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Katherine is a Medical Student at the University of Oxford. In the following case study, she talks about how she succeeded in the medical school application process. Make sure you watch Katherine’s video to hear from her directly!


Medical Student Case Study: Katherine

Why Medicine?

I never really had a defining moment when I decided that I wanted to study medicine.

I’d always really enjoyed science at school because of the problem solving aspect of it. So I thought medicine might be something that I would enjoy.

What steps did you take next?

I applied for a few work experience programmes which encouraged me further. On top of that, I spoke to doctors I knew and they all spoke highly of the training and their careers so far.

When I made that decision to apply, it was a huge relief in many ways to commit to something and focus my efforts on the application.

I don’t regret my decision at all — I’m loving medical school.

How has medical school matched your expectations?

Even though I’d been to the open days and read the prospectuses and welcome letters, I honestly had no idea what to expect from medical school.

The first term was a bit of a blur in terms of settling into uni and getting on top of the work. But after that I found my feet and have loved it.

Before starting, I  was pretty scared of the amount of work and the pressure of studying medicine. But it has been very manageable to strike up a good work-life balance. I have had the time to get involved with clubs and have some fun at uni!

A misconception I had early on was that medicine is a very rigid course with little flexibility and choice along the way.

Particularly when friends doing other courses began to apply to amazing internships, and I wasn’t very far into the degree, it felt a little stifling to think of the future.

But as I progress with the degree and talk to more clinicians, it has become really clear to me that I do have the choice and opportunity to structure my career as I please.

What about the future?

Already the Oxford course has given me the opportunity to get involved with research, and pursue projects in areas I find interesting. Given all of this, I’m really excited for what the future holds when I qualify.


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