From a Medical Sciences BSc at Leeds to Medicine at Nottingham

Negin Nematiniaye Masooleh achieved excellent results in her A-levels at Kings Oxford before progressing to a Medical Studies degree at the University of Leeds. Having successfully completed that she is now at the University of Nottingham's medical school, where she has just begun a degree in Medicine.

We recently caught up with her to hear more about her time at both Leeds and Nottingham, the specific route she has taken to her Medicine degree, and of course the role that Kings played along the way!

Hi Negin. Why did you choose the University of Leeds and the Medical Sciences BSc specifically?

"During A-Levels, I was a bit indecisive on whether I wanted to do Medicine or not. I chose to study Medical Sciences at the University of Leeds because after researching the course I noticed that this was more of a broad course and I could tailor my degree to my own interests."

This allowed me to choose modules that were closely related to medicine (i.e. pathology) so I could gain more idea of what a medicine course entails.

What were the highlights of your time there?

The University of Leeds has a great research reputation and I can tell you that that is true.

"I can say the highlight of my time was actually doing my research project (dissertation) in my final year. I had an amazing time collaborating with surgeons in teaching hospitals around the UK and students from different disciplines."

Aside from the academic side, Leeds has a great international community which made me feel super welcome.

In what ways did your time at Kings best prepare for university?

The education system, in general, is completely different in my country compared to the UK. I think Kings prepared me for this and allowed me to know what I should be expecting once at the university.

What are you doing now that you have completed your BSc?

"After my first two years at Leeds, I was sure that I would like to pursue a career in medicine so I applied to medical schools. I did receive unconditional offers from the University of Southampton and the University of Nottingham."

I have joined the University of Nottingham medical school and am in the first year. Aside from studying medicine, I am continuing my collaboration with my dissertation supervisor (from the university of Leeds) to publish a paper together.

How did you choose your current university and what was the application process?

I applied through UCAS. This process was similar to what Kings did for me three years ago so I was quite familiar with it. After receiving the offers I chose Nottingham because of their very special way of teaching anatomy which is only done in a few medical schools around the UK.

What are you most enjoying so far?

I can not explain how much I am enjoying my course in words. It is definitely a really hard curriculum, even in the first semester, but it is amazing how much support there is for medical students at this university. I am definitely enjoying our case study sessions, where we discuss simple but real cases. These actually give us a taste of what it is like to make a diagnosis and I just find them really interesting.

How does the Medicine course differ most from Medical Sciences so far?

The main difference is that we have no more laboratory-based lessons here. I would say that medicine course is also going at a much faster pace compared to medical sciences. Another thing to mention is that Nottingham medical school is actually located in a teaching hospital so even going around the corridors you can see how professionals behave and talk which gives you an idea of how, you as a student, should be professional even though you are just a student.

Is there are a particular area of Medicine that you hope to focus on?

I am really interested in paediatrics and emergency medicine but once I talked to students in the above years they mentioned that they changed their minds once they did their rotations in different specialities and advised me to keep an open mind.

Are you pleased that you took this particular route to medical school, and what benefits do you think it offers international students in particular?

"Now that I look back I think this was the best route for me. I had enough time to make a decision that I am sure of. I had time to get more familiar with different things that universities have to offer and make an informed decision. I am quite happy with the route I undertook."

Is there any advice you'd give to Kings students considering studying Medicine at university?

I would say that take as much time as you want to make a decision that you are happy with and once you are sure you want to study medicine don't give up if you didn't get a place the first time around or the second time.

"The process of getting into medical school is not easy but it is definitely worth it so keep improving and applying until you get that "congratulations" email from your medical school."

Find out more about preparing for medical degrees with Kings