Skip to content ↓

Ashmole
sixth form

Harry - University College London, Medicine

Harry

 


Date attended Ashmole:  2006 - 2013

A Levels:  Maths, Chemistry, Biology, Geography

University:  University College London

Course:  Medicine

Graduating:  July 2019


 

 

 

 

What are you doing now?

I’m now in my fifth year of Medicine at UCL – I’ve completed two pre-clinical years of mainly lecture-based teaching, an integrated BSc in Clinical Sciences as part of my course, and my first year of clinical medicine.  My daily schedule mainly consists of clinics and ward-based learning in hospitals around North and Central London, as well as a few tutorials and lectures.

What have you got involved with in the university?

UCL has a really well established Student Union as well as its own Medical Society, so I got the best of both worlds!  I was volunteering for a couple of organisations before I came to Medical School and was keen to keep it up, so I became a volunteer for a group which teaches parents how to resuscitate their babies if they lose consciousness.  In my second year, I became a project leader for the group, and have been doing it ever since.  The Student Union is supportive and give us guidance and funding if we need it.  It’s a rewarding thing for me to do – we even won an award from UCL!

Within the university, I’ve also had the opportunity to conduct my very own research and have flown to lots of different countries to present my findings at conferences; an experience which I loved.  I’ve also been able to interview applicants for the Medical School, which was very interesting for me!

What did you find most valuable about your experiences at Ashmole Academy? What skills did it help you to develop?

I entered Ashmole Academy as a fairly average-performing student, and without it, I don’t think I would have achieved the things I have today.  Although all the staff at Ashmole give high quality teaching, two teachers stood out for me and really gave me the motivation and academic discipline, which I have today.  In addition to academic work, Ashmole has a fair amount of extra-curricular activities on offer such as a debating club; this helped build my communication skills and confidence, which was especially useful for my Medical School interviews and beyond.  The Gifted and Talented programme at Ashmole Academy was also a fundamental part of my school life – whether that was to push me beyond the classroom, or to give me a taste of life at the top universities, I am extremely grateful to the support the Academy provided me.

What did you find most valuable about the MedSoc programme at Ashmole?

The MedSoc programme was there for me at every step of the way when applying to university, and this continued support was most valuable to me.  The coordinator was dedicated to ensure my success, and so I was offered opportunities to attend lectures and open days at London’s top universities as well as support with volunteering and work experience.  When it came to applying, MedSoc supported the writing of my personal statement, and gave me lots of practice with interviews and admission tests.  I’d encourage anyone to make full use of MedSoc, as it’s a privilege to have!

Anything else you would like to tell us about yourself.

Before coming to UCL, I had never really seen much of Central London; when I first moved into the area, I bought myself a camera and it has now become a huge hobby of mine, which is something I would have never expected! My biggest achievement was being featured on Instagram and getting over 70,000 likes.  It’s definitely relaxing to do after working so much at university, and I’d recommend pursuing or finding a hobby whilst studying – it really helps.