BSMS > About BSMS > Information for schools, teachers and parents > In Focus - Elizabeth Aloof

In Focus - Elizabeth Aloof

Elizabeth Aloof

Year of Study: Year 3

Elizabeth Aloof reveals what made her want to study at BSMS, how she prepared for interviews and her top tip for any student thinking about applying.

What made you want to study at BSMS?

I am local to Brighton and went to Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College (BHASVIC). I only even considered medicine as a career choice because BSMS had a stall at BHASVIC on careers day. I chatted to a student on the stall, as I was someone who enjoyed science but did not know what I wanted to do career wise. They then told me how great BSMS was and to consider medicine. When I spoke to the college further they told me about an upcoming open day. I learnt about the 3D models BSMS uses to teach students, and how the cohort is one of the smallest which means that “it’s like a family” (which is definitely true and most lecturers know me by name).

But one thing that stood out to me was a third year at the time telling me that the medical school you attend has no impact when finding jobs. A medical degree is a medical degree. There’s no bias from employers about which school you went to. At the end of the day the one thing that does matter is getting the degree. So many people drop out of Medical school from stress, and BSMS has one of the lowest dropout rates because of how great their student support is and how much of a community there is. I have spoken to people who have gone to other medical schools and they say that where medicine is competitive on their course there is not so much support among peers. So, when choosing a medical school do not worry about its ranking or anything like that. At the end of the day ask yourself ‘Do you like the look of the medical school?’ And for me it was a very firm yes!

What work experience did you undertake before applying to medicine? How was it beneficial?

I did not have much work experience under my belt because no one in my family has gone to university, let alone studied Medicine. Also, I only decided I wanted to study Medicine when I was 17, about a month before applications were due. Fortunately, BHASVIC helped me find two placements, one with physiotherapy and one in a labour ward. My main tips for you would be to have work experience in non-doctor specialties. This is great, not only because they are less competitive to get, but also because it really helped me decide if I really wanted to be a doctor or just simply to pursue a medical-based career. Also, my physiotherapy was on a stroke ward which helped me see the true meaning of a multidisciplinary team. Even though I was only able to get a one-day placement, I saw so much and it really helped me grasp what each member of the medical team brings to the table. My experience on the labour ward was really good because I followed around Foundation Doctors for 3 days. This did not teach me that many skills or add that much to my CV, but it really helped me to get excited about medicine. It really motivated me in my application process because I got to see what a doctor truly does and I could tell I really wanted to do that in the future. I also saw the realities of medicine and how over worked every one was. It helped me to understand the sacrifices you have to make both physically and mentally and I also got to learn how each doctor dealt with this. Although it did not help too much with my application, I gained knowledge that I now use in medical school and will continue to use in my future career.

How did you prepare for the BMAT/UCAT?

I only did the BMAT and, to be honest, there is not too much preparation you can do. I brought a practice question book so I could get used to the question format and timing. I also did some reading about concepts like medical ethics but other than that I did not do much else. There are fancy courses you can pay for, and I know someone who went to a £400 one, but he ended up getting a lower score than me. So really there’s not too much of an ‘advantage’ that you can get over other applications other than the cost of a BMAT question book and some time on the internet googling basic medical concepts like ethics.

How did you prepare for your interview(s) for medical school?

I was not a part of BrightMed (as I decided I wanted to do medicine at a later stage) but I went to a BSMS Outreach event where students helped us do a mock interview. If you have the opportunity to do one I would definitely recommend it. It helped me to understand the type of interview questions you can get asked, and how to think on your feet, but mainly because it helped with my nerves. On the day of my interview I felt so much more confident while doing my interview due to the mock interview I undertook and feedback I received. I also did some research and watched online videos about common topics like the 6 Cs. I did not do too much work on practice questions or memorising answers. I have worked on interview days since and you can really tell when someone is lying or has a rehearsed answer. I wanted to be as organic as possible on the day so the main prep work I did was on how to structure an answer, which is a lot more useful. I focused on things like what topics are good to bring up, how to do a structured reflection of a personal experience and which key words to use – researching all of these were really useful to me.

What’s your top tip for interviews?

Treat the interview like a conversation. If you think of it too seriously you’ll get nervous and won’t do as well. In my MMI I tried to think of it like a conversation and it made me feel a lot more confident. I also managed to make all of my interviewers smile or laugh and that really helped me feel more at ease. Obviously still keep it professional, but that does not mean boring!

