Keele Flashcards
Tell me about your work experience.
Exceeded expectations in teamwork and synergy of healthcare staff.
Surprised by spontaneous nature of patients’ conditions
Involved in giving out tea rounds and meals
Observed daily red to green meetings
Shadowed a variety healthcare staff members
Joined a consultant and junior doctors on a ward round
Learned to take blood pressure, breathing rate, and blood glucose from nurses
Assisted with weight-taking and changing bedding for patients with mobility issues from Healthcare Assistants.
Gained insight on taking bloods and blood cultures
Talked through ordering tests and observed scans and results with junior doctors
Consultants provided tips on motivation and explained diseases not previously heard about (Adrenal insufficiencies)
Tell me about a positive aspect of your work experience.
Regularly shadows medics as a volunteer.
Patient profiles rewarding, enticing.
Values conversing and humanizing the patient experience.
Revealing a unique side of medicine.
Compelling reason to stay in the profession within the NHS.
Describes the positive impact of empathetic conversations as an amazing opportunity.
Tell us about a time you showed resilience
Perservering and choosing to do an epq during a diffuclt period of my life.
Undertook an EPQ during a challenging period of personal life
Mother’s peak alcohol dependence required significant support
Balancing academic commitments with family responsibilities
Recognized the importance of the EPQ for a medicine degree application
Faced emotional challenges but maintained a long-term perspective
Emphasized the belief that temporary hardships can be overcome
Learned the importance of resilience and time management
Reinforced commitment to educational and career aspirations
Developed the ability to navigate difficulties while staying focused on goals
Tell us about a time you showed empathy
Situation:
Held leadership roles as Team Lead of the Diversity Team in high school.
Task:
Led meetings to address racism issues within the school.
Encouraged team members to share suggestions and anecdotes.
Action:
Initiated open discussions to create a safe space.
Actively listened, expressed empathy, and ensured respect during conversations.
Result:
Increased engagement from team members.
Gained valuable insights into the prevalence of racism in the school.
Reflection:
Learned about the importance of creating a supportive and inclusive environment.
Recognized the significance of empathy and effective communication in fostering understanding during discussions about sensitive topics.
Why Medicine?
Parents separation and mothers alcohol dependance.
HCA at local hospital, no aid received.
Withheld temporary Caregiving responsibility, empathetic of her weakness having been a hard worker as a HCA for over a decade to provide, her helplessness illuminated the challenges of a career in healthcare and work-life balance .
Fuels commitment to working in NHS
Contribute to address gaps in care like my mother had and foster a supportive and forward looking atmosphere in my team.
Compassionate and equitable healthcare environment.
EPQ on sickle cell disease
Part that stuck with me was the alleged transition in care quality from being perceived as a Young child to black adult.
Want to represent the wider demographics and tackle marginalisation and reinforce the trust that the public have in our profession and i want to start locally with this target.
Tell us about a time you showed initiative.
Target Oxbridge
Initiated participation in prestigious programs (Target Oxbridge, UNIQ, Sutton Trust) for exclusive access to medical insights.
Explored diverse medical topics, including the effects of antibiotics on bacterial cell replication and Plasmodium virus transmission in mosquitoes.
Gained valuable knowledge and exposure to medicine through webinars, residentials, and early engagement.
Received guidance on the university application process, enhancing preparedness for medical school admissions.
Developed a proactive approach to my prospective career by actively seeking and embracing opportunities.
Area of current research?
SCD,
CRISPR, Casgevy
Research Topic: Sickle Cell Disease
Completed an EPQ on racial inequalities in Sickle cell disease patients.
Genetic Modification for Treatment
Explored genetic modification during the project.
At the time, it was unapproved but showed high success rates in trials.
Recent Advancements
Casgevy, a genetic treatment, recently approved by UK regulators.
Broader Significance
Casgevy’s approval opens the door for genetic treatment of other inherited diseases.
Particularly impactful for conditions like cystic fibrosis.
Potential Impact on Lives
Emphasizes the potential to save countless lives through genetic treatments.
Transformation of Medical Possibilities
Marks a milestone in genetic treatments, transforming the outlook for various inherited conditions.
Tell us about what you do to relieve stress
Badminton
Family time
Helping my brother or sister with their work.
Badminton as a Stress Reliever:
I’ve been playing badminton since high school, and it has become a significant stress-relief activity for me.
Currently, I play competitively in the top division of my local league, engaging with a diverse group of individuals.
This not only serves as a physical outlet but also provides a mental break and fosters a sense of camaraderie within the community.
Family Time for Healthy Relationships:
Spending quality time with my family is a priority.
Cultivating healthy relationships with family members helps create a supportive environment.
It allows me to step away from the demands of daily life and connect with the people who matter most.
