This is a personal account on my iBSc in Sports, Exercise and Health, in Year 3 of my MBBS Degree at UCL (between pre-clinical and clinical years).
Get to know yourself
Sitting in the same spot of the same lecture theatre and picking the same seat in the library for two years straight can sometimes feel demoralising. The pre-clinical years were for me an opportunity to realise that I had lost interest in outperforming everyone and being ‘the best’, but instead to acknowledge how becoming a doctor is a process rather than a competition. The intercalation year was a very important part of that process whereby, for once, I was free to utilise my time as I wished. In doing so, I learned what I enjoy learning/doing, from academic knowledge, to new hobbies. Intercalating is an opportunity to relax and see things differently. Most people in medical school have no idea what they want to do in the future. Now, being in my first clinical year, I have realised how drawing the path you will follow in the future is an elimination process. Intercalating is an opportunity to see what you like and what you do not. Some are lucky enough to have chosen something that they absolutely love and hence the intercalation paves the path they want to follow, and others just eliminate another possibility. Both, however, gain only if they treat every day in, every coursework, every exam paper as a learning experience, or as a piece of the puzzle that eventually makes you a doctor.
Meet and work with new people – acquire skills
The Medical School inevitably acts as a more isolated and closed community than the rest of the university. I got to know people from outside the medical school doing other similar degrees, worked in various projects and carried out activities that I would not have the opportunity to do within the stressful medical school environment. For once, the priority ceased to be to absorb as much scientific knowledge as possible (as in pre-clinical years) but to gain other academic and soft skills which will remain in your skillset when you become a doctor as well. Little did I know about how to read and critically appraise a paper, the significance of statistics in research or how to write a research proposal. I did my research within a diverse group of four even though on day 1 we doubted our ability to cooperate well. How the teamwork and relationships between us evolved from complete strangers to good friends, with the simultaneous success of our research are definite gains from my iBSc. Simple things like writing a coursework or making a research poster had both been a struggle at the beginning but are surely skills one will use in their career as a doctor and scientist.
Learn what interests you – Establish what you don’t like
Establishing what you do not want to do in your future career is as important as establishing what you enjoy doing. The variety of iBSc degrees to choose from ranges from Philosophy of Medicine, Medical Genetics and Mathematics to Paediatrics, Anaesthetics and Surgery, to give some examples. I certainly did what I enjoyed and this allowed me to confidently state what I want from my future career, but for others it was a wake-up call that what seems interesting at first might not necessarily be what you want to follow. Both are equally important in shaping your future decisions, hence choose wisely and do not be disappointed!
Pathway to academia / means to avoid academia
The intercalation degree may also prove to be your bridge with other like-minded individuals and an opportunity to make relationships and partnerships for future research. I certainly have, but for others this may have been a year of realisation that academic research is not for everyone. Others are even driven out of medicine in favour or clinical research! In any case, it is a win-win situation!
How I choose my iBSc – research project
In choosing my iBSc, I was between Neuroscience and Sports Medicine. The former was what I deemed UCL to be ‘the best in the world’ at, and the latter was something I was subconsciously ‘preparing’ for since day 1 of medical school. It did not even exist as an iBSc back then, however all my Student Selected Components and Extra-curriculars were paving the way for it. I had a genuine interest in the subject and had already attended conferences, plus I took the opportunity to turn every bit of SSC coursework into something Sports Medicine-related. It was only when I did Neuroscience in pre-clinical years that I realised how much I enjoyed it and had second thoughts. The debate was: pick Neuroscience and gain a very powerful degree with multiple publications and be taught by the best in the world OR choose Sports Medicine, do what I know I enjoy and, treating it as a learning experience, see what comes out of it? I absolutely ‘felt’ which one I would go for when I was writing the two personal statements. To put it simply, one felt good, the other one felt ‘why am I even considering this over Sports Medicine?’ Hence, the choice was obvious. Meanwhile, a friend who had the same dilemma picked the ‘glamour’ of Neuroscience (the publications, the world-leading experts in the field etc.)- he regretted it and still does, I did not. Moreover, my advice would be to pick what you like and make it useful; do not pick what will just look good on your CV.
In selecting my research project, I thought ‘which option gives me something I will be able to use in the future as a doctor?’ And I opted for a project that involved ultrasound testing. Inevitably, I had to spend weeks practising and learning to use it, a skill I will use in the future! The iBSc after all is an opportunity to extract skills and knowledge to be used in the future!
Live like something other than a medical student, for once
This was the year when I had the time to start singing lessons, travel, attend more sports and get out more. I had never lived like a proper ‘non-medic’ before. I had never had so much free time, or had the peace of mind to say, ‘I can handle studying another time.’ Intercalating allowed me to experience the difference in student life between medics and non-medics and it was totally worth it. This was the best way to finish pre-clinical years, enjoy one last proper summer and dig into clinical years fully refreshed!
Article by Andreas Mirallais, UCL.
