Madison (Maddie) Wood-Field, a current year 13 student at her local state comprehensive school, has received offers from four medical schools; Cardiff, Exeter, Birmingham and the University of East Anglia. After successfully taking part in the BrightMed programme at BSMS, Maddie will also be the first in her family to go to university. Read Maddie's Q&A to find out more.
BrightMed participant Maddie Wood-Field has received four offers to study medicine.
What made you apply to the BrightMed programme?
There were many reasons why I applied to the BrightMed programme, but I think that the main one was to find out more about what a career in medicine would entail. Coming from a family where no one had been to university before, I felt that I had little knowledge about university and student life. Thus, I thought that being part of the programme would really help me to learn more about it. Going into the programme, I wanted to find out more about medicine as a degree as well as the types of learning experiences in the programme. Most importantly, I wanted to discover what it really meant to be a doctor.
My careers advisor at school told me about the programme and suggested that I apply. It was something that I wanted to explore, but I really lacked the confidence at the time, because I knew that medicine was a very competitive process. Despite this, I knew that I wanted to find out more and I thought that I would have nothing to lose in applying.
What was your experience of being involved in BrightMed like?
From the moment I walked into the medical school for my induction, as a year eight student, I felt welcomed.
One of my favourite things about BrightMed is the fact that medical students help you out. As a school student, this gives you a really unique insight because there is no other opportunity where you would be able to speak to medics so openly. I had so many discussions with them about their favourite aspects of medicine, as well as some of the realities. It was fantastic that they were able to answer my questions in a truthful way. I really feel like, because of this, I went into my application having an appreciation of what the degree involves. The medical students also helped to facilitate and guide the tasks that I did whilst at the university. I think this was a fantastic way to make us Brightmedders feel as welcome as possible.
The days are often quite structured and very well organised. You begin with an introductory talk and then have a morning of different sessions. Following this, you generally have an hour lunch break and then you continue the day with afternoon sessions. I was always so impressed at how well organised the days were. We managed to get so much done in a single day and so it really made me feel like my day was worthwhile.
To give you the idea of the breadth of tasks we do at BrightMed, below are a few examples:
- a. Work as a team to design a drug. We had a morning of teaching, which extended my knowledge outside of my science specification. I loved learning new information and it was great to apply this to a creative task.
- b. Participate in medical ethics debates.
- c. Information sessions about different specialities in medicine.
- d. Visits from doctors and patients to talk about conditions.
- e. Learn how to take a patient history.
And so much more!
What session(s) were your favourite and why?
I really enjoyed the sessions that we did on medical ethics. This is because it was something completely different to what I had done at school. It highlighted to me that the degree was so much more than pure science, and this was something that attracted me to the profession even more. I loved hearing other people’s opinions on topics, and I think that learning through discussion is a great way to build confidence.
My favourite part of the whole experience was the year 12 summer school. Despite being virtual, I was still able to talk to lots of my friends over zoom. I really enjoyed the small group sessions that we did in the breakout rooms because it gave us a chance to speak to other medical school applicants. I think that this made the whole process much less intimidating. During the summer school, a comic strip session was run by a geriatric consultant. We looked at how she used comics to represent the things that she experiences at work, and more specifically the work that she does with dementia patients. This session had a profound impact on my attitude towards elderly patients. It made me think about some of the difficulties there may be when it comes to treating them and as a result, it emphasised how important reflection is as a doctor. This is something that I will strive to take forward with me to medical school and beyond.
I was also lucky enough to attend a paediatric conference aimed at medical students, as part of the BrightMed programme. I really enjoyed learning more about this speciality and it was a really enjoyable day. My favourite session was the “Mental health- CAMHS” one. Here we were presented with unusual adolescent mental health scenarios and we had to discuss what the different factors involved in their care would be. It was really interesting to hear the perspective of current medical students, and it made me really excited to see where I could be in the next 5 years. Events like these are not open to the general public, and it is only because of my involvement in BrightMed that I was able to attend. It gave me a great insight into what is available to me after I graduate.
All of the clinical skills sessions are always a firm favourite of mine too. During my time at BrightMed, I was able to take blood pressures and blood glucose levels, as well as use stethoscopes. This is something completely different to what I do at school, so I really enjoyed having a taste of the practical side of the degree.
