you the edge over that nervous wreck sitting next to you in the
waiting room. Even if the questions you use for your practice interviews aren't
the same as those in the real thing, it teaches you a framework for answering
any question that you may get thrown at you. Preparation is especially important
as more interviews are now assessed objectively (i.e. they are marked using
defined criteria).

Interviews are not just chances for sadistic medics to take out on
unsuspecting prospective medical students, although sometimes it can seem
that way! They do have a point to them! They are useful tools to see if you are
capable of making quick and rational decisions that you can explain clearly
under quite a lot of pressure, or to see how much you have thought about all of
the issues surrounding a medical career. They can see whether someone is able
to communicate far better than a personal statement. The point is not to revise
the whole of chemistry, biology, the history of the NHS and the whole of medical
ethics, but to see whether you can handle questions under pressure.

Practising
Practice with anyone: parents, teachers, siblings, friends, pets (I was joking
about that last one)! They really don't have to know the first thing about
medicine; they are invaluable in informing you about your body language, eye
contact, and any nervous ticks that you never knew you had! If possible you can
also record your practise interview onto a video or cassette, which may help. You
can check you progress and watch whether you come across well to the
interview panel. Some people go for private interview help and pay quite a lot of
money for not a lot of time. Although the feedback from what I've heard has
been good, you can often get adequate help from a teacher and the list of
questions below. However, practising can only help you so much. The
interviewers will never ask you every question you will have practised; therefore
you should be ready for anything. Also, you don't want to sound as though you're
reading from a script and sounding over rehearsed.

Your UCAS form

Before your interview, scrutinise your UCAS form and be expected to be asked
questions on ANYTHING YOU HAVE PUT DOWN - if you lie on it then you've got a
good chance of being found out (although some medical students have admitted
to elaborating the truth!!) You can turn the interview around to your advantage if
you are well practiced. Talk about what you had gained from your experiences
mentioned on your UCAS form rather than just reeling a list off of what surgical
procedures you have seen. You could also try to link your experiences to
something you have read about in journals/newspapers recently if you're feeling
really clever.

Medical issues and ethical questions

Get up to date on current medical issues - read the science/medicine
supplements in the broadsheet newspapers and try looking at websites such as
the Student BMJ. Also think about the ethical consequences of any medical
stories with a moral theme. Think through the pros and cons of the common
ethical dilemmas such as abortion, euthanasia and child consent. It is important
to give an honest but balanced answer to ethical questions. Doctors have to be
able to weigh up the good and bad consequences of their actions on a daily basis
and you may need to demonstrate this skill in an interview.This site is useful for
ethical info: UK Ethics Clinical Network .

The tough question

If you get a question where you haven't the foggiest of the answer, it would
probably look better if you just admit that you don't know than go waffling about
something completely irrelevant for the next half an hour. If you manage to get
some brownie points later in the interview ,then the assessors will probably
forget about the first incident.

The obvious question

Nearly all medical schools will ask the question "Why do you want to be a
doctor". Think about this carefully and make sure the answer is an honest
answer, and not from someone else. People often get really hung up on this
question and try to avoid the cliché answers. However, if your reason is the
cliché, then there's nothing you can do about it - just go with it!
Body language
Body language is very important in interviews. Try to be relaxed - don't slouch on
the chair, but don't fig it too much or look rigid. Try not to adopt a defensive
posture e.g. by crossing your arms. There are many theories about body
language and how it can be perceived, but don't go over the top. Put your hands
on your lap and make hand movements when trying to express yourself (but
don't go too over the top). Don't be too relaxed (e.g. putting one foot on the
other knee). Keep eye contact with the interviewers and last of all-please,
please, please remember to smile!!!!! I've done my fair share of interviewing and
it really makes the whole atmosphere so much better if a candidate comes in
looking happy and gives the impression that they are enjoying the interview.

