Architecture VS Medicine
Hey ArchiDabblers!
This week's post is part of our Student VS Student series, where we are collaborating with Edagul Ulucay, a medical student studying at Imperial College London. We hope you enjoy this post!
Q1 - Brief introduction about yourself
Elif: Hi! My name is Elifnur and I am a third year BA Architecture student studying at the University of Westminster. I am one of the co-founders of Archidabble and the Vice President of Westminster Architecture Society (WAS).
Edagul: My name is Edagul and I am a fifth year medical student at Imperial College London. I completed my BSc in Gastroenterology and Hepatology and I’m currently undertaking an intercalated PhD at Imperial. I am the Trauma Chair of Imperial College Surgical Society and Publicity Officer of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Society.
Q2 - Is your course accredited?
Elif: Yes! My course is accredited by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) and validated by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
Edagul: Yes, medical courses at all universities have to be checked, approved and accredited by the General Medical Council (GMC).
Q3 - How long is your course, and what do you need to do to become qualified in the profession?
Elif: The course I am currently studying (BA Architecture) is to gain my Part 1 qualification which is three years long. This is followed by a compulsory year out working, to gain practical training and then another two years of education to complete Part 2, which is Masters. Shortly after graduating you have to complete another compulsory year of practical training and a period of part-time study in order to prepare for the final Part 3 exam. Once all three parts are complete you qualify to register as an architect with RIBA and the ARB in the UK.
Edagul: Medicine is a five-year course. However, depending on where you study it may be six as some universities have an optional or compulsory BSc year. At Imperial there is a compulsory intercalated BSc year (this is your fourth year), resulting in a six-year course. In addition, some students may be offered a PhD position during their medical education where you can take three years out to get involved in research and then you complete 5th and final year. Therefore the medical course + intercalated BSc year + PhD results takes nine years. This is the path I will be taking. Following completion of your medical training, you apply to the UK Foundation Programme where you receive your license to practice as a foundation doctor. This is a two-year programme, which all doctors have to undertake to qualify as a junior doctor.
Q4 - How did you find the transition between each year?
Elif: Personally, I found the transition between first and second year to be much more difficult than the transition from sixth form to university. Second year for me was much more intense, with bigger expectations and skill levels, whereas first year gave me the opportunity to find my strengths and weaknesses as well as time to understand which design process suits me best. Second year has definitely been more demanding in the level of skill required to complete the project as well as the intensity of each module on its own, where in comparison to first year, it has definitely felt more like an exponential learning curve.
Edagul: This is a difficult question to answer, not only because the medical training varies between different universities but also because, with time universities adapt and improve their teaching and therefore a lot can change in a couple years. For me, the first two years were preclinical which meant that most of our time was spent in lectures, group teaching, and dissection and anatomy labs. Third year is spent almost entirely in hospitals with three rotations: Medicine, Surgery and GP. Our 4th year, as I’ve mentioned previously, is an intercalated BSc. The final two years are also clinical and are spent on various rotations within different hospitals, key specialties include: Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Psychiatry, Orthopaedics and Oncology.
Q5 - How are you assessed each year?
Elif: The course is completely graded on coursework. Unlike other degrees, we don’t sit any timed exams. In both first and second year, there are multiple modules that we have to complete, where the majority of our submissions are in portfolio formats. First year consists of two design modules, submitted as two portfolio submissions, sketchbook studies which is another portfolio submission, digital skills which require a few task submissions, history of architecture (individual workbook & essay) and technical studies which requires a model and orthographic drawings. Similarly, second year consists of two design modules, again with two portfolio submissions, environmental design portfolio submission, detailed design study, a site diary, and a history module (presentation, group workbook and essay).
Edagul: In our first two years, we are almost solely assessed using exams including a research write-up in each year, which is an assessment completed over a period of time. In 3rd year, we have a written exam, which covers everything and an OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination), which is a practical examination. In our 5th year, we have two written exams, one covering pathology and the other covering all specialties, and a practical exam, which is similar to but more difficult than the OSCEs, called PACES (Practical Assessment of Clinical Examination Skills). Our final year consists of more written exams.
