Sixth formers inspired by their taste of medicine

Six more Guernsey students look set to embark on a career in medicine, after getting a real insight into what it’s like to be a doctor, courtesy of the Medical Specialist Group.

Five students on the MSG’s Taste of Medicine course this month were from the Sixth Form Centre and one from Elizabeth College. Last month the MSG ran the course for four Ladies’ College sixth formers.

Led this year for the first time by Dr Kalaivani Ramalingam, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, the course is designed to offer a taste of what a career in medicine looks like for students considering working in the profession.

During the week students are paired up and can shadow ten different clinical sessions, including ear, nose and throat (ENT), ophthalmology, orthopaedics, dermatology, obstetrics and gynaecology, various theatre lists, diabetes, emergency medicine, paediatrics, breast clinic and ICU.

Their week ended with a presentation from MSG chair Dr Steve Evans on ‘Where medicine can take you’, covering all the different training and career options available and including his own experience working as a doctor in Antarctica.

At the end of the week, five of the six students said they would definitely like to go into a career in medicine, with the sixth keen on either a career in medicine or in an associated profession such as pharmacology.

Time spent in theatre was a highlight of the week for many. Gracia van Zutphen said, ‘Watching all the operations was great, because you don't normally get to see this. It’s so interesting to see how they do it and how they interact with each other.’

Padraig McClay agreed: ‘I really enjoyed going to theatre. The novelty of it was a big thing and how it’s done is really interesting.’

Aron Thomassen was also very interested by what he saw in theatre, which included an amputation.

For Abigail Langlois her highlight was watching a C-section. She said, ‘It was very cute getting to see the baby with mum and dad together.’

William Garland enjoyed his time in theatre and in the outpatient clinics. He explained, ‘The clinics were interesting to see, with the specialist doctors coming in and out and different patients with different concerns. The doctors were amazing, they just knew everything.’

And finally, Jessica Duncan said she enjoyed the variety offered by the week: ‘It was great to meet physicians from different specialties because you get to find out different aspects of a career in medicine. When you’re thinking about exams and applying to medical school, it’s nice to meet people who are already doing it and can support you.’

Dr Kalaivani Ramalingam concluded, ‘It was a really interesting week and good to hear the students’ many different perspectives from their varied experiences. I wish them all well, and hope they're successful in their medical applications.’