Entering and leaving the room

Walk in confidently, with your head up high (remember you're not marching
though!). Say hello, smile and make eye contact with each interviewer. Shake
their hands if they offer. They should invite you to sit down and then they will
introduce themselves. When you leave, thank them for their time, smile again
and say goodbye. They will be discussing you when you leave the room, so it's
good to leave a good lasting impression.

What to wear
For boys this means shirt and tie, clean shoes, black socks and look clean! The
'scruffy' look may be in at your school, but it certainly isn't at a medical
interview! If you have a suit then you may want to wear that, but it's not
essential. For girls, it's a bit more difficult. Generally you need to look smart;
Skirt/trousers and a blouse/top. Don't show any cleavage, midriff or underwear. If
you're unsure, go for the safe option. Remember if you're going to become a
doctor you should dress in a professional way. On a personal note, I'd always say
not to wear anything outrageous e.g. brightly coloured tie, as instead of making
you stand out it'll make you look like a Pratt!

"Do you have any questions for us?"

There is conflicting advice about what to do about this question. If you genuinely
don't have any questions to ask, then say something along the lines of "all of my
questions have been answered by reading the prospectus and speaking to
medical students". Don't ask any old question for the sake of it; that may make
you seem stupid! However, if the interviewers invite you to ask a question and
you have one, then ask it! The interviewers will not mind you asking a question!
What to take to interviews
If the university wants you to take anything then they will tell you. Some
universities like to see GCSE certificates and passports. Some people like to take
their Record of Achievement as proof of what they've done. Take things to keep
you occupied during the train journey or in the waiting room e.g. a magazine or
your personal statement. A bottle of water always comes in handy for 'dry mouth
syndrome'!

Medicine in the news

If you want to be a doctor you should have an interest in medicine. Quite often
interviewers will ask questions along the lines of "have you read anything in the
news recently about medicine?" In order to be prepared you need to do some
reading! Don't go overboard on this. Interviewers don't expect you to recite the
latest piece of research on some obscure condition. Keep it simple, both for you
and the interviewers; don't try to be too clever - if the interviewers think you're
being cocky, they'll ask you a really complicated question and you'll look stupid!
When I applied (only four years ago) I didn't have internet access, so I had to
look at the newspapers. I collected various cuttings and re-read them on the
train to my interviews! The best thing that you can do now is use the internet.
Here are some useful websites, which are updated regularly and provide a good,
comprehensive round up of the latest news in the world of medicine :

Bright Journals Library

BBC Health
Student BMJ (British Medical Journal)
National Library for Health
Guardian Medicine
Medical news today

I personally wouldn't do much more than the above, unless you're really
interested. Remember if you bring up an ethical problem; be prepared to be
asked on it!

Practice questions

This is a list of questions all of which have been asked at interviews in the
past compiled by a group of medical students. They are certainly not exhaustive,
but exist to give you a guide of the sorts of things that you could be asked about.

Why do you want to be a doctor?

What is the format of a good team?
Do you read any medical publications?
Would you prescribe the oral contraceptive pill to a 14-year-old girl that is
sleeping with her boyfriend?
How do you see Britain's healthcare system in 20 years time?
If you had £1 billion to spend on a certain aspect on healthcare, what would you
spend it on?
Tell me about any medical advances you have read about recently.
What are the good and bad points about being a doctor?
How would you balance your outside interests with studying a degree?
What are the qualities of a good doctor?
Which quality is the most important?
What single healthcare intervention could change the health of the population
the most?
Name a sector of society which has poor access to healthcare?
What have you gained from your work experience/hobbies/community work?
What qualities do you have that mean that you will be a good doctor?
How do you cope with stress?
What are your best and worst qualities?
When you graduate, what will you be remembered for by your peers?
What did you do in your year out?
What areas of responsibility do you have?
How would you deal with angry/distressed patients?
Were you scared of doctors when you were young?
What do you think about abortion/euthanasia etc?
What qualities do you think colleagues appreciate in a doctor?
How many hours do you think a junior doctor works?
How is the NHS structured?
What is the difference between primary and hospital care?
Why medical research is important?
What is the postcode lottery?
What makes you angry?
Can you describe a situation that has been stressful?
How do you deal with stress?
If complains were made about you as a doctor, how would you respond?
Do you think that doctors need to ask for consent when taking organs from a
dead person?
Where would you draw the line?
What if it was only a small blood sample?
What do you think you will find most difficult about a career in medicine?
Give an example of when you have worked in a team, and why is teamwork
important Who works as part of a team with doctors?
What have been the most significant advances in medicine over the past
10/20/50 years?
Why don`t you want to be a nurse?
How have you found out that medicine is the correct career for you?
What aspects of the course here appeal to you?

