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In an ever-changing world one thing that remains constant is the need for cures to a wealth of different illness and disease. The intricacy of the human body fascinates me; how so many microscopic cells can work in unison to create a living, breathing, thinking being. What captivates me even more so is when these cells do not work quite so harmoniously, and how the effects of such can be remedied. ‘The only promise that is made is based upon the hope that the next step may come in time’ is how J Greenstein describes the arduous task of developing a cure for cancer; I believe that all development into medicine is the same. Last summer, I was lucky enough to work with a charity in Kenya for 5 weeks. It was an amazing, rewarding experience which helped to appreciate the value of life and how fortunate we are in the UK to have so readily available medical resources. Whilst there I had the opportunity to experience a small medical practice where the doctor showed me malaria riddled blood samples; he talked to me about HIV and its progression to AIDS. But what really kindled my passion for biology, disease and finding an accessible cure was when it struck me that the HIV positive orphans that I talked and played with were to suffer a similar fate to their parents. While I was there, I also had the chance to shadow a veterinarian who demonstrated vaccinations against diseases common in Britain, such as Lyme disease, and more tropical illness, such as the rickettsial disease, TBF . Work experience trailing new equipment for helping with early diagnosis of COPD and cardiac related diseases in the elderly at Cherrymead surgery, included taking the patients ECG, using new lead I ECG equipment, taking blood pressure and conducting a short questionnaire. This really interested me and gave me further insight into a topic we were doing at school about the cardiac cycle and electrocardiograms. Trialling newly developed medical equipment inspired me to read ‘The Rise and Fall of Modern Medicine’ by James Le Fanu which lead me through the steep rise of medical development from 1941 through until 1984. When learning about chlorpromazine as a cure for schizophrenia, it astonished me to find that it wasn’t until 11 years after the drug was being issued that scientists knew that it blocked dopamine receptors. I was further intrigued by the fact that to this day the reason they are so effective on the positive symptoms of schizophrenia are still unknown despite huge medical advancements in brain scanning which have not been able to discover any abnormality in dopamine activity. The opportunity to synthesize my own aspirin and use thin layer chromatography to test its purity really opened my eyes to the importance of chemistry in medicine. Biology stunned me with how resilient the human body really is; working in synchrony to fight hostile bacteria and viruses. It fascinated me how phagocytes are able to recognise pathogens and how foreign antigens can be remembered for the rest of a person’s life to trigger the secondary response when it is necessary. I have worked at a nursing home for 3 years where my responsibilities include serving and preparing food and drinks to the residents according to their specific dietary needs. I must work well under time pressure. This means that I must be able to work both in a team and independently to prepare meals and keep my kitchen tidy. Additionally, it has made me more familiar with the pressures of dealing with mortality which I feel is important in any medical profession. Outside of my studies I enjoy trampolining and horse riding; I also like to play the violin. I completed my bronze D of E, a thoroughly rewarding experience that encouraged me to do silver D of E which I am currently completing. I assist with a reading and spelling programme for the younger students at school as well as prepare and deliver Sunday school lessons at my church.
Universities Applied to:
- Oxford Brookes - Offer
- Lincoln - Offer
- Coventry - Offer
- Portsmouth - Offer
- Anglia Ruskin - Offer
