From the outside, medicine can look like a straightforward career path: long years of study, specialisation, and eventually practice. But for students like Manaal, the journey begins much earlier, in the qualities they cultivate and the choices they make long before medical school. A scholarship-winning essay, a first taste of university life at Oxford, and the challenges of balancing ambition with self-doubt have all revealed the foundations she is laying. Her story shows that the making of a medic is less about a single decision and more about the building blocks of character, curiosity, and commitment.

Curiosity as a Starting Point

Medicine for Manaal has always been driven by curiosity. Even while preparing for her IGCSEs, she chose to dive deeper into the questions that fascinated her most. Her essay on the ethical dilemmas of gene editing wasn’t just a competition entry, it was a reflection of her desire to explore uncharted areas of science. “I talked about both the benefits and the negatives, because you need to think about it holistically,” she explains. That curiosity – the urge to see the bigger picture – is one of the first building blocks of her journey.

Tenacity Under Pressure

Few students would attempt an international essay competition while sitting their mock exams. Manaal did exactly that. Between revision sessions, she carved out the time to write and submit her essay, even entering alongside a friend as moral support. “I wasn’t really expecting anything out of it,” she admits, but her determination paid off with a 75% scholarship. The resilience to keep going despite time pressures and self-doubt is another essential piece in the making of a medic.

Medicine

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Student participating in a medicine summer programme
Ages: 15-18

Medicine

In-person

Explore cutting-edge medical science in Cambridge, home to...

Academic Insights
Provides a thorough introduction to diverse academic fields. Ideal for students beginning to contemplate their future academic paths and eager to explore various disciplines.
Student performing heart autopsy in a biology summer programme
Ages: 13-15

Adaptability in New Environments

Oxford was Manaal’s first summer school, and the leap could have been daunting. Yet she embraced the unfamiliar. The academic programme gave her a taste of every corner of medicine – from ethics to suturing – and she thrived in that diversity. She even fell in love with Oxford itself: “I wasn’t really set on studying in Oxford until after the course,” she says. Adapting to a new city, new friends, and new academic expectations showed her how essential flexibility is for anyone entering medicine.

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Learning Through Mentorship

Another building block came in the form of guidance. Her tutor, Dr Bhatt, shared candid stories of her own path, reminding students to keep an open mind. “I think I should not go into university with my mindset on what specialty I’m gonna do,” Manaal reflects. That willingness to listen and learn from those ahead of her is part of the foundation she’s laying – not just absorbing knowledge, but taking to heart the wisdom of experience.

Community and Collaboration

Medicine is not a solitary pursuit, and for Manaal, the friendships forged during her course were just as formative as the lectures. She describes evenings and weekends spent with peers from different subject areas as some of her happiest memories. They remain in close contact, a network of support that makes the long road ahead feel less daunting. Collaboration, empathy, and the ability to connect are vital to the profession – and they are already present in her story.

Determination to Continue

Perhaps the strongest block of all is determination. Before Immerse, Manaal admits she questioned whether medicine was really worth the sacrifices ahead: “I was telling my friends, I don’t even know if I want to do medicine anymore because it seems like it’s going to be so much work.” But by the end of the programme, her resolve was renewed. “If you’re passionate about something, you will see it through and put in the effort,” she concludes.

A Path Still in Progress

The making of a medic is never finished. It’s a construction project of character, choices, and chances taken. For Manaal, curiosity, tenacity, adaptability, mentorship, community, and determination already form the scaffolding. With Oxford now in her sights, those qualities are not just guiding her – they are shaping her into the kind of doctor she aspires to become.