Hints and tips

• Smile at your interview

• Get involved in local community projects - assessors are much more
impressed by long term commitment than a week in the summer
holidays
• Be yourself
• Dress smartly for your interview (an opinion is formed of you within
5 seconds of you entering room)
• Read the broadsheet newspapers and make a scrapbook of then
relevant medical cuttings- this is perfect thing to read on the train down
to your interviews
• Have as many practice interviews as you possibly can
• Make sure you maintain good eye contact and a relaxed body
language during your interview
• Research into what a career in medicine involves (it's not all like
ER!) (see what is medicine?)
• Look into the different interview styles of different universities
(either through their websites or some of the forums out there (see links).
Some universities like to ask questions about your A. Levels and are quite
academic, whereas most others use the interview for what it is for and
not to assess your knowledge, but assess whether you're appropriate for
a degree in medicine.
• Be prepared! Medical schools can give anything from a week to a
month's notice for interviews.
• Interviewers should not ask you about any other institutions or
courses you may have applied to. If they do you can either be honest or
say you'd rather not say. Afterwards it's important that you let the most
senior admissions tutor know what has happened.
• Keep up to date on medical stories in the press, interviewers often
question your interest in medicine.
• Although it can be a disadvantage to be too extravagant and over
the top, you should try and make a happy medium between this and
withdrawn. Interviewers want to see that you have a passion for studying
medicine.
• You must do your best to attend the interview. By this I mean only
ask to re-schedule if you have something that is impossible to get out of.
Interviews take a lot of organising; some medical schools are fine with
changing the dates and some medical schools are less willing.
• When you are invited into the interview room, take your lead from
the lead interviewer. Shake the interviewers' hands and take a seat when
invited to.
• If you are a re-sit candidate and get asked why you didn't get any
offers or didn't get the grades, then be honest. Don't blame it on your
teachers or school for bad advice - this makes you sound a bit immature
and petty. After all of the information is out there somewhere!
• Before your interview, read through that universities website and
prospectus, as you can always get asked 'why this university?' Also, you'll
look silly if you ask a question about the university which can easily be
found on their website.
• Communication is vital during the interview. Make sure you speak
clearly and coherently. Don't put on a ridiculous accent, just speak how
you normally do.
• Although wearing a suit jacket is not essential, it can be useful for
hiding those embarrassing sweat marks!
• Some universities ask questions based on your A. Level subjects.
This mainly applies to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but be
prepared, especially if you bring it up!
• If you do not hear something an interviewer asks, then ask them to
repeat it.
• At any point that you get rejected, the medical school can give you
feedback if you write to them.
• People often struggle with ethical questions, take a look at this
thread from newmediamedicine.com (link opens in new window) to help
you out.
• If you get a really difficult question, then remain calm. Perhaps ask
the interviewer to re-phrase it. Think, take your time and be honest.
 Writing Personal Statement and Referee Statement

Personal Statement

Apart from achieving the required grades at A2 level, your personal statement is
the single most important factor on the road to medical school. This short piece
of text can decide whether or not you get that sought after interview or not.

