year 12 jasmine attends medicine taster day at Cambridge university

As a cohort of our Year 12 students visit Oxford University today, on Saturday Year 12 Jasmine, who plans to study Medicine, participated in an inspirational taster day at Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge, which was a full programme of events comprising taster lectures, opportunities to meet with Clinical Fellows and current undergraduates in Medicine, and the chance to receive further invaluable information on the course itself and the application process.

This is Jasmine's account:

The day at the University of Cambridge was fulfilling and gave me a taste of what a Cambridge student’s life would be. The day started off with several taster lectures, that aimed to let us experience the University style of teaching. It covered several different topics in Medicine, including the psychological aspect, anatomy and drug development.

The first lecture was delivered by Dr Thomas Cope on memory. I learnt about the transfer of memory, from the sensory register to long-term memory. He also showed us the working memory model, as different components are in charge of different tasks; for example, the visuospatial sketchpad is responsible for the visual task.

Moreover, we looked at a case study: a client who had lost his ability to recognise faces. After discussion, we all agreed that the semantic memory of the person is damaged, which means that he can’t remember facts or knowledge. This is followed by the introduction into dementia, which is a persistent disorder of mental processes, and Dr Cope taught us the basic procedures and assessment of the patient for dementia. It includes medical history examination, an interview to ask about current problems, and a physical and cognitive exam.  

 The next taster lecture was on molecular approach cancer therapeutics, delivered by Dr Leila Jahangili. This is research carried out by fellow biochemistry students who aim to find the medication for treating cancer. We learnt about the latest developments in cancer treatment, as well as acquiring knowledge beyond the A Level curriculum. For example, oncogenes code for proteins that help regulate cell growth and division, which means that the damage of this specific gene may potentially cause cancer. The researchers used a technique called apoptosis detection assay to test the effectiveness of 4 different drugs, and found that nanaocnycin A, LAQ824 and BI2536 are the most effective.

The last lecture I attended was on anatomy and delivered by Dr Riaze Asvat. I am especially interested in anatomy, as it allows us to analyse the structural details of all living organisms, in order to have a better knowledge and insight into life. This can aid in clinical decision-making and enhance surgical proficiency. A brief history of anatomy was introduced: in 1286, the first dissection of a human took place, followed by the rise of medical schools, with barbers in charge of dissection and demonstrations. The revolution started when Andreas Vesalius realised that students should get involved in dissection, which led to the Anatomy lessons that we have today.

Dr Asvat also talked about the different anatomy that we will study at a medical school, which includes dissection, radiological anatomy, applied anatomy and surface anatomy.  All of them are very valuable experiences which allow students to develop skills and an understanding of the human body.

The day ended with talks about applying to Cambridge and Q&A sessions. I had a chat with a current year 3 student who enjoyed life a lot at Cambridge, and told me that having the unique supervision sessions is very helpful in terms of her academic studies.

I learnt a lot during the day: extra scientific knowledge from the lectures, and an idea of the life of a Cambridge University student. I definitely recommend attending different taster days for the subject that you are interested in at different universities.

It was an unforgettable experience that has also motivated me to find out more about Medicine! 

Report & photographs by Jasmine 12X

With huge thanks to Jasmine for sharing this account of the day, and to the University of Cambridge for the opportunity.