Unlike other years, my BSc year is based on coursework alone (unless you are completing your BSc in Bio-engineering or Management). You have to complete five coursework and two presentations. The final coursework and presentation is a research project undertaken in the last three months of the year. At the end of your presentation, you are then questioned by Professors and Doctors with regards to your project.
Q6 - What does a typical week in your life look like?
Elif: A typical week of university is very packed. My timetable does change slightly between first and second semester, but regardless they are both pretty intense. An example of a normal week consists of technical and history tutorials + lectures all throughout Monday, design studio twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday from 11am - 4pm, followed by additional lectures for the technical module on Thursday and Friday evening. Outside of timetabled hours, I spend most of my time working on my design modules and for the first semester, I spent time watching and writing reviews from pre-recorded lectures for my history group workbook. Aside from university work, I try to schedule some outdoor cycling, reading and time to edit and post on Archidabble.
Edagul: My days can vary quite a bit and especially as I’ve progressed through medicine, where the early years were mostly spent in the library and the latter years in the hospital. At the moment I’m undertaking a PhD, and therefore my time is spent in the labs, journal clubs, lab meetings and reading literature. As Trauma Conference Chair, I am organising the next conference with the Trauma committee, which takes up quite a bit of my time and on some weekends I am a vaccinator. In addition, I enjoy playing the piano and so put time aside everyday to practise and improve. Lastly, I try to keep a couple hours free everyday to relax, spend time with family or catch up with friends.
Q7 - What excites you the most about the course you’re studying?
Elif: The part which excites me the most on my course right now has to be the orthographic development of a project and being able to review all the hard work at the end of the year. I personally love to draw up orthographic’s, as much as it is very time consuming there's a certain satisfaction when you look at your first draft and your post production finished version.
Edagul: However odd it may sound to non-medics, my favourite part is just being in hospital and around patients. Being able to observe and assist in surgeries and applying all the scientific knowledge we have learnt to patients in a clinical setting are the most exciting aspects for me.
Q8 - Do you have specific career or further education plans in mind?
Elif: The career path I would like to undertake is to finish all 7 years of architecture education to become a qualified architect in the UK. As of right now I would like to gain experience not only through different companies but also in different parts of the world, to later in life settle with my own firm. Having said this I do think that you can never say for sure as we don’t know about the opportunities that might occur and take us on a different path in our careers.
Edagul: Currently I am starting my three-year PhD, which is very exciting and a fantastic opportunity! Once I have completed my medical training, I would like to apply to the Academic Foundation Programme (AFP), which is similar to the two-year Foundation Programme I previously mentioned, however it consists of a three-month block on research. I would like to become a clinical academic in the future and to pursue a career in general surgery.
Q9 - What is the value of networking for you and what types of opportunities does your course open you up to?
Elif: Networking is crucial in the architecture community. Connecting with students, architects and architecture firms is important as it can pave the way for opportunities, discussions and access to supportive resources. The university sets up frequent networking events throughout the year, however I also use my LinkedIn profile and my architecture Instagram @elifnur_ulucay to connect with others.
Edagul: Similarly to architecture, networking is very important in Medicine in order to gain experiences and research opportunities. By this I mean networking amongst medical students as well as doctors and professors. There are many opportunities to network at university, you can take part in societies, attend conferences and even meet doctors during your placements.
Q10 - How have your studies been affected by COVID-19?
Elif: The main aspect of my course which has been affected is the 1-1 in-person tutorials & crits, part of our design studio, and the access to the fabrication lab, which would have been used to make models. Aside from missing out on these, lockdown rules and studying from home has resulted in the absence of studio culture, which has created an emphasis on feeling isolated, making it much more difficult to find motivation and maintain an efficient level of productivity. For me, COVID-19 affected my mental wellbeing which then affected my studies rather than it having a direct impact. Having said this, I have unfortunately also missed out on a huge study abroad opportunity to Australia which, without COVID-19, would have taken place for 4 months in the second semester.