Primarily, it is best to cover the fundamentals. Nearly all UCAS applications are
done on the internet these days, so no excuses for bad handwriting! Spelling and
grammar mistakes reflect badly so check, check and check again before you
submit it. Also, get your teacher to have a look over it for a second opinion.
English teachers are generally good for checking the way it sounds and any
dodgy bits of grammar. Remember things like medicine, doctor and university do
not require capitalisation (unless you are talking about the University of Leeds or
Doctor Bloggs). The personal statement must be no more than 47 lines long (on
the UCAS website - be aware: 47 lines in MS Word does not mean 47 lines on the
form!) and no more than 4000 characters. If it is under the characters but over
the lines it will not be processed and vice versa. UCAS provide an example
personal statement in pdf here.

In terms of timing for your UCAS application, don't leave it until the last minute.
This will just make you really stressed! Careers teachers are less busy earlier on
(they get more and more busy as the deadline for submission looms) and
therefore they should be able to afford you much more time and energy for help
and advice. Also, depending on the university, the earlier the application, the
earlier the interview and (hopefully!) offer which allows you to get the whole
process out of the way before starting to revise for your A2s (although it doesn't
always work out like that!)

Although you may be applying to other non-medical courses you only get one
personal statement. Tailor this to medicine and nothing else. Other courses may
write to you to ask for another non-medical personal statement, but this is rare.

It is important that your personal statement reads in a logical manner. Here is an

example of a good format:

• Why you want to study medicine

• Work experience you have completed
• Voluntary/community work
 • How you have researched into a career in medicine e.g. Medlink, or
work experience
• Hobbies, activities and achievements
• Areas of responsibility including paid employment
• Conclusion about why you should be picked

Why do you want to be a doctor?

People get in such a twist about this part of the personal statement. Use this
section to explain to the universities why YOU want to do medicine, and how you
came to that decision. People worry about saying the cliché thing and spend lots
of energy trying to think of something original. The best thing you can do is be
honest. If this means writing the cliché thing, then do it! Here's a website to offer
some help: Essay Edge.

Example
"I want to study medicine because I really enjoy my science A2 levels and I like
working with people. I recently spent one week shadowing doctors at St James's
University Hospital in Leeds where I had the opportunity to see procedures such
as keyhole surgery, endoscopies and suturing. Also for the last year I have
visited an old peoples home one afternoon per week. I regularly read the
Student BMJ and have attended a Medlink conference at Nottingham. I play
hockey for my school team and have recently been promoted to captain. I also
take part in a mentoring scheme at school where I help year 7 pupils with their
reading. I am currently working toward my silver Duke of Edinburgh's Award. I
work in McDonald's every Saturday morning. I am a dedicated, hard working
pupil and I believe that I will make a good doctor."

The above example demonstrates that the student does a lot of extra-curricular
activities but does it really show anything about their personality or their insight
into the career? Remember that admissions tutors have to read hundreds of
UCAS forms like this and they (quite rightly!) can get a bit bored of them! Don't
be afraid of showing a little bit of your personality in the form. Make sure that
you outline what you have learned from everything that you have done and how
this has confirmed your chosen career, rather than just writing a boring list.
For example:

"I spent a week shadowing doctors at St. James's University Hospital in Leeds. I
was lucky enough to be able to observe various procedures which I found
fascinating and I also noted the importance of the trust involved in the doctor
patient relationship and how important it is that a doctor is able to work as part
of a team."
So, try brainstorming exactly what you have gained from everything that you
have written down and mention anything that you were particularly interested in
(but be prepared to mention it at interview). Even a part time job in McDonald's
can demonstrate responsibility, organisation and teamwork!

You need to be selective on what you put on your personal statement.

Sometimes there may not be space to put everything on! You need to have a
compromise of enough activities with enough details, rather than just a list with
no explanation, or one activity with lots of detail.

Need to cut down characters or lines?

1. Remember it's a personal statement, cut out anything unnecessary!

2. Don't repeat yourself
3. Cut out the waffle - be concise!
4. Get rid of pointless words e.g. the name of the hospital/doctor you
worked with, exact dates (just put X months), pointless adjectives etc.
5. Ask your referee to mention some stuff that you cannot.
6. Get some structure to your statement
7. At the end of the day if you can't get it under the lines/characters
you may just have to chop whole sentences.

