The first-year Med student aiming to inspire tomorrow’s doctors
By: Communications
Harrison Sherwell, a first-year medical student is keen to inspire the next generation with his journey to becoming a doctor at UEA, after being diagnosed with a brain tumour aged 10 - with the care he received motivating him to look after others.
We caught up with Harrison to talk about his experiences, his studies and his goals for the future.
Harrison said, “I guess I want to share my experience because I wanted to show children going through similar health issues like me that their goals can be achieved, and that their health issues don’t have to stop them from doing that.”
“I wouldn't say there was a particular moment that made me decide to study medicine, I think just the whole journey that I've been through - from consultants being really nice, the way they'd show empathy, they make you feel more at ease and that they were with you on the journey. I felt like I could add something to that if I did it, because I've got my own experiences, and from that I feel like I can use that to help out other children.”
“I took quite an interest in the medical facilities and care. That initially started my interest in science, and there was just the empathy that I felt for children going through the same situation as me, so studying medicine felt like it was perfect for me.”
Harrison decided to join UEA because of how personal his interview felt, saying, “When I first went to the interviews, I thought Leeds was potentially the one I wanted. But my other three interviews were mainly about grades and just basic interview questions and who can answer them the best. UEA’s interview process more tailored around the person and what they wanted out of me, and that made me think that this is probably the best choice for me.”
“I'm just looking forward to placements and interacting with people, being able to share that empathy and make people feel better about what they're going through to show that we’re not alone.”
Harrison is coming to the end of his first-term at UEA, settling into living on campus and his course, he said, “I'm kind of more just trying to get used to all the cooking and washing, I've got a good flat. They're all friendly, they're nice to get on with. I was quite nervous, obviously, that I'm maybe not socially as confident as most people, because I was quite ill when I was younger, it knocked my social confidence, but they’ve been really nice.”
In terms of how his course is going, Harrison has joined a ‘buddy-system’, saying: “I'm in MedSoc, and with MedSoc you get med ‘parents', and they can help you through your journey because they're a year ahead of you. You do a pub quiz where you meet your ‘parent’, so you get to know them that way, and I've also added mine on social media, so they’re there whenever I need them.”
Harrison’s main message to share is “Don't let an illness hold you back. Use it as inspiration. I have the mentality that I’ve been through a much harder experience than a lot of people, and that I can use that to push through, knowing I can do better to get to where I aspire to be.”