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Ask Dr Emma
As this is our education issue, this month’s Ask Dr Emma has a twist! We gave a group of students the opportunity to ask Dr Emma all about her career so far, and what the journey to where she is today was like.
Tell us about your education so far.
I was born and bred in a small town in Hampshire, and went to a pretty normal school. I actually didn’t know the difference between a private, public and grammar school until I started university, if I’m honest. I did 12 GCSEs in total and left school with 10 A*s and 2 As. I always knew I wanted to become a doctor, so after school, I studied Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Further Maths at A-level. In year 13, I applied for medical school and received offers from four prestigious universities. I took up a place at Imperial College London, which was of course tough, but amazing! My time at university definitely helped shape me into the person I am today, and this is where I made lifelong friends.
In my fourth year of medical school, I took a year out of medicine to do an intercalated degree in Management. Intercalated degrees are becoming increasingly common amongst medical students, and allows medical students to graduate with an extra degree in something they’re interested in. Studying business, marketing and other Management-related modules for a year was so much fun, and I’m grateful for that added experience. I graduated as a doctor in 2015, and went on to do my two years of foundation training, like all doctors in the UK do. I then took a year out of working in hospital to become a teaching fellow, which is a doctor who teaches medical students and organises their exams etc. Whilst I was a teaching fellow, I completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education. Following that, I did two years of core medical training, and sat my postgraduate medical exams, making me a member of the Royal College of Physicians. Now I’m two years into my dermatology training, and will have another exam to sit next year before I become a dermatology consultant.
What does education mean to you?
To be a doctor, of course education was always going to be a huge part of my life. Our parents told us to go to school and study hard so we could get a good job, but it’s becoming more and more obvious that you don’t always need higher education to get your dream job, and you definitely don’t always need to go to university in order to make good money. So I think we need to move away from that narrative our parents sold us.
What education does do, in my opinion, is allow a person to be more confident, especially in the case of women. I think the girl child who is educated is protected from certain things, and education provides a certain baseline level of self-esteem. I also think the time spent in education can bring people to new avenues and open their eyes to much more. I moved to London for university, and there I lived and worked with people who were very different to those I grew up with back home. I had the opportunity to learn about so many different cultures, different ways of living and of course, I had a reason to move to a big city! I’m not sure all of that would’ve happened without me going to university.
I do have to end however, by saying I don’t think everyone needs to go to university, by any means.
How does a young person get into the medical field?
The medical field is so vast, and there are so many different roles available. For traditional roles like being a doctor, academic ability is always going to be important. It’ll definitely make the journey easier if you can do well in your GCSEs and A-levels, but not getting straight As doesn’t disqualify you from becoming a doctor. It’s important to say this as I meet many young people whose schools have discouraged them from applying to medical school. Even I was told that “medicine is too hard” and it was “unrealistic” of me to want to be a doctor, and I was encouraged to do nursing instead, despite being the highest performing student in my year. I don’t know why careers counsellors deter students from certain backgrounds from applying for certain courses, but I really hope it’s something schools stop doing, and soon.
To make the most out of your time in education be inquisitive and keen – always ask questions and although it sounds cliché, always strive to do your best. You’ll need to show evidence of extra-curricular activities and interests on your medical school application. This can be anything from sports teams, to volunteering to taking up leadership roles at school or college. You’ll also need to show some evidence of work experience – either paid, voluntary or shadowing. Overall, your grades at school are just a small part of the application, and you’ll need to prove that you’re a well-rounded person with lots to offer the university and the field of medicine as a whole.