Referee's statement

This forms the last part of the UCAS form and consists of a statement from your
teacher, tutor or academic supervisor. It is important that the person writing this
knows what sort of information the medical schools are after. Don't be afraid to
ask if your tutor knows what to write or prompt them (obviously in a very polite
way!). You want to stay on the 'right' side of your tutor at all costs! Below is a
summary of what medical schools are after:

1. Commitment e.g. re-iterate the measures taken to find out about a

career in medicine (work experience, conferences) and knowledge of the
realities of life as a doctor.
2. Staying power e.g. interest, passion, enthusiasm to study and time
management.
3. Communication skills e.g. interaction with staff and other pupils,
listening skills, contribution to class, how they accept criticism.
4. Humility e.g. ability to care, involvement in the wider community.
 5. Academic achievements - predicted grades, reasons for poor GCSE
grades, 'late developers', certificates, prizes.
6. Leadership e.g. positions of responsibility, prefects etc.
7. Team work e.g. sports, committees etc.
8. Mitigating circumstances e.g. anything that may affect academic
performance. If the person writing the referee's statement does not have
all the information needed for the application it is important that
information is sought from other sources.

If the person writing the referee's statement does not have all the information
needed for the application it is important that information is sought from other
sources.

Life as a medic

Social life

No source of information about Medical School would be complete without a

mention of the fantastic social life. Everyone has heard the cliché that medics
work hard and play hard. However, it only exists because it is true! Nearly all
medical schools are based in large cities with a massive variety of social and
cultural activities. On top of this, medical school is a close-knit community and
medics spend a lot of time in each others company both in and out of the
classroom.

There are many medics' sports teams which allow you to get involved in an
activity which is often less competitive and less time consuming than the union
teams. The medical society (MedSoc) is often one of the biggest and most active
societies in the students' union. As well as organising balls, parties, days out,
sports days etc, anyone can get involved in the running of it. There are also
other medical associations such as MedSIN (Medical Students International
Network), the medical school magazine and the medics' charities committee. All
these social events allow you to meet students from different years forming a
very informal support network-which is great for borrowing revision notes!!

Academic life
Everyone's heard the rumours..."Wow, you're going to do medicine, that's really
hard isn't it?!" And, they're kind of right! However, most degrees at universities
are difficult. If they were easy, then everyone would do them and they would
mean nothing. Imagine doing three years of biochemistry or physics, how that
would be hard! Students doing these subjects often have just as many hours as
medical students and have just as much work to hand in. However, one thing
that separates medicine from the rest is the length of the course. It can be up to
six years, which is a long time. Often you will have very long hours on the wards,
lots of work to do in your own time and revision. And often you will be placed
away from home. It is hard and it's a long slog. If you want to become a doctor,
you must also think "Do I want to be a medical student?", as you need to be a
student before you're a doctor! However, don't despair, there is light at the end
of the tunnel and there is always plenty of time (except during exams!) for fun
and play!

Hobbies and interests

Just because you're a medical student, doesn't mean that you have it sit in all
day working. The best thing you can do is to learn to relax; the easiest way to do
this is by joining a society or sports club. Before you apply to university, you
should check out their student union's website to see how many clubs and
societies are on offer. This is a great way of making new friends, competing in
competitions or just having a laugh.

There are loads of things on offer, including performance societies (musicals,

bands, dance, backstage stuff), political and campaigning (political parties,
animal rights, refugee support, environmental stuff), religious and cultural
(religions, international societies) and loads of others such as outdoor pursuits,
real ale, radio, newspaper, work in the community and much more. As far as
sports go, there are the normal ones you'd expect and some unusual ones such
as lacrosse and korfball. Most societies and clubs cater for experts and
beginners. If you're into something and there isn't a society there to cater for
your needs, then you can always set one up!

One of our committee members has written a good article about balancing work
with other interests, why he does WAMS and all sorts of other interesting things
about uni life! You can read it by going to the BBC Leeds Student Life (link opens in
new page) page.

