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In Focus - Purusotha Thambiayah

Purusotha Thambiayah

Year of Study: Year 3

Purusotha Thambiayah tells us about his experience of being a student at BSMS, how he prepared for interviews and what brought him to study medicine in Brighton. Read his answers in full below.

What made you want to study at BSMS?

I had sadly missed an offer to study medicine after Year 13 and needed to resit one of my A Levels. Luckily for me, BSMS is a medical school that allows resit candidates and I was really appealed by the cadaveric dissection on offer as part of the teaching curriculum. Whilst BSMS may not have been my first choice in my first application, having arrived here I have not regretted it one bit. The small year group sizes, lecturers who really want to know you and help you succeed as well as the gorgeous background of the South Downs makes BSMS a very special place indeed.

What work experience did you undertake before applying to medicine? How was it beneficial?

I was fortunate to do three placements before medical school. One at a neonatal unit (a special centre that looks after babies that were born prematurely and need a helping hand before they go home!) and another with the Surgical team at St Mary's, Paddington. These were really great experiences and it felt so surreal shadowing numerous doctors...however I did feel a little lost on the way!

Overall, the best work experience I had was my third placement in a GP setting, where I was allowed to speak to patients on the telephone...hearing people's worries and concerns and offering some help to make things easier was a great feeling. It was after this I realised medicine and a vocational profession, to help people in their time of need, was what I really wanted to do. I hope from this it is clear, you don’t necessarily need a work experience placement in an amazing hospital with the world’s greatest surgeon to realise medicine is for you!

How did you prepare for the BMAT/UCAT?

Practice, practice, practice! There some useful courses run by the medic portal and Kaplan; but these can be expensive. Kaplan do offer a bursary for disadvantaged students, so ensure you apply for this ahead of time. Medify is a great resource for the UCAT exams.
UniAdmissions have also written a textbook that gives worked solutions for all of the BMAT past papers, this is a really useful resource.

How did you prepare for your interview(s) for medical school?

Mock interviews are incredibly useful! I was lucky that our school ran mock interviews. The older years also gave us interview tips when we were in Year 12 which was incredibly useful. I would also say keeping up to date with current affairs in medicine and new research can be invaluable in an interview setting. For the future interview cycles to come I would be unsurprised if Covid-19 featured heavily, so I would focus my reading on this particular area.

What’s your top tip for interviews?

Be yourself! The greatest asset to a medical school is not how much you know when you go in...it is the kind of person and doctor you will be when you come out...so show them you're worth the five-year investment!

Is there a piece of advice you wish you could have given your younger self when thinking about/applying to medicine?

I wish first time round I had read into my university choices more. There is a great website only called "What do they know". On here you will find submitted freedom of information requests to medical schools about their admissions statistics for previous years. From this you can work out if your UCAT/BMAT and GCSE results are suitable for their cut-offs. Use these to your advantage and apply strategically.

How did you choose which medical schools to apply to?

I based my choices mainly on those that would accept resit candidates. I also preferred the BMAT to the UCAT, therefore, BSMS was a natural top choice. I also used the open days to not only check out the campus but also the local towns, and travel links. One particular deal-breaker for me was a nearby train station as I do not have a car. Brighton is an excellent choice in this regard as there are regular trains to and from London and the bus network is extensive.

How did you find/ manage the transition to university?

The first term is very challenging as you gain a basic overview of the whole of medicine. I struggled a little with the independent learning aspect in Term 1, but eventually with trial and error you find out how to best revise and work efficiently. Whenever I encountered challenges, knowing who to ask for help is really useful. People like your medic parents (medical students who are in the year above), your personal tutor, your academic tutor and the Library team are incredibly useful when you are struggling. Never be afraid to ask for help...it is one of the best things I have seen at BSMS - everyone is willing to help you out if you need it.

Which part of your course have you found the most interesting so far?

I would say anatomy has become a real interest for me. Initially, in the early stages of Year 1, I was not a huge fan...having fainted in my first dissection room session! But with a little bit more experience I've come to really enjoy the sessions. BSMS has some brilliant anatomy demonstrators and learning from my peers to identify structures after reading about them in textbooks and lectures – is a really enjoyable way to study anatomy!

What has been your BSMS highlight so far?

I would say leading the BSMS Oncology, Haematology and Palliative Care Society has been a real highlight. Being given the chance to manage a team of truly remarkable fellow medical students to run this society has been a really eye-opening and enjoyable experience. It has also allowed me to learn new things about these three specialities that I do not think I would have been exposed to if I was not part of the society. I am looking forward to engaging with other societies next year to learn more and meet some equally amazing people.

What is your favourite thing about studying and living in Brighton?

I think having my own independence and moving away from London has been an awesome experience. Learning to fend for yourself and study at the same time is a life skill that can't be taught in a classroom. Brighton is also a really chilled out place which sets up a great atmosphere to live, study and socialise.

Do you have a favourite place to visit in Brighton?

My favourite spot in Brighton has to be Stanmer Park. It is rather glorious during the summer and a wonderful place to go to when the stress of medical school becomes a tad too much!

What is your top tip for prospective applicants applying to study medicine?

The best phrase I've ever heard about applying to study to medicine is: "It is not a matter of if...but when".

Some people may be have a really smooth ride into medical school with no bumps, others will face challenges. Never give up, and I would go further to say – encountering a little bit of failure along the way will set you up perfectly to deal with the various challenges that studying a medical degree will inevitably throw your way.