Assisting Siblings to Detach from Work:
I actively support my brother and sister with references and proofreading..
Helping them with their work not only strengthens our bond but also contributes to their stress relief.
Witnessing them less stressed and worried about their responsibilities provides a positive and fulfilling experience for me.
Tell me about a time where you saw good teamwork in medicine.
MDT meetings determine the patient’s status based on the last caregiver’s observation.
The occupational therapist assigns a mobility and assistance level after a recent examination.
Discharge flow involves adding additional information about the patient’s family or previous placements.
The ward manager checks MOFD (medically optimised for discharge) and TOFD (therapeutically optimised for discharge) and reviews test results.
If MOFD triggers a procedure, coordination ensues, including checking if TTOs (to take out medications) are done by the pharmacist.
Any changes in medication are communicated, and discussions with the corresponding doctor take place.
The process concludes with a recheck in the discharge flow to ensure the placement has been arranged.
Tell me about a negative aspect of work experience.
Team seamlessness, wish to be a part of
· Understaffed days, one HCA off.
· Low Morale, hectic atmosphere
· Shrugged off when offering help
· Lack of caring ability as a volunteer
· Contributed with tea rounds, meals, linen, sanitising equipment
Tell me about a part of your work experience you regret.
Initially involved in tea rounds and meals only
Acknowledged these responsibilities but desired to do more
Given the privilege to attend MDT meetings
Hesitated to disturb due to awareness of their workload
Received a kind and genuine welcome when asked to be more involved
Given numerous learning opportunities afterward
Learned the importance of not being afraid to ask for opportunities
Realized healthcare team members are both human despite their part of the well oiled machine they have fashioned together as a team to provide effective patient care.
Tell me about a patient in your work experience.
Patient around age 70
Initially came in with X
Showed gradual improvement over time
Spontaneous deterioration during a red to green meeting
Alert for their bed went off, prompting rapid response from healthcare staff
Successive involvement of healthcare assistants, nurses, and a crash cart
Subsequent tests and a scan revealed HAP cardiomegaly and heart failure
Personal experience of witnessing the patient’s journey from improvement to nearing death
Reflects a lesson learned from the speaker’s mother, who is a healthcare assistant, emphasizing the unpredictability of patients’ conditions
Why did Keeles Medical course begin?
Emphasis on community medicine.
2007 separation from Manchester.
University Hospitals North Midlands established to address regional imbalances of medical education to widen access, ensuring the profession reflects the community it serves.
inter-professional learning promoting an md healthcare approach.
Key component of Keele, significant placements in Non-nhs community sectors and primary/ secondary care. Allows students from Phase 1 to be exposed to complex variety of determinants of health (socioeconomic, cultural and environmental), exemplifying keeles focus on holistic patient centred care.
The course
Spiral integrated curriculum with early clinical exposure integrated communication and clinical skills teaching.
PBL
Lectures
Phase 1-3
1: Medical Fundamentals and half day short term placements. PBL Central with clinical scenarios in small groups, self-directed learning is fostered.
2:Immersive clinical places at Royal Stoke Uni Hospital and communities. One year shropshire and staffordshire. CBL using real patient cases.
3:Extensive assistanships, out of hours work and 8 week elective.
Why Keele?
One of the aspects that draws me to Keele University is its strong focus on patient-centred care and a commitment to addressing healthcare disparities, which deeply resonates with my own experiences and motivations for studying medicine. Keele’s foundation in 2007 and its mission to address regional imbalances in medical education demonstrate a genuine commitment to widening access to healthcare and ensuring that the medical profession reflects the diversity of the community it serves.
From a young age, I’ve witnessed the gaps in support within healthcare, particularly through my mother’s struggles with alcohol dependence and my experience as a temporary caregiver. This opened my eyes to gaps in support and care, especially for those in vulnerable positions, like my mother who had been a dedicated healthcare worker herself. Keele’s focus on holistic care, as emphasized through early exposure to real-world healthcare environments, mirrors my desire to provide compassionate, equitable care to those who may be underrepresented or overlooked.
Additionally, Keele’s spiral integrated curriculum and early clinical exposure will enable me to develop the skills needed to address complex health determinants, such as socioeconomic and cultural factors. I’m particularly drawn to the placements in non-NHS community sectors and primary care, which will provide me with the opportunity to work directly with underrepresented demographics and help reinforce trust in the healthcare system, especially among marginalised communities.
Through my EPQ research on sickle cell disease, I learned how disparities in care can negatively impact patients as they transition from childhood to adulthood. My goal is to contribute to addressing these gaps, and Keele’s immersive, patient-focused learning environment provides the ideal foundation for me to develop into a healthcare professional who can make a meaningful difference locally and beyond.