Students' Unions
Students' Unions (or guilds or union societies) are one of the best things about
coming to university. They have so much to offer in terms of representation,
leisure time and getting involved. Students' They are not just about a cheap pint!
Unions are there for you while you are at university. They are there to represent
you to the university and the media. They are a democratic organisation and can
really make a big difference to your life at university. Students' Unions are totally
separate from the university and therefore are in a perfect position to lobby the
university for better facilities, lecturers etc. Most student unions are affiliated to
the NUS (National Union of Students), who campaign for student issues on a
national basis.

Democracy
Student unions are run by students for students. On the ground level unions are
run by executive officers, who are all students taking a sabbatical year. They are
helped out by a large number of staff and all decisions must be ratified by the
Union Council, the highest decision making body in the union.

Welfare
All student unions run a Student Advice Centre or Welfare Services, which give
friendly, impartial advice. It is there to help you with housing disputes, finance,
university appeals, immigration and a whole load more.

Issues
If you feel strongly about any sort of issues then it's easy to get involved. Why
not run a campaign on something you feel passionate about?

Clubs and societies

Student unions have loads of activity going on. From performing to campaigning,
from religion to outdoor activities and loads of sport from the normal to the plain
weird! There is the student newspaper, radio station, R.A.G (Raise and Give),
Student Community Action, Nightline, all run by student committies. There must
be something there to take your fancy!

Bars
Student Unions own and run their own bars and clubs, so there's plenty to keep
you occupied of an evening!

Shops
Student unions often have their own shops such as newsagents/supermarkets,
off licence, card shop, job shop, book shop and more. There may also be
commercial outlets such as travel shops and insurance shops.
Representation
One of the main jobs the student union will do is represent student views to the
university.

Support at medical school

Many people think that as soon as you start university, then you are left on your
own, but this is not true! In medical schools there is a large amount of support
available:

• Student support. In most medical schools there will be some sort of

committee which may be your first port of call for problems with the
course.
• Medical school staff. Leaders of the course are there for both
academic and pastoral support. Often there will be one person
designated to your year, who is there for support.
• Personal tutors. Nearly all medical schools offer a personal tutor
scheme. If you're lucky, your personal tutor will take you out for meals!
• Student unions. Student unions offer friendly and impartial advice.
Go and see your elected officers or find the student advice centre. They
can help with all sorts of issues such as housing, immigration, money and
representation.
• Nightline. All major student unions offer a 'nightline' listening and
information service.
• Chaplaincy. The Chaplaincy represents many faiths and offers
spiritual and pastoral advice.
• Equality. All universities will have a department to help students
with disabilities e.g. dyslexia.
• International Office. Here's where international students can go for
specialist advice.
• Counselling.
• Security services.

Highs of medical school

• Practical course with hands on experience

• Varied subject matter
• Leads to a worthwhile exciting career with a guaranteed job that
pays well!
• Sense of community within the medical school
• Great social life with a large mix of people
 • You may need to manage your time, but there're still loads of
opportunities to get involved with things.

Lows of medical school

• Lots of exams-it's hard work!

• Shorter holidays than other university students
• Need to be quite self-motivated
• Social life can be a bit too good (can be distracting!)
• Some people say it's hard to mix with students on other courses
(although I think this is utter rubbish!)
• Different course structure means that medics can have exams at
different times.
• Although it's okay to go to lectures still half drunk, it's not the best
idea to do it on the wards!
 Scholarship Opportunity

PERMOHONAN TAJAAN JPA DAN MARA

UNTUK LEPASAN SIJIL PELAJARAN MALAYSIA 2008
DI BAWAH PROGRAM IJAZAH LUAR NEGARA 2009
1. Permohonan adalah dipelawa daripada calon-calon yang menduduki
peperiksaan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2008 untuk mendapatkan tajaan
Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) atau Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) bagi
mengikuti pengajian di bawah Program Ijazah Luar Negara tahun 2009.