If the interviewer interrupts your response mid-sentence, or hurries you along, it can be really off putting, and when it happened to me I got really frustrated because it felt like they were not listening. Since working on interview days however, one thing I have found out after was that this means that you have got the marks and the interviewer is asking you another question, or stopping you, because they want you to answer as many questions as possible. Therefore if this happens to you don’t let it throw you off.

If you’re doing an MMI, try to find a way to stop yourself thinking about the last station during the wait for your next station. The last station is over, and there is nothing you can do about it, so move on and do well in the next station. If you fixate you might be distracted in the next station or lose your confidence. One thing I do is I start from 100 and take away seven repeatedly. This stops my mind from over thinking things and is a tactic I still use today in my OSCE exams which are similar to the MMIs.

Is there a piece of advice you wish you could have given your younger self when thinking about/applying to medicine?

A lot of medical students I have spoken to have had peers, parents or teachers tell them that they can’t be a doctor or they aren't smart enough, or not to bother because medical school is too competitive, but all of them got in. The only person who truly knows if you can get in or not is you. If you work hard and have the passion, you can get into medical school. The stats about how many people apply for medicine, yet how little get in, were really off putting and scary, but doctors exist. Therefore, it is possible to get into medical school and it is possible to graduate. Remember that even when the odds seem to be not in your favour, it is possible.

How did you choose which medical schools to apply to?

BSMS was my top choice because of how happy and passionate everyone was studying there and student satisfaction was a big priority for me. I then chose the other medical schools that were BMAT based just in case. I had my interview early January and got high marks. I then got a phone call offering me a place a few days after so I immediately stopped all other applications and accepted my BSMS offer.

How did you find/ manage the transition to university?

It was actually not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I still lived at home and was familiar to the area, which I think helped. There is a lot of pressure to make friends, especially as someone who does not live at home and therefore I had no housemates. However, so many flats ‘adopted’ me and everyone is so nice. Also, everyone has a common interest, unlike at college, so it was really easy to make conversation. University is also stressful and I think that bonds you with your year. As a result I could go up to any medical student and chat about stress, or work load, and we could talk about it which was really nice.

Which part of your course have you found the most interesting so far?

At the beginning of third year we had a four-week ACE course (Accident, Critical care and Anaesthetics) where they teach us about things like CPR, life support and how to use defibrillators. This was such amazing hands on teaching and the first time I really felt like a proper trainee doctor. It was also really interesting and has made me consider a career in A&E.

What has been your BSMS highlight so far?

BSMS has early clinical exposure which is really useful because now I’m on the ward I am a lot more confident talking to patients. Also seeing someone with a disease helped me to remember it much more so than reading about it in a textbook. One was BSMS does this is via symposiums, where the first half is a lecturer talking about the disease, and the second half is a patient who comes in and speaks about their experience of doctors and living with the disease. One day we had 3 patients who have had leukemia, including a really sweet elderly lady who had been in remission for 8 years. When she introduced herself, she told us she was 90 and that today was actually her birthday. Following this the whole lecture theatre started singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her and cheered; she started crying and saying that this was her best birthday ever. That moment in first year will always stand out to me.

What is your favourite thing about studying and living in Brighton?

From what I have heard from other people most other medical schools are either based in the middle of nowhere or somewhere really busy. Brighton is a nice balance being busy enough that there are reliable and good buses, places to go and things to do, but is also not as busy as other places in the country (which is good because I hate crowds). It has the highest number of restaurants per person than anywhere else in the country, and has both the University of Brighton and University of Sussex as well as BSMS. There are so many things for students to do. We are also surrounded by the South Downs National Park so there are so many lovely walks to go on and it’s great for anyone who loves nature or photography.

Do you have a favourite place to visit in Brighton?

The restaurant Bella Italia is both in town and in the Marina, and is my go-to place for a celebratory pizza after exams or results. It is also part of Meerkat meals so you can get 2-for-1 which is a major sell for any student.

What is your top tip for prospective applicants applying to study medicine?

As I have mentioned before, the medical school you go to does not matter after you graduate. People can get very fixated on statistics, but the only thing that matters is you getting your medical degree. I do not know many people who have dropped out of medicine because they were not smart enough, but I know a lot of people who have dropped out of medicine because they could not handle the stress. So, choose a medical school that you like, it could be because you love the beach and want to go to a costal medical school, or because you want somewhere with good student support for mental health. Choose one that you want to study at.

Also, on the topic of mental health, I have chatted to many applicants on open days and interview days and many do not have any hobbies. This is usually because they have dropped them to keep up with academic work, but you need a hobby in medical school to get through without cracking. Make sure you know how to look after your mental health with things like sports, baking, art, photography etc because you will need it during medical school.