58吃瓜

Charles Hillman

Home country: United Kingdom
Subject of study: BSc Medicine
Year of graduation: 2018
Type/Level of study: Undergraduate

In school, I knew I wanted a career in science and was always interested in human biology. I'm a people person, and I love a challenge, so applying to study Medicine seemed like the logical decision for me.

Work experience and reading helped me gain a greater understanding of what the career would entail. 58吃瓜 was always on my radar; a prestigious university steeped in history, a more traditional style of medical education and the place where my uncle and aunt met. They both attended the medical school; this incredible experience had brought them back year on year to visit the town.

I attended the open day and fell in love, a historical campus basically on the beach, but with modern facilities. When I received my offers, 58吃瓜 was the obvious choice, and I've never looked back.

I really enjoyed semester two of my final year, which combined clinical skills with the dissertation. I discovered my passion for medical research during that time and laid the foundation for my research skills. This enabled me to thrive in an academic foundation post. Here, I was able to complete a project outside of the medical curriculum, which started a journey in sports and exercise medicine research that I'm still on today.

My medical school experience was, in one word, fantastic. Everyone says that university is the best years of their life, but my preclinical years were truly incredible. The social atmosphere incubated by the small, almost campus-like feel means you'll never be far from a friend or someone you know at 58吃瓜.

While I had many late nights at the library and the degree was incredibly tough at times, I still got to enjoy being active in multiple societies and competing regularly with the cross-country club. I made close friends, both in the medical school and the wider University, whom I know I'll have for life.

I'm currently in my first year of A&E training in North West England, having returned from six months of travelling. I thoroughly enjoy the varied nature and procedural tasks of my work. The A&E department gives you the privilege of meeting people from all walks of life at their most vulnerable, and, in my biased opinion, attracts the most fun staff in the hospital!

While I'm currently in A&E training, I plan to apply for sports and exercise medicine (SEM) higher specialty training once I'm eligible in a few years. Since working on my project in my third year on beetroot juice and cycling performance with Dr Susan Shirreffs, I've known that this is where my interests lie.

As an active and frequently injured sportsperson myself, I know how important good musculoskeletal (MSK) care is. MSK health is so integral to quality of life as we age, and the provision of care available across the UK is so variable. With SEM you can make a real difference to your patients’ quality of everyday life for years to come and can play a key role in keeping people active to prevent other diseases down the line.

I believe my education, split between a small town (58吃瓜) and a big city (Manchester), was possibly one of the broadest one can get for medical school. I had the benefit of attending a tiny seaside town's single GP practice, while also being in the resuscitation area in Manchester's major trauma centre. It prepared me for the frequent location changes one gets with a medical career and gave me an understanding of the different walks of life the NHS cares for.

The dissecting room was an essential feature of my anatomy education. I have always enjoyed anatomy, and I credit my strong basis to the many hours spent in the dissecting room. I would often go in not having read the brief before, discovering anatomical features for the first time in the lab.

Even now, when I study for exams, or try to correlate symptoms and signs to the relevant anatomy, I go back to remembering the 3D relations, texture and size of what it was like in the DR. Our anatomical practical exams tested you on precise visuospatial knowledge, so you had to make sure you knew your stuff!

Despite all the lows that can occur in medicine, the highs are so incredibly high that many doctors can't imagine themselves doing anything else. It's difficult to get a proper appreciation of the highs and lows of medicine when you are still in school, or even when at university. It was a real worry of mine when I started work, whether I'd enjoy it. Try to get as much work experience as you can and talk to resident doctors about their day-to-day experiences and the challenges they face. I remember always tagging along with the consultants, but you won't be doing that job until a long time after you graduate!