2. Permohonan boleh dibuat melalui aplikasi atas talian (on-line application)

melalui laman web http://www.jpa.gov.my mulai tarikh keputusan SPM 2008
diumumkan secara rasmi.

3. Tarikh tutup permohonan tajaan Program Ijazah Luar Negara (PILN) 2009
adalah 7 hari selepas permohonan dibuka.

4. Maklumat lanjut mengenai program/bidang kursus, syarat-syarat permohonan

dan cara memohon boleh diperoleh dengan melayari laman web
http://www.jpa.gov.my mulai tarikh iklan ini disiarkan. Calon hendaklah
membaca dan memahami kesemua maklumat mengenai program/bidang
kursus, syarat-syarat permohonan dan cara memohon sebelum membuat
permohonan.

5. Program Pendedahan Kerjaya Seorang Doktor di hospital-hospital Kerajaan

yang terpilih di seluruh negara akan diadakan selama 5 hari mulai 23 sehingga
27 Mac 2009. Program ini diwajibkan kepada semua calon yang memohon untuk
mengikuti pengajian dalam bidang perubatan di bawah tajaan JPA.

6. Calon-calon dikehendaki menyemak maklumat terkini mengenai permohonan

melalui laman web http://www.jpa.gov.my: a. Keputusan panggilan bagi
mengikuti program Pendedahan Kerjaya Seorang Doktor : 20 Mac 2009
b. Keputusan panggilan temuduga JPA : 25 Mac 2009

7. Temuduga JPA akan dijalankan di beberapa pusat di seluruh negara mulai 31

Mac hingga 3 April 2009. Bagi calon yang terpilih untuk menghadiri temuduga
diwajibkan untuk membawa Borang Pengesahan Pendapatan Bulanan Keluarga
yang telah disahkan dan dokumen-dokumen lain yang ditetapkan.

8. Pelajar-pelajar yang memohon tajaan MARA boleh menyemak maklumat

terkini mengenai permohonan melalui laman web http://www.mara.gov.my: a.
Keputusan panggilan dan maklumat temuduga MARA : 27 Mac 2009

9. Pertanyaan mengenai masalah teknikal semasa mengisi borang permohonan

atas talian boleh dibuat dengan menghubungi talian 03-88853550 atau 03-
88853559. Talian-talian ini dibuka setiap hari dari jam 8.00 pagi hingga 10.00
malam mulai tarikh keputusan SPM 2008 diumumkan secara rasmi.

10.Pertanyaan mengenai program tajaan JPA boleh dibuat dengan menghubungi

talian 03-88853892 (10 talian), pada setiap hari bekerja mulai jam 8.00 pagi
hingga 5.00 petang atau emel di alamat piln2009@jpa.gov.my.
11.Pertanyaan mengenai program tajaan MARA boleh dibuat dengan
menghubungi Bahagian Penganjuran Pelajaran MARA di talian 03-26915111
(sambungan 1133, 1109, 1120, 3623, 3624, 3629, 3620 dan 3619) pada setiap
hari bekerja mulai jam 8.00 pagi hingga 5.00 petang atau emel di alamat
webmaster@mara.gov.my.

12.Calon-calon hendaklah sentiasa melayari laman web www.mara.gov.my

http://www.jpa.gov.my dan laman web http:// dari semasa ke semasa untuk
mengetahui perkembangan dan pengumuman terkini mengenai permohonan
PILN 2009.

Iklan ini dikeluarkan oleh

Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam Malaysia

JPA PENERAJU PERKHIDMATAN AWAM

SYARAT-SYARAT PERMOHONAN TAJAAN

PROGRAM IJAZAH LUAR NEGARA (PILN) TAHUN 2009
UNTUK LEPASAN SIJIL PELAJARAN MALAYSIA 2008
Permohonan adalah dipelawa daripada calon-calon yang menduduki SPM
pada tahun 2008 bagi kali pertama untuk mendapatkan tajaan Jabatan
Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) atau Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) bagi mengikuti
pengajian di luar negara. Calon-calon yang berjaya dipilih bagi program luar
negara dikehendaki mengikuti kursus persediaan di kolej-kolej yang ditetapkan
di dalam negara sebelum mengikuti pengajian di luar negara.
Pelajar-pelajar cemerlang yang berminat dan terpilih di bawah program ini
adalah digalakkan untuk mengikuti pengajian di dalam negara dan akan
ditempatkan di Universiti Penyelidikan iaitu Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia dan Universiti Malaya. Calon-
calon mestilah memenuhi syarat-syarat umum dan khusus permohonan seperti
berikut:

