Be realistic about your expectations when choosing a career in medicine

“First of all, I would recommend you really go into the field and explore it first-hand.

“Wanting to do medicine and wanting to do medicine after shadowing a physician, or volunteering at care homes, are two completely different mindsets.

“I have seen too many dropouts from medicine because it was so different from what they expected. Being a doctor is not as straightforward as TV shows, so my first and most important advice is to get hands-on experience in the field you want to study in, no matter what aspect, but really observe and reflect the reality of being a doctor or in the medical field.”

Biomedical science is one of the broadest areas of modern science

“As for my advice for students or alumni considering the biomedical science field, this is more diverse.  I would recommend you explore the different aspects of biomedical science because it covers everything from diagnosing diseases to evaluating the effectiveness of treatment.

“Different universities offer different combinations of bioscience courses and some allow mixing of modules. So other than looking at which area of bioscience you are more passionate about, choosing a university that allows you to explore different modules is also going to be very helpful, especially when you don’t have much idea which area you are passionate about.”

What are the differences between Hong Kong and UK universities?

Learning style

“As I went to universities in both the UK (King’s College London) and HK (The University of Hong Kong), for Biomedical Science BSc and MBBS (Medicine) respectively, the main difference that hit me the most is definitely the learning style:

1)            HK universities seem to focus more on acquiring all the knowledge and learning a wide aspect around the topic, whereas UK universities focus more on understanding the content.

2)            Both schools have exam questions which require students to apply their knowledge, where UK is more on showing understanding and integration of knowledge, HK is more focused on information recalling and interpreting information on the spot.”

University life

“These differences may be biased as I took 2 different courses in the UK and HK, so I shall talk a little about university life below.

1)            In general, both universities are full of life, with many societies and sport clubs to join. It is a great place to meet new people and explore all aspects of university life.

2)            Certain societies in HK universities are more time-demanding in terms of promoting and participating in the events but UK societies seems to focus more on the social aspect, for me definitely less demanding and more enjoyable compared to HK :P

3)            People are way more diverse in the UK than in HK universities, the culture aspect is also more interesting in UK (as I am from HK myself).”

The most important thing to consider when going to university

“Lastly, I really just think no matter which university or where you end up at, be friendly, be explorative and be open about conversations, you will learn a lot about life no matter where you are!

“And I didn’t get into medical school in my first try, that is not the end of the world!!! Believe in yourself, work even harder, find more opportunities, you will eventually get what you aim for!”

About Teenie

“I started in Concord College in 2013 and did Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Extended Project Qualification.

“Concord College gave me the best environment to learn and to engage in various college activities including being the house captain for Pankhurst and senior prefect in 2014-2015!

“The teachers, the staff, the food, the students and the facilities, were all super on point, and I have made friends that will last a lifetime. I still keep in touch with the College since graduating 6 years ago, and I can’t wait to visit again when I am back in the UK!”

If you are a current student at Concord or a Concord alumni and would like to know more about choosing a career in medicine or biomedical science at a UK or HK university, you can connect with Teenie on the Concord Alumni Network.