Published on 21 September 2021
A sixth form student aiming to become a surgeon had his first taste of a medical career at a virtual work experience event organised by East Kent Hospitals.
Mirza Amsaar Baig spent a week learning about services at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital, including robotic surgery, as well as what makes a good doctor and the importance of research.
The programme was the first to be held virtually by the Trust and allowed students to explore the different careers available within medicine in a Covid-safe way.
The 16-year-old Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys student said: “I learnt a lot from the virtual work experience and it has cemented my ambition to follow a career in medicine.
“Being able to watch robotic surgery was a highlight and there were also a lot of useful tips about how to apply to medical school and what to include in a personal statement.
“I would like to be a hand transplant surgeon, which is a highly specialised discipline with fewer than 10 centres performing the surgery globally.”
Mirza Amsaar has already created a battery-operated robotic model of a hand that was displayed at a school science fair, demonstrating the different functions of a hand and why a hand transplant would be better than a prosthetic hand.
He is also planning to organise a charity event with a keynote lecture from a top transplant surgeon.
Susan Kennedy, Associate Director of Medical Education, said it was always a privilege for the Trust’s consultants and staff to be able to inspire the doctors of the future.
She said: “Although the coronavirus pandemic meant we could not physically welcome students onto our sites this year, our consultants were keen to put something in place for the medics of the future.
“We expect to be running our physical MedStart4U programme for school students as usual in 2022.
“I’m pleased to hear Mirza Amsaar found the experience so valuable and hope we will be able to welcome him back to the Trust as a junior doctor in the future.”
For more information about work experience opportunities at East Kent Hospitals visit https://www.ekhuft.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/work-here/work-experience/
Find Mirza Amsaar’s YouTube channel here.