I. Syarat-Syarat Umum
a) Warganegara Malaysia (bagi tajaan MARA calon mestilah Warganegara
Malaysia dan Melayu/Bumiputera);
b) Umur belum mencapai 18 tahun (19 tahun bagi pelajar peralihan) pada 31
Disember 2008;
c) Mendapat sekurang-kurangnya gred 2A dalam tiga (3) matapelajaran berikut:
i) Bahasa Melayu;
ii) Sejarah; dan
iii) Pendidikan Islam atau Pendidikan Al-Quran dan As-Sunnah atau Pendidikan
Syariah Islamiah atau Pendidikan Moral dan;
d) Mempunyai kesihatan yang baik dan tidak mengidap penyakit-penyakit
kritikal seperti Hepatitis, Aids, HIV dan sebagainya.
II. Syarat-Syarat Khusus

Permohonan Program Penaja Syarat / Gred Minimum

1) Perubatan Negara : JPA Mendapat sekurang-

Australia, India, Ireland, kurangnya gred 2A dalam
New Zealand, Republik enam (6) matapelajaran
Czech, Russia, United berikut:
Kingdom, Poland & a) Fizik
Program Berkembar b) Kimia
(International Medical c) Biologi
University, Melaka-Manipal d) Matematik
Medical College, Penang e) Matematik Tambahan
Medical College) MARA f) Bahasa Inggeris

2) Perubatan Negara :
Australia, India, Ireland,
New Zealand, Republik
Czech, United Kingdom & JPA
Poland

3) Pergigian Negara : MARA

Australia, India, Ireland
New Zealand & UK JPA

4) Pergigian Negara : India

5) Farmasi Negara :
Australia, New Zealand, MARA
United Kingdom, &
Program Berkembar MARA
(International Medical
University)
JPA / MARA
6) Farmasi Negara : Mendapat sekurang-
Indonesia kurangnya gred 2A dalam
enam (6) matapelajaran
7) Optometri Negara : New berikut:
Zealand & United Kingdom a) Fizik
b) Kimia
8) Perubatan Negara : c) Biologi
Jordan & Mesir d) Matematik
e) Matematik Tambahan
f) Bahasa Inggeris; dan

mendapat sekurang-
kurangnya Lulus dalam
matapelajaran berikut :
g) Bahasa Arab
(Komunikasi) / Bahasa Arab
Tinggi
Experience

Medical Student

Huda
"I think I decided to become a doctor when I was about 15, but the decision
didn't just happen over- night! I'd grown up being around hospitals because my
father is a doctor, but that wasn't enough to make me sure that I wanted a
career in Medicine too. I had no help getting working experience from my school;
I just got a phonebook and learned to ask for myself! Its great to get lots of work
experience of different varieties so you can see the job you might be doing from
all angles. I did a week in a local hospital and a week at my GP's surgery. The
non-medical voluntary work I did involved longer placements and was just as
valuable. I worked in an elderly peoples' home every Sunday for six months and
also helped at a summer school reading scheme for ten year olds. These jobs
really helped me to gain confidence and recognise that I wanted a job working
with people - it really impressed the interviewers that I dedicated so much time
to the work. I found it a bit difficult to make friends in the first year due to there
being some events that I couldn't attend because I don't drink alcohol. Now
however, I have a wide and strong group of friends and I'm really enjoying my
time on the wards seeing patients and following them throughout their care."
General Practitioner

Acknowledgement