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| Harriet and her Labrador, Jelly. |
Harriet, what were your matric subjects and how many A’s did you get?
Maths, English, Afrikaans, Biology, Science and Art - 5A's and 1 B
Wow you're a genius! ;) How did you get into medicine?
I was provisionally accepted in Standard 9.
I did a lot of community service and involved myself in as many activities as I could at school. I was a prefect, head of house, I did hockey and lots of art activities.
I think my real advantage was that I won an art scholarship to The Design School. I stipulated this in my application and argued that I already had a future in art secured and paid for, but I would still choose medicine over it any day.
Try doing debating, art, sports and lots of community service to get into medicine. Route for youself in your application and point out why you are different from the other applicants.
Ok, enough of the admin lets get into the important stuff!;)What are your favourite beauty & makeup products?
In terms of beauty products I love Dermalogica's Dermal Clay Cleanser, you can use it as a mask or a cleanser and it makes your skin so smooth and spot free + their Multivitamin Power Firm for eyes it great! When it comes to makeup I love almost anything from MAC. Especially their 'Peaches' blush, it looks great on sallow skin tones. I also love their Dazzleglass lipglosses, which make you look pretty and fresh even with minimal makeup. 'Naked Lunch' is the perfect eyeshadow shade for a natural look.
I'm obsessed with 'Naked Lunch' too - actually I think you were the one who introduced me to it! Any skin care regimes?
I use a combination of Neutrogena and Dermalogica, but I want to get into Restylane products longterm to prevent my skin from ageing.
Sudocrem is an amazeballs must have for any girl! It's a zinc based cream that heals just about anything from sunburn to spots and small scratches. I put it on every night before bed on trouble zones and they are clear by morning.
Restylane is the business and Sudocrem a MUST-HAVE for the odd breakout agreed!
Where are your favourite shops in JHB?
Rozanne and Pushkin in Rosebank the Zone - they always have adorable little dresses! I also love Jenni Button's sleek elegant looks. I have to say that my most favourite shop ever is Zara, which is coming out sooooooooon in JHB! Bye bye savings!
Books you love: (IE WHY MEN LOVE B&*#$%)
'Why Men Love Bitches' - it's an essential on every girl's bookshelf. Get it. You'll thank me!
Favorite restaurant, bar and club?
I love Thomas Maxwell in Parkmore, really rich yummy food! Corner Cafe in Craighall is great for lunch or a light supper as well, great cozy atmosphere. I like going to The Office for a drink on a friday night or sometimes The Baron on Fredman to meet up with friends. Don't have a favourite club at the moment! I wish I could take the people that used to go to Manhattan, put them in Clapham and get the DJ from Tokyo Star!
So I know you love baking, tell me, what do you like to bake the most?
I love baking cupcakes and desserts like Lemon Meringue Pie or Tiramisu. I have Martha Stewart's Cupcake book which I luuuuuurve. Baking is such a great hands-on creative outlet.
Medicine is very demanding, how do you de-stress?
I walk my dogs in the park near my house and sometimes I go there by myself and sit on the swings. It's very peaceful being in nature and in silence after the craziness of the hospitals. Otherwise I listen to meditations on my ipod or sit and draw. Vampire Diaries is also a great destressor ;)
I try and keep medicine out of the other areas of my life so I spend time with non-medical friends and have other interests outside of medicine. Otherwise I would go crazy! The most important thing to me is having fun and not taking myself too seriously!
You’re in a great relationship but have such a busy life, any relationship tips?
It's hard studying medicine and being in a relationship sometimes because my time is so limited. Holidays and events are always limited by calls and studying so it can be frustrating for both my boyfriend and myself. I often feel guilty about it, but my boyfriend is supportive and understanding.
We try to make the time that we have together really good by constantly reminding each other why we love each other and keeping the romance alive. We set aside date nights at least once a week where we can reconnect after a stressful week.
It's easy to fight a lot when you get stressed out, but it's even easier to say sorry and move on swiftly, especially when you know that what you fighting about is silly. It's really important that the person you are with accepts that your time is limited and your life is stressful when you are a med student and that they support you fully.
Okay lets get back to the medical stuff. You’re a straight A girl how do you study, talk me through this step by step.
It really depends on how much time I have. So if I have:
A month to 2 weeks before - I would summarise my lecture notes or text book notes onto A2 size paper. Usually I summarize one weeks worth of stuff onto one side of the A2 paper and the next week on the back etc. This way when I need to remember something I think about where it is on the page in my mind.
I draw pictures next to my notes and use different colours. It really helps me to use visual stimulation to remember things. I make up weird stories about drugs and syndromes. The best way to study is by using as much of your brain as possible to process the information, that way you make lots of connections. Making up weird stories and drawing little pictures uses your right brain, the normal writing etc uses your left brain.
I will go over my summaries maybe 3 times before the exam.
The way to really test yourself is to teach someone else the material (even if it's your dog). Saying something out loud means you are seeing it, saying it and hearing it - using more of your brain.
A few days - the day before - this is when it really helps to have someone you can study with. Teach each other and also make up crazy stories. Say everything out loud and repeat the important stuff. If something's really tricky make a post it and keep coming back to it. There's no time for making notes at this point, so keep it verbal and make the assosciations and stories really imaginative.
Any advice for people wanting to study medicine?
First of all decide if this is really what you want to do! It's very stressful, not just because of the volumes of information, but also very emotionally stressful. Be prepared to feel stupid and belittled almost all the time, doctors are hard on other doctors and especially on students.
You will cry, A LOT. Be prepared to see death, suffering, violence and sadness and know that in many cases there is nothing you can do about it.
Be prepared for your marks to be way lower than they were in school - everyone in your class is super bright now.
Be prepared to give up your social life to a large extent, not all your friends will understand when you turn down their 10th invitation because you are on call again. Medicine is not just a career, it becomes your life. Wherever you go you will be a doctor, people will need you and ask for your help and expect you to get it right. Dont do it for the money or the prestige - neither are worth it!
If you are prepared for all of this and you know that this is what you really want to do and you want to dedicate your life to other people then go for it! It can be unbeliveably rewarding, academically and emotionally. The satisfaction of doing your first procedure or helping your first patient or just making someone's pain a little better is amazing. At the end of your life you will know that you made a difference, that you helped your fellow man.
Get your applications in early, really market yourself, get involved in sports, cultural events and do lots of community service!
Thanks so much for doing this interview with me dollface! xxx
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