AimHigher Magazine 2021

GRADUATE
SPOTLIGHT
MEDICINE
Phoebe was the first person in her family to go to
university. Here she tells us about her journey to
higher education and studying medicine.
Name:
Phoebe
Occupation:
Junior Doctor
Back to the Start
I first became interested in studying
medicine in secondary school, as I had
always found sciences interesting and the
variety of the role of a doctor appealed to
me from a young age. I found the practical
elements of medical sciences exciting;
having the power to help people in need of
care felt like an important and rewarding
career to pursue.
I knew how competitive medical schools
were so I was reluctant to commit to
applying, however I knew I had an aptitude
for science and chose additional sciences
for my GCSEs. I kept the rest of GCSE
choices fairly broad, choosing subjects I
was good at and enjoyed. While studying
for my GCSEs, my mom became ill and
I was suddenly faced with additional
responsibilities whilst balancing school
work. This was a really hard time; my mom
was in hospital the day I had to pick my
GCSEs so not having her around while
faced with this decision was difficult.
However, this solidified my decision to
pursue medicine as I wanted to be able to
help others in the ways that I couldn’t for
my mom at the time.
After achieving the grades needed for my
chosen A-levels, I went on to study Biology,
Chemistry, Maths and History at college.
I was really excited to start a new chapter
and make new friends, but this didn’t go as
I expected. Right before I started college,
I was diagnosed with a serious medical
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