Natasha Varshney

Natasha is pausing her MBChB studies in order to earn her Clinical Sciences MRes, before returning to complete her undergraduate course. When she graduates in just two years, she will have both undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications as well as wealth of experience in research.

I'm quite academically orientated, which is why I wanted to pursue research - I'm a bit of a lab nerd! I saw intercalation as an excellent opportunity to earn my Masters now, before life had the chance to turn into a bit of a rollercoaster.

I know I want a career that combines academic work with clinical work, and Liverpool gave me the opportunity to earn my Masters during my undergraduate studies. Eventually I know that I want to do my PhD as well, and be 'Dr squared'! This is a great step in the right direction.

In my second year, I chose a lab-based project in Ophthalmology. My mum always says ‘when you don't understand something, work at it twice as hard’ and earlier in the MBChB programme, looking at the eye, it had always been demanding - so I chose to pursue Ophthalmology to challenge myself. I studied eye and vision under Dr Victoria Kearns and I loved it; it led me to really appreciate the eye, and appreciate research.

I was on placement at Alder Hey when I saw cataracts being removed from a baby during surgery.

From that day, I have been convinced that I want to become a Paediatric Ophthalmologist, and Liverpool is definitely the place to be for ophthalmology. We have an excellent eye unit in St Pauls Liverpool Royal, which is cutting edge for research and innovation.

Choosing to intercalate

The question to intercalate is something every younger year student is asking – ‘should I intercalate, what are the benefits, I need the points etc. etc’. I knew that I wanted to intercalate about halfway through fourth year, so it was quite late in the game. In fact, I submitted my application to a week before the closing date! This was too good of an opportunity to let go.

The first steps I took were to talk it through with my parents. They wanted to make sure I was intercalating for the right reasons, and we talked it through. I knew that this is what I wanted to do.

My main point of contact was the Year 4 Student Administrator at the School of Medicine, and she also put me in contact with the Clinical Sciences department. I also contacted my old Supervisor from my Opthalmology project who was absolutely delighted I was choosing to intercalate and she lined up some great projects for me.

I filled in all the forms and it was provisionally confirmed a month later. Then after receiving my results from my finals, it was officially confirmed. I'm really looking forward to starting the Masters programme in a couple of weeks.

Choosing Liverpool

At the University of Liverpool, there are so many new, and different research projects. Liverpool is like a little bubble of innovation where everyone is full of ideas and so supportive of each other, and willing to work with you to facilitate your best ideas. Particularly within the medical field, we have a fantastic hospital right next door, so a lot of our clinical research work is in partnership. Close relationships with these great, local, hospitals is one of the reasons why I chose to intercalate in Clinical Sciences. 

I’m from Kent, which is a very rural part of England. I chose to study in Liverpool because I wanted a taste of the exotic Northern life and - this may sound like a really silly reason - but a lot of people in my family support Liverpool Football Club!

Liverpool is such an amazing place – it is a city with so many different ideas, new ways of thinking, new ways of doing things. I find really refreshing and it broadens your mind so much.

Rural Kent is lovely but really quite small, I am of Indian heritage and I was actually one of the few people from foreign ethnicities in my town. Then I came to Liverpool and there are so many different races, different sexualities, different languages here, it's amazing; just like a melting pot for so many different parts of the world.

A lot of people thinking London has it going down but actually Liverpool is where it’s at! 

Winning the Wolfson Award

When I was choosing to intercalate money was a consideration, and I decided to apply for a scholarship.

I heard about the Wolfson Award from the School and I had a lot of encouragement. Wolfson is a Trust Foundation supporting research, they only have about 30 places for medical students across the whole country providing £5000 to help each student towards their research. It is incredibly competitive, with about ten applications for every post available.

Once I submitted my application, I didn't think much about it until I got an email from our Dean saying ‘You've won’!

Liverpool School of Medicine actually did quite well, three of us got the award this year. Clearly there's something in the water.

Words of wisdom

If you are considering medicine, you have to be sure you are committed. You might be at university longer than your friends, you'll see them graduate and get jobs - maybe a lot sooner than you, and maybe not, but you have to prepared for that possibility. You also have to be able to deal when things don't always go to plan, you have to be resilient. If you are prepared to take that on, you will find you have so much support from your friends, from your University, from everyone. It makes it all manageable.

What makes all of this worth it for me is a situation I imagine, if you're on a plane or in a supermarket and someone says 'Is there anyone here that is medically trained?' over the tannoy. And it's you. You can actually stand up, and go and help, and potentially save someone's life no matter where you are, you can do that every day.

Medicine might be hard but it's worth it. I think it is the best way to serve humanity. You really do make a difference.