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In Focus - Max Budasz

Max Budasz

Year of Study: Year 3

Third-year student Max Budasz discusses their top tips for applying to medical school, their experiences on the BSMS Medicine course and in student societies, and dealing with difficult transitions and failures at university.

What made you want to study medicine?

When you’re 16 and you’re made to think about a career, medicine was the obvious option for me: I liked science and helping people. You can’t say this generic answer in an interview, so studying medicine comes with many desirable aspects; the constant learning that comes with the profession, the chance to do research and education, and the potential to become any doctor if you put my mind to it.

How did you choose which medical schools to apply to?

I chose them based on the strengths I had in my application. For example, I chose universities that valued GCSE grades and excluded universities that weighted UCAT as I did not perform so well in that.

What made you want to study at BSMS?

When looking at medical schools, BSMS stuck out for several reasons: the spiral curriculum, the full cadaveric dissections, and I love the city.

Do you have any top tips for admissions tests (UCAT and BMAT)?

Create a study group with your friends to do practice questions with. Look up the BMAT science syllabus, as there are some maths and science questions you might not have covered since GCSE. There are questions online, but I also bought a temporary subscription to Medify, which has loads of mock UCAT questions (not sponsored).

Do you have any top tips for preparing for a medicine interview?

If you have an interview with a specific university, make sure to look online at what they expect from you before an interview. Also, you’ll likely be asked why you applied to this university, so know some basics about the course there. You will likely be asked to reflect on situations from your life, volunteering, or work experience, so have some examples prepared.

When asked a question in your interview, pause for a moment to collect your thoughts before going straight in with the answer. Some questions may be ethics or opinions based, requiring you to provide a different viewpoint to balance your response. Sometimes when I’m talking about something, I will go on an elaborative tangent; if I notice this happening, I reiterate the original point to show the examiner I’m linking what I’m saying now to the point being made.

Do you have any advice for managing the transition to university?

Everyone is in the same boat as you. Putting yourself out there can be difficult, but most people want to meet people like you. So, go to societies, socials, and events to meet some cool people :). Also, don’t stress too much about the first year’s workload; focus on time for yourself and maintain a balance.

What has been your favourite part of the BSMS Medicine course?

The cadaveric dissections that BSMS offered must be my favourite part. In the first term at BSMS, you are allowed to dissect the chest to develop your learning of anatomy.

Are you involved in any societies?

There are numerous societies BSMS has to offer, and as a BSMS student you can also get involved in societies that the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex offer as well. At Sussex University, I am part of the rollerskating society committee, I go to the Language Cafe to learn Spanish, and I attend the Art Society’s life drawing sessions.

What is your favourite part of living in Brighton and Hove?

Brighton’s large queer community feels very safe, and there are many chances to meet like-minded people.

How do you deal with failure?

Failure is inevitable in life, especially in medicine. As a doctor and in medical school, you will make mistakes. These instances are prospects to reflect on what happened, how you felt, and to learn something from it. Failure is only a way to learn a better way of doing something.

What has been your BSMS highlight?

BSMS puts you in a medic family, where you have “parents” in the year above who get “married” in their year. You fill out a form and get placed with parents and siblings with similar interests.

If you could go back in time to give one tip to your younger self, what would it be?

I like listening to those “advice to my younger self” videos, so the advice I would give to myself a few years ago would be to take as many opportunities offered to you as possible. You rarely regret the ones you take, but you often regret those you miss out on.

Can you describe your medical school experience in three words?

Inspiring, challenging, eye-opening.