Hello! I am Ruqayyah Naeem, a school society member and scholar for Medic Mentor. I am currently in year 13 at Bolton School and I have attended Medic Mentor National Healthcare Weekends since year 10.
Starting to attend these conferences from a relatively young age allowed me to gain a very useful insight into a medical career and meant I felt much more confident in my decision to study medicine when I applied. I have also volunteered at several healthcare weekends which allowed me to gain many important skills such as time management when I was time keeping presentations. In addition, I was also awarded the role of a school society leader where I met weekly with a small group of year 10 and 11 students at my school and taught them more about a career in medicine. The weekly meetings consisted of sessions such as ethical debates, first aid skills and dissections and allowed me to develop my leadership skills, meaning I felt much more comfortable volunteering as a young leader with disadvantaged children for over 3 years at my local youth club. I also gained the confidence to mentor a girl at school and volunteer at my local care home. Presenting at the Medic Mentor National Healthcare Weekend (as shown in the picture above) improved my presentation skills and gave me the skills and confidence necessary to arrange and host a 12-mile charity walk in aid of Syria.
I also attended the Medic Mentor summer school in summer 2019 where I was given the best advice to compose a personal statement, plenty of UCAT and BMAT tips and practice and an exceptional quality of interview practice. Attending the summer school not only gave me a head start but made me feel more relaxed about the application process. Furthermore, attending the summer school allowed me to meet some really lovely people and this is great as we can all share our application journeys with eachother and aid eachother along the process.
Medic Mentor have always got many things on offer for students such as the medical awards programme and giving you an opportunity to present at National Healthcare Weekends in order to boost our applications for university.
I would strongly say that being part of the Medic Mentor family has improved my communication, leadership, presentation and team work skills significantly. Without Medic Mentor’s help I would not be where I am today.
Medic Mentor have always been willing to help, giving excellent advice and tips and encouraging us to get involved as much as possible. They have allowed me to develop vital skills which I am sure will help me throughout my time at medical school and as a doctor in the future. Being part of the Medic Mentor family is truly a privilege and I would really encourage you to become part of our family.