Medicine at Graduate Level: Student Profile

After studying psychology with physiology, philosophy at undergraduate level, Abhishek Abhisheki enrolled on a fast-track medicine (BMBCh4) course at the University of Oxford.

Most days you’ll find him roaming the corridors of Oxford’s NHS hospital, talking with patients, working with medical staff or simply observing an operation.

In the final year of his medical degree, Abhishek is a ‘responsibility-free’ doctor, enabling him to go anywhere he likes in the hospital wards to see what is going on.

“The final three years are effectively an extended internship,” he says. “During this time I’ve had varying levels of responsibility, from being directly responsible for gathering information about a patient in order to direct their care, to being a complete observer.”

Cross-disciplinary background

Abhishek’s background is in psychology, along with physiology and philosophy – a program known as PPP. It’s a generalist cross-discipline degree enabling students to study both human thought and behavior. It has a good mix of arts and sciences and also allows the exploration of the interface between these areas of human activity.

The PPP program has also given Abhishek a good foundation from which to study medicine and further his knowledge of human beings.

“Medicine focuses more on the biological perspective but again with an understanding of the social aspect of healthcare. I was especially interested in the application of theoretical ethics to real-world situations, and the application of science to human experience. This isn’t the sort of thing you get taught in a medical degree it turns out, but you can still see it happening.”

In order to be accepted into the fast-track medicine program, Abhishek needed a life sciences degree and chemistry at A-level. He was also required to take an entrance exam that consisted of numeracy, critical evaluation of written material and reasoning skills.

Best job in the world?

In the interview, he needed to show off his communication skills, critical thinking, the ability to think on his feet and charisma. “Work experience was a necessity but I’d just got a job as a clinical support worker which helped my application a lot and also gave me material to talk about at the interview.”

The main attraction of a medical career for Abhishek is the opportunity he will have on a day-to-day basis to improve the lives of others. It will also enable him to use scientific methods in an intellectually and technically challenging way – something he’s really looking forward to doing.

“The final attraction of a medical career is that the UK has a social healthcare system that I believe to be morally necessary and must be defended from market forces – my participation helps with this.”

Abhishek’s combination of degrees has also equipped him for a wide range of very different careers – from a pharmaceutical company representative to a politician. “PPP is a fascinating degree and allows the student space and time to develop their understanding of people, society and science without demanding too much specialization.”

“Medicine is one of the last places where one can attempt to live an ethically sound life and not be a pauper. I’m studying and practising out of a sense of duty, but other motivations, such as status and financial reward are equally met. It’s the best job in the world.”