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“Ever since I was a little child, I knew I wanted to be a doctor”.
That’s one of the most frequently written phrases in the per-
sonal statements destined for the medical schools. That was not
the case for me. I didn’t know I wanted to be a doctor until the
beginning of the 6th form, when I realised that my ability to
work with new technology, or rather my lack of it, wouldn’t get
me too far with a course like engineering. Thus, the only viable
alternative in my mind was medicine.
In retrospect, I think that my hesitation to dedicate myself to
medicine, ironically, made me a good candidate for the course.
One of my main worries about choosing a course like medicine
was that I would have to let go of a part of me that was not
“consistent” with what being a medical student entailed. Even
though chemistry was one of my favourite lessons, with our
love-and-hate relationship evolving throughout the years, I was-
n’t prepared to let go of my love for history, debating and pub-
lic speaking. Thus, I never let anything the school provided slip
through my fingers. Even if that was MUN conferences in the
Hague, world debating competitions in Australia or EYP confer-
ences in Croatia, I was always one of the first people to apply,
even though this meant missing about one week of school each
time. Even though medicine was always a possibility at the back
of my head, I didn’t let that one decision define all the rest dur-
ing my school years.
Rather it was the other way round. It was all these decisions, all
these activities I got involved in, in the last six years that shaped
who I became; that shaped the person that sat opposite those
interviewers at three different medical schools in the last six
months. Even though not all three interviews were successful,
I was very proud leaving all three medical schools a er my in-
terview. Not because I knew the answers to all the questions,
nor because I thought I had done exceptionally well. Simply be-
cause I knew I was confident and calm enough to be exactly
who I wanted to be. This is something I gained from my public
speaking experiences. When you are asked to speak in front of
three hundred people supporting a resolution written in three
or four hours in an EYP session, it seems like a much easier task
to convince three interviewers of your skills and passion for the
course of medicine. Realistically it isn’t to be completely honest.
But all that matters is that you enter the room of the interview
with confidence, feeling as prepared as possible.
I don’t know what being a medical student entails. I don’t think
anyone does until they are there. All I know is that I feel as pre-
pared as possible to take on such a task considered by many to
be a pretty hard one: finishing medical school. And the reason
I feel as prepared as I do is precisely all these experiences I have
gained, all these stimuli I have been exposed to during my
school years. I had the chance to learn from some of the best
teachers, to meet some of the most amazing people who be-
lieved in me and my abilities, to travel, to speak, to write, even
to sing and act. All these things, I believe, or rather I want to
believe, have prepared me for medical school. Now the only
thing le is to use the revision skills I have gained throughout
the last seven years in order to get the grades of my conditional
offer. That is why I am keeping this short and concise, since re-
vising chemistry is a never-ending process. Something I am not
looking forward to for next year, but I guess all good things
come with sacrifices. And this is a very small sacrifice to make
for such a great reward.
Doctor
in the
Making
“I don’t know what
being a medical
student entails. I
don’t think anyone
does un l they are
there. All I know is
that I feel as pre-
pared as possible to
take on such a task”
Elena - pictured here at EYP - one of the many ac vi es she has enjoyed while at school
25
Elena-Aprilia Antoniou is one
of several students poised to
begin medical school in Sep-
tember. She takes me off her
Chemistry revision to reflect on
the last seven years and pon-
der the next chapter of study.
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