What skill(s) has BrightMed given you, as you prepare to study medicine, that you may otherwise not have been able to develop?
The main one for me is confidence. Due to the competitive nature of medicine, and coming from an underprivileged background and state school, I really feel like I wouldn’t have had the knowledge, resources or ability to apply to medicine without it. The work that you do at BrightMed really helped me to overcome this fear. From speaking to new people, giving presentations and making scientific posters, I really do think that BrightMed has enabled me to develop the suitable skills to become a successful medical student. I loved working as part of different teams, and collaborating with the existing medical students.
For example, during year 11 you are asked to create a project on the NHS and then present it to the rest of the cohort. I based mine on the implications that Brexit may have on the NHS. This gave me the opportunity to develop my research and referencing skills, and it also taught me that having reliable sources are really important. These skills will definitely be transferable to my time at university. Furthermore, by doing the presentation, I was able to build on my public speaking skills. Talking about my project to a larger group of people also taught me that it is important to make eye contact with the audience.
How has BrightMed helped you with your goal of pursuing medicine in the future?
I think the biggest thing is that it has provided me with a really unique insight into medicine. I was able to spend time in the medical school, use some of the equipment and speak to students. This gave me a unique touch when it came to interviews because I think I have a much deeper understanding of what it means to be a medical student.
During the summer school we were able to have a mock interview. This gave me a realistic representation of what my multiple mini-interview’s (MMI) would be like. Being virtual, I was also able to practice looking at the camera whilst speaking. I think that this mock MMI was invaluable because it enabled me to get any nerves out of the way and experiment with my answer styles. It was also fantastic to receive some guided feedback. Mock MMI’s are often very expensive, and this was something that simply wasn’t accessible to me. Therefore, I was very grateful to experience one through BrightMed, before doing the real ones.
Successful completion of the BrightMed programme also allowed me to have access to guaranteed interviews. This initiative is due to the UKWPMED scheme. If I wanted, I had guaranteed interviews with; BSMS, Birmingham, Hull York, Keele, Manchester and Peninsula Medical schools. I decided to take advantage of the scheme, and I applied to Birmingham, where I got an offer with reduced entry requirements of ABB. This is a key example of how BrightMed can help students to ‘get their foot in the door’ with respect to interviews, and it plays a key tribute to all of the hard work and commitment that the students put into the programme over the years.
What was your initial reaction when you received four offers?
Delighted! I really didn’t know how to feel. Applying for medicine and getting an offer had been my goal for the last 5 years, and to feel like all of my hard work had paid off was fantastic.
Knowing that I wanted to do medicine, and how competitive the process was, I had already made the decision that if this application cycle was unsuccessful, I would take a gap year and reapply the following year. I was fully prepared for this to be the outcome. Therefore, getting offers for medicine has really helped to build my confidence.
What advice would you give to anyone else considering BrightMed?
Apply! Even if you aren’t certain that medicine is for you, you can learn so many transferable skills. For me, BrightMed reaffirmed my goal. I met some amazing people, and made some great friends.
No two sessions are the same! I also found that the sessions helped to build on the information I was learning in my science lessons at school. This helped to extend my learning outside of my specification, so in that sense, it was also really beneficial.
Ultimately, you have nothing to lose from applying, and everything to gain.
What are you most looking forward to at medical school?
I am really looking forward to discovering a new place, and moving out of home. I think it will be really good for me to be in a new city and meet new people.
I am also excited to discover the learning techniques, such as problem-based learning and dissections. I love experimenting with new learning methods and I think that this will certainly be the case at medical school. My course has early clinical exposure too, so I am excited to begin my clinical training in a variety of different placements.
I have already researched lots of the societies that will be available to me at university. Some of the ones that I am interested in are “the wilderness medicine society” and “medics sport societies”. Medical school societies sound like a fantastic way to meet new people, network, and have a great time. I am looking forward to exploring all of the societies that will be available to me, as well as everything else going to university involves.
Finally, I am so excited to eventually achieve my end goal of becoming a doctor. It is the career that I have wanted to pursue for a very long time, so to think that I am one step closer is fantastic!
Find out more about our BrightMed programme here >