Interview With Georgia Porter

Could you describe a typical day studying Medicine in Oxford?

The actual hours spent in lectures, practicals, and seminars differ day to day, but I’m invariably subjected to a 9am start. We normally have a lecture or two, followed by a 2 hour lab (think biology practicals, but a bit more advanced) or a session in the dissection lab, the latter of which is definitely my favourite. That takes me to lunch, which I normally have in college, and then I’ll either have a tutorial (small group teaching session with an expert in the field) or do a few hours of work on an essay for the next tutorial. If I’m feeling especially keen I might read ahead and prep for a tutorial in the evening, but most of the time I go out with friends or go to an event.

Weekends are lecture-free (!), so I tend to get up a bit later, have brunch in hall with my college friends, and then spend the afternoons working in one of the many beautiful Oxford libraries before taking the evening off.

How do I know if Medicine is for me?

Liking human biology and getting on with people are pretty good indicators that medicine might be a decent fit for you. In terms of suitability, I would also suggest taking some time to seriously consider whether you’re willing to put in the time and effort required. It sounds a bit ridiculous - everyone knows medicine is hard - but it’s a very long degree and an even longer career path. There are much easier degrees, easier jobs, that don’t monopolise your time and wreak havoc on your social life, so just make sure that you aren’t going into it blind. That being said, I love my degree and I think I’m going to adore being a doctor: it isn’t for everyone, but if it suits you, it can be the best thing in the world.

I would also recommend exploring the field yourself - I think that’s the only way to get a real idea of whether or not you’ll like it. Do work experience, speak to doctors, read about the career - take every available opportunity to immerse yourself in the world you think you might want to enter.

What should I wear to uni interviews?

Well my interviews were all online - the joys of covid - so I just wore my school shirt and trackies, but I think I’d recommend going a little more formal in person! The advice is pretty similar for all interviews: smart casual, leaning towards the smarter side if you’re in doubt. My go to is long trousers or a skirt (typically in darker colours) with a shirt.

Medicine’s obviously a very content heavy undertaking. What strategies do you employ to get information into your head and keep it in there- in other words, what’s your method of choice for studying?

Spaced repetition and active recall are proven to be highly effective study methods (Ali Abdaal has some really good YouTube videos explaining what exactly those terms mean and going through a bunch of studies to show how well they work), so I try to do that wherever possible. In school I used to make a lot of very pretty notes and whilst those looked amazing, I’ve found that “blurting” - writing down everything you can remember on an empty page and then checking it against your original notes to see what you forgot - works far better for me. My friends and I also test each other a lot and every medic I know is heavily dependent on mnemonics for obscure anatomy.

What, in your opinion, is the most exciting/consequential development that’s happened lately in Medicine?

With the speed at which medicine is progressing, I think it would be impossible to pick just one. I imagine everyone’s probably heard of the mRNA vaccine breakthrough because of the pandemic, but the past few years have also seen the development of the first FDA-approved treatment for Ebola, a vaccine for P. falciparum malaria, a revolutionary new ACL repair technique, and so many novel gene therapies that I couldn’t even begin to list them. I’m sure there are hundreds of other recent medical innovations that I’ve either not heard of or whose potential has not yet been fully realised, but that’s the wonderfully fickle nature of medicine: it’s constantly advancing, constantly changing, and you don’t have a cat in hell’s chance of keeping up with it.

What was your favourite A-Level Subject at school and why?

Hmm, that’s a tough one. I’m torn between biology and philosophy. I think I enjoyed philosophy more consistently - I loved every module we studied - whereas biology was more of a mix. Anything relating to animals, I completely adored. Plant biology and ecology on the other hand, were the bane of my existence.

Who was your favourite teacher at school?

Oh nice try, but I live in Oundle and have to risk bumping into all of my old teachers whenever I come home - no way am I picking favourites.

Dogs or cats?

Argh… Both? Sorry I know that’s a bit of a cop out - I really do love both, but I guess I should probably say dogs because I’ve got two at the moment. (German shepherds, Max and Bea, adorable.)

What’s one achievement you’re most proud of?

I think it would have to be getting my diploma in tenor horn (brass instrument if you’ve never heard of it) whilst doing all of my medical interview prep. I remember being really stressed at the time because I had to take my diploma the day before my interview for KCL, so the lead up to that was rather stressful, but thankfully both went well!

Medicine’s obviously very tough. How do you get through those low points that are simply a fact of life?

Commiserating with everyone else! That sounds a bit depressing, but just chatting to other people going through the same thing is so reassuring. I found the build up to prelims (first year exams) extremely stressful, but talking to other medics/first years makes you realise that everybody feels just as out of their depth as you do! I also facetimed my Mum quite a lot and made sure to take breaks frequently - giving yourself a few hours here and there to read, grab coffee with friends, go to socials, etc. makes you feel so much better and gives you something to look forward to during those long library hours!

Where would you like to live and work after graduating, and why?

My plan at the moment - and don’t hold me to this because I’ll probably change my mind 20 times - is to finish up in Oxford, do my two foundation years in London, and then hopefully do a year or two of emergency medicine in Australia. It’s actually pretty common for British junior doctors to take a year or so out of their training at that point and a decent amount end up in Australia. After that, I might join MSF or come back here - not sure!

iPads or laptops?

An iPad with a keyboard or a laptop with a touchscreen - best of both worlds.

What are some of your favourite books?

Oh, what a question. “Burntcoat” - Sarah Hall, “Mountains Beyond Mountains” - Tracy Kidder, “Nausea” - Sartre, “Cat’s Cradle” - Vonnegut, “Lolita” - Nabokov, “The Bell Jar” - Sylvia Plath, “Strange the Dreamer” - Laini Taylor, “Conversations with Friends” - Sally Rooney “The Method” - Juli Zeh… I could go on, but I doubt you’re reading this article for my literary recommendations.

Who do you most look up to and why?

If we’re talking about people I actually know, it would have to be my Mum. I know it’s a bit cliche, but she’s so incredibly kind, compassionate, and hardworking. Every colleague or patient I’ve met has gone out of their way to tell me just how wonderful she is as a doctor and a friend, which I think speaks to her character more than anything I could possibly say.

As to people in general, the first person that springs to mind is Dr Paul Farmer. I read his biography a few years ago (“Mountains Beyond Mountains” - Tracy Kidder) and immediately found myself both mildly obsessed and majorly inspired. After spending time in Haiti during his gap year, he went to study medicine at Harvard and then devoted his life to bringing modern medicine to the poor, first in Haiti, then expanding internationally. He wrote prolifically on global health inequity and revolutionised the treatment of multidrug-resistant TB through his work in Peru and Russian prisons. Just seems like a really cool guy.

Fiction or nonfiction?

Fiction 99% of the time, but I do read the odd medical biography/pop science book.

Finally, what would you like to say to the reader?

Thanks for reading! If you’re thinking about studying medicine, I hope I’ve helped you get a firmer idea of what it’s like. If not, hope you enjoyed the read regardless. Good luck with applications and I promise you it’s worth all the work in the end!