Student Profile - Medicine

1. Name: Zarin

2. Course: Medicine

3. A levels: Biology, Chemistry, English Literature and Physics

4. Journey in 3 words: 'Risk it all'

5. What does studying Medicine mean to you: I witnessed a great need for access to medical facilities in my early years in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Living right beside the insanely wealthy are those dying of curable, preventable diseases for lack of affordable and impartial care. My parents never let me turn a blind eye to any of it; they instilled in me the responsibility of using any power and position I have to help the marginalised. So studying Medicine means joining the many people around the world helping others in need, wherever the need may be.

6. What motivated you to pursue a career in science?: My singular ambition to become Doctor Do-Good for as long as I can remember.

7. Work-life balance: Like many, I am an insistent advocate and persistent failure. I've started keeping a list of nice, non-work related things to do for myself and when life or work become too overwhelming, I try to do something from the list to slow time back down again.

8. What advice would you give to someone wanting to study the same degree?: Keep your selfimportance in check. True Medicine is not about status. And always tend to your own mental and physical health needs. Burnout is real.

9. What do you feel is important when picking a university?: Betting on yourself. There are very few things we can't do. If the place you're choosing or the degree you want to do is a risk but even the smallest thing inside you says you can do it, to quote Jake Peralta's misquote: “eyes closed, head first, can't lose”.