Edagul: I have many friends who had to undertake day and night shifts in the hospital on top of their placements as a result of COVID-19, however as I was in my BSc year COVID-19 did not affect me very much and I believe that Imperial dealt with the restrictions quite well. My first term mostly consisted of lectures which were held remotely through zoom and therefore the pandemic wasn’t too much of an issue. My second term was group work and consisted of writing a literature review, however we held our meetings online and collated and edited what we wrote without any disruptions. Lastly, my research project took place in St Mary’s Hospital, however I did not have direct contact with patients. As I am a medical student and a healthcare worker I was able to undertake my project normally, with the necessary precautions (masks, sanitising hands, etc).
Along with the COVID-19 infection, came the COVID vaccines and therefore, as a medical student I was trained as a vaccinator and have undertaken shifts whenever possible. This, along with the time and money spent by staying at home for half the year, could be considered positives.
Q11 - Is there anything you do, outside of your course, to support your studies?
Elif: Outside of the timetabled specification, this year I have tried to attend extra lectures set up by the technical faculty at Westminster and academic sessions, held by the University, to help prepare me for my dissertation. Alongside this throughout the year I try to stay up to date with the architecture community through Archidabble and LinkedIn to make sure I'm making the most of resources available whether that’s an event, lecture or workshop. Something which I did this summer was a short internship, which really helps with experience but also with understanding just how different architectural education is to work life.
Edagul: Outside of studying and revising, I have written literature reviews (published papers can be accessed through PubMed) and gotten involved in research. This is highly beneficial, especially if you would like to pursue a career as a clinical academic. This also encouraged me to apply to the PhD programme. In addition to this, I completed a five-week cardiothoracic and vascular surgical placement (outside of my studies) in Turkey. I learnt many things and was able to improve on my surgical skills, observing and assisting in 40 surgeries. This was during the COVID pandemic last summer (2020) and overall I would describe it to be an amazing and fantastic experience to undergo.
Furthermore, I have attended multiple conferences, events and undertaken positions and roles in multiple societies. In my opinion, this is more important and useful for networking than supporting one’s studies.
Q12 - Summarise your course in 3 words and explain why.
Elif: There are a lot of words I could use to describe architecture but the three that sum it all up for me are demanding, gratifying and emotional. Architecture, as we all know, is a demanding degree with constant crits and submissions throughout the year. Not only is it academically challenging with difficult assignments and a want to constantly improve your skill set (software skills, drawing skills etc…), it can also be very demanding mentally. It’s gratifying because you get to look back on all the work you’ve accomplished throughout the year reflecting on the new design representations and skills you’ve acquired. I know that at the end of a project I feel proud of myself because I know the hardship that it took to get to that final stage.
Lastly, I would describe studying architecture as emotional. This may seem quite odd in comparison to the other words I’ve chosen, but as I’ve said before studying architecture is genuinely a roller coaster. Every time I feel as though I’ve experienced an emotion to the fullest, whether that’s feeling proud of the work I’ve created or feeling disappointed with an outcome I didn't expect, I seem to experience something else which makes me feel more emotional than the time before. In addition to this, I thought the word emotional was fitting as I love the course I study and the community which I am part of, despite the number of occasions which have ended in tears, and if I had to pick again I would still study architecture.
Edagul: This is a question that I had to think quite a lot about. There are so many words to describe medicine (rewarding, fun, helpless, life and death, caring and so many more) and yet no words came to me. I had to really think about how I would describe what medicine truly means to me and I can only describe it as exciting, challenging and inspiring. Exciting, because with medicine and research you are always learning, new developments take place all the time and some things are just very interesting and fun - this is especially true for surgery with me! Also, it’s exciting to not only see what’s happening in medicine and the new developments within this field, but also how it links and advances other fields, such as engineering, public health and architecture.
