Rika is a third year medical student, intercalating in Psychology. She volunteers once or twice a month for the Scrubs and Scalpels project at the UCLU Surgical Society.
What do you do as a volunteer? Describe your typical session.
A group of us (3-5 volunteers) go to state schools in and around London, and we deliver medical workshops. We give a short talk and presentation on UCL as a university, medicine and the course here at UCL, the application process and university life in general. The students, who are GCSE or A Level students, can ask questions at any time. Then we deliver short clinical skills workshops in small groups with one volunteer for groups of 5-6 students, where we either teach them to take each others’ blood pressure readings with manual blood pressure cuffs and stethoscopes, or test each others’ reflexes with tendon hammers or even how to perform Basic Life Support. During these group sessions they are welcome to ask any more questions and talk to us informally about any concerns they have regarding applying to medicine or higher education in general.
What were your first impressions when you started volunteering?
I was apprehensive about talking to a large group of teenagers, and was conscious of what they would think of me and whether my ideas and opinions on medicine and university. I also realised that many of the students know very little about the medical course and its demands and applying to university apart from what they’ve been told, and that they are grateful for any more information. The students also seemed very reluctant to ask questions at first, and really seemed to enjoy the hands on clinical workshops as they had never worked with clinical equipment before.
How do you feel about it now?
I am much more confident in myself and in the work we do as part of the Scrubs and Scalpels project and am therefore now one of the project leaders on this scheme. I feel enthusiastic about going on these trips to give our presentations and workshops, as I have realised how much the students appreciate us coming in. I have also realised that more often than not they are bursting with questions and we just have to make them feel at ease and let them know they can ask us anything, and soon enough they open up and voice their concerns and questions on medicine and university life. I am very passionate about this project now as I love to think that we can help students interested in university and especially the medical course get a head start with these workshops, and that they may feel more prepared for the application process than before. I am also always eager to inspire the unsure students that they can apply to universities like UCL and to medicine, and make them feel my enthusiasm and passion for my university and course.
What’s the best thing about volunteering?
The best thing is meeting so many new people and being able to pass on our knowledge of university and the medical course. Although we are not much older than the students that we speak to, they are very grateful about whatever we can tell them about university and it is great to see their enthusiasm and eagerness. It also reminds me of when I was in school and going through the same worries and dilemmas, and I feel great that I am able to help out these students now at a time I know to be a very challenging and confusing one.
And what’s the most challenging thing?
The most challenging thing is being completely honest with the unsure students about the medical course. It is a demanding and difficult vocation and we are liable to be biased as we are studying the subject now and have grown to love it, so we must be careful to give an objective balanced view so the students can decide for themselves whether this is the right path for them. On another note, fitting in volunteering sessions between study and university life commitments can also be challenging, but prioritising and organisation are the key here.
How has volunteering changed you?
I believe I have been able to grow as a person and matured and learned to empathise with others much more, as I am reminded of what it was like being a sixth form student every time I volunteer. I have learned to inform the students on what they need to know about university and the application process in as unbiased a way as possible, and have also improved on my communication skills. I am a more confident public speaker, and my love of medicine has grown considerably in attempting to inspire others to love it as much as I do. I have also improved my time keeping skills and am able to multi task more effectively.
What difference do you feel you’ve made by volunteering?
I feel we provide students interested in university and medicine with more information and that they therefore become better informed about the realities of both. As we go to state schools, there are often students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnic minorities who may have even less knowledge about higher education in the UK and what university life is really like. I like to think we inspire and inform them to make the best decisions for themselves, and that our talks and clinical hands on workshops motivate them to apply and try their best.
Would you recommend the project to anyone else? If so, why?
I would highly recommend others to volunteer for this project as we do a very rewarding job with these workshops and because I feel there is little else that makes you feel as proud and loyal as being able inspire other students to apply to your university and your course. However, I would like to stress that you don’t have to be a medical student to take part in this project, as we would like to get students from other courses to take part and give the school students a broader view of UCL and the courses it has to offer. We already have students from Neuroscience and other science subjects that have signed up to take part in this project, and we are open to ideas and suggestions to expand the Scrubs and Scalpels as much as possible.