Student profile - Liam Cato

MBChB Medicine and Surgery student

What inspired you to study medicine?

I really want to help other people. I’ve always enjoyed helping people on computers or with difficult subject topics. I also enjoy challenges and problem solving. Through volunteer work at a care home and with a charity helping children from disadvantaged backgrounds, I was further challenged and enjoyed the interaction and satisfaction of helping people. All of these things inspired me to follow a career involving these things and Medicine fitted perfectly.

I also believe it is quite a special degree. As a medical student, you’ll be dealing with difficult topics and also interacting with patients pretty early on. You’ll also be expected to behave professionally as you would do later on in your career. It’s also a privilege, as a doctor, to be there for people when they really need someone’s help and to hopefully –but not always- make them better.

Why did you choose to study at the University of Birmingham?

I enjoyed the atmosphere at Birmingham when I visited, I liked the campus layout and everyone was welcoming and friendly. I also preferred that it was outside of a city, but close enough to hop on a train and be there in less than 10 minutes. I also chose it for its consistently good academic/student satisfaction performance for Medicine and was impressed with the layout of the Medical School and the continual investment going into it. The Medical school also has one of the biggest medical societies in the country (MedSoc) so I knew there would be plenty of opportunities for extra-curricular activities, sports and events. Something I’ve also found useful since starting is its good location in the middle of the country, useful for travelling to and from home in the inter-term breaks.

What do you like about the course?

Studying Medicine at Birmingham is really enjoyable and rewarding. I enjoy:

• Small Group Teaching sessions because you get to apply knowledge to a clinical scenario and ask questions to knowledgeable experts in their field.
• Anatomy. It’s very engaging and the prosection specimens are expertly dissected to help you understand 3D structures.
• General Practice days because I get to see and speak to real patients and put some of the medical theory from the lectures into action.
• The Medical student culture. Everyone is very friendly and respectful to one and other, and supportive when needed. It’s a very close knit group here (but that doesn’t mean you don’t make friends outside of medicine too!)
• You’re not just a face in a crowd. Something Birmingham medical school does particularly well is to make you feel welcome and supported. We have a great ‘family’ system composed of older years, younger years and a personal tutor so that you have contact with people at different stages in Medicine and someone always checking up on how you’re doing.

Overall, I think my favourite thing about Birmingham are the opportunities available to you. There are countless opportunities here to do what you want to do, learn new skills and get involved in different societies and organisations. 

What do you get up to when you're not in lectures or studying?

It’s certainly difficult to find free time as a Medical student but, when you do - you seem to enjoy it that bit more.

There are loads of social activities going on at Birmingham and the night-life is excellent.  The University’s Guild of Students run a number of events throughout the year to help people unwind and meet new people!

I also socialise through the many sports clubs and other societies at the University which put on their own events.