Gavin Gunawardena

In medicine, you are tunnelled into an echo chamber where everyone around you is focused to become a full-time doctor. However, I have always been curious to look elsewhere for career opportunities and the exposure to consulting, particularly in the life sciences and healthcare industries, caught my eye. 

Not only do I believe there is room for rapid personal development in management consulting, but I also value the acquisition of a variety of skills, and the networking opportunities. Therefore, in the future I aspire to apply my clinical experiences as a medical student to consulting projects with the NHS or pharmaceutical companies.

In this position, I would relish the opportunity to work with other committee members to reduce the barrier for students to consulting. I hope to organise and plan events efficiently, making information about consulting more accessible. Furthermore, I have experience in conference organisation with both the Medical Society and Neurology Societies, which I hope can bear fruit when organising events in UCL Consulting Society.

The decision to leave medicine is sometimes frowned upon and can bring its fair share of scepticism. It requires an open, committed and proactive mindset as you push yourself away from the crowd. I endeavour to use these attributes to my advantage to be a resourceful vice president who can contribute and cultivate positive change to UCL Consulting Society, while learning more about consulting in the process.