Aspiring Medical Students Practise their Presentation Skills

Aspiring medical students practised their research and presentation skills at the annual ‘Healthcare in the News’ meeting of DocSoc. Hosted by Harington School, Form 6/Year 12 pupils from both schools were tasked with researching a topical issue in the world of medicine, veterinary practice or dentistry in the UK, and then delivering a talk to their peers about their findings and opinions.

An important aspect of each talk was that the students had to deliver them without notes and without being accompanied by PowerPoint slides. This challenge is an important part of pupils’ preparation for their interview. Titles of talks included Nurse Lucy Letby, the Francis Report, the banning of the XL bully dog breed and demonstrations outside abortion clinics.

Dr Andrew Nicoll, Teacher of Biology and DocSoc Organiser, said, “The process of applying for medical courses is extremely rigorous, so preparing and delivering a talk without notes is excellent experience for aspiring medical students.”

Oakham School has run a Medical Society (DocSoc) for many years for pupils interested in applying for clinical courses at university, a programme enriched by the participation of similarly minded young people from Harington School. Other elements of the medical application process that the students will be practising this year include sitting a mock admission test and experiencing a formal practice interview.