I chose challenging, because medicine is a commitment and requires responsibility as well as good time management, prioritisation and organisation skills. We are all aware that you have to undertake numerous exams not only as a medical student but also for many years as a doctor. In addition to this, as a medical student, doctor or healthcare worker, you are surrounded by mental and physical illness, pain and death and therefore there will be times when we are unable to help and this may be one of the most challenging feelings and experiences within medicine. Yes, medicine is a hard-working and difficult career, however it is also inspiring. We have many memories and experiences where even small moments are incredibly inspirational and this really allows you to appreciate all the little things in life.
Q13 - What are some of the biggest stereotypes of your course which, in your POV, aren't true?
Elif: The two main stereotypes which I’m sure almost every architecture student-to-be has heard is that we do not sleep and we do not have a social life. This is quite upsetting as I feel as though all-nighters and sleep deprivation has in a way been glamorized as a trendy thing to do, when in fact it's just really detrimental to your health. It is also a factor which is different for every individual. For example, personally in first year I pulled all nighters close to crits, whereas this year I made a conscious effort to reduce the number of late nights and only pull a few before submissions. Having said this I know students who have pulled triple the amount that I have but I also know people who have not pulled any, so it really is dependent on what you prioritise as a student and therefore not applicable to everyone in the architecture community.
As for the stereotype of having no social life, this is an even bigger misconception. Just like every other student we enjoy spending time with our friends and our family to do things which aren't to do with our course. Similarly to all nighters, you just have to be very good at managing your time and prioritising your work when you need to.
Edagul: There are quite a few stereotypes in medicine which are simply not true. The stereotype I believe to be the most misleading is that medical students don't have any free-time, they study day and night and don't do anything for fun. This isn’t true at all, yes we study quite a bit and maybe more so than some other courses, but there are definitely courses which require more studying. Also, it’s all about time management, you can definitely find time to hang out with friends or just relax and enjoy a hobby or simply catch up on your favourite shows by dedicating time to it.
Q14 - What advice would you give to aspiring or current students on your course?
Elif: The advice I would give to students going into first year would be to not worry, really enjoy this experience and get comfortable with knowing yourself e.g. what type of representations you like, what design process suits you best, what part of the design process you enjoy the most etc.. First year really is to get a good understanding in some of the foundations like orthographic drawing, precedent studies etc…
Throughout the years I would recommend making the most of the opportunities that come your way and also make sure to spend your free time in the summer months improving what you might have wished you could do during semester time. For example, for me this was getting experience at a firm and learning a software programme, which is going to be incredibly useful for final year. Lastly, just remember to be kind to yourself, it is good to set goals and try your best but as long as you are being lenient with yourself and without compromising your mental wellbeing.
Edagul: For preclinical medicine I would advise students to use active learning to learn content and revise, for example flashcards, past paper questions and teaching friends, instead of making notes. If you get stuck or don’t fully understand a topic, you can always re watch the lecture, look over the PowerPoint presentation, use older years’ notes or refer to a textbook. This is also true for clinical medicine: I would strongly advise using flashcards. Anki is a great software and for anatomy, Netter’s flashcards are great to learn content throughout the year and to use question books and question banks, such as Passmed. For aspiring medics, don’t buy any textbooks before starting med school. You can access a lot of the books through the library and most of the time students tend to buy more books than they need or use. When you start, just ask the older years which resources they would recommend!
We hope you enjoyed this week's post, looking at the differences between architecture and medicine as part of our Student VS Student series! Thanks to Edagul (@edagul_ulucay / Edagul_Ulucay) for giving us an insight into her degree. She also shared her thoughts on architecture students as an individual outside the archi-community over on our Instagram @archidabble so make sure to check it out! To stay updated follow us on Instagram at @archidabble and if you have any suggestions or questions that you would want us to include next time make sure to comment under our Instagram post or email us at dabbleenquiries@gmail.com.
