Undergraduate /
Personal Statement for Biomedical Science (UK admission) [4]
I amaze myself.
As I sit writing, I am aware of the minute muscles under my skin, contracting and relaxing in perfect synchronisation. Tiny blood vessels carry oxygen to the very last cells of my fingertips. Microorganisms happily roam my body, multiplying, colonising. I am alive.
How is it that my body can do all these things? How come some other people's bodies cannot? For answers to questions like these and many more, I turn to biomedical science. It is fascinating and humbling all at once to learn about the human body. I want to know more, to understand myself better, and to try and discover something of life itself.
I want to help others with this knowledge, especially those in developing countries like my own. All around me, I see people suffering from diseases like dengue and cholera. It makes me wonder- what can I do to help? I think that the answer lies in the phrase 'knowledge is power'. With greater understanding of the human body and its immunological interactions with its parasites, I will be one step closer towards helping people live better lives.
Besides immunology, I am also interested in neuroscience and pharmacology. I had an opportunity to study both of these topics as part of my A2 Biology and Chemistry courses. To explore these topics in greater depth, I read Tony Buzan's 'Brain Child' and John Playfair's 'Living with Germs'. The latter fascinated me with its story of the malarial parasite. How can we ever hope to defeat something that continuously alters its appearance?
Other constraints towards developing an effective malaria vaccine include limited funding for research. My A Level Economics course has helped me appreciate why it is unprofitable for companies to invest in vaccine development. With my unique combination of A Level subjects, I believe I am better equipped to look at today's problems from a range of perspectives, which is crucial to understanding the complex and interrelated issues that we face.
I enjoy reading science fiction. It opens up my mind to the countless possibilities that science can offer. For almost two years now, I have been working as a staff writer for the youth supplement of an English language daily. This taught me how to prioritise my work, and has improved my writing and investigative skills- all of which are invaluable tools for someone who eventually wants to carry out research. I have attended two Biochemistry Olympiads, and have thoroughly enjoyed learning about how current techniques can be applied in innovative ways to solve problems. I am part of my school's basketball and debate teams, and have successfully represented them in interschool competitions.
Last November, I was competitively selected for a four month long leadership training course run by the Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center. As part of the 'community service' component of the course, my team organised health camps for an underprivileged community. We talked to local doctors and identified the major diseases prevalent in the area. Based on this information, we conducted awareness campaigns to help reduce preventable diseases in the community. This was an immense learning experience for me. Besides improving my communication and teamwork skills, it helped me gain an understanding of the increased risk of disease that the underprivileged are vulnerable to.
The UK, with its world-class education system, and its particular strength in the medical sciences, will be the ideal place for me to continue my studies. It will equip me with the skills I need to tackle today's challenges head-on. I have seen how my father's education in the UK has given him a greater understanding of today's world, and I hope to benefit from the same. At the same time, living independently in the UK is something that I look forward to.
I am excited at the prospect of facing the challenges of higher education, and I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to play my role in helping the world gain a better understanding of the human body.
