Medlink 2013- A worthwhile experience?

Last Christmas I  visited the Medlink conferences at Nottingham University, for any potential medics wondering what the experience offers or anyone with an interest I hope this gives a good overview.

The advertisement for Medlink on the website shows a smiling young person happily clutching a clip board, giving her best 'I love being a doctor' smile and the slogan 'The home of Future Doctors' is branded across the page. I personally think this is an awful way to advertise the experience, the website tries to sell it off as the must have experience for medical school application but the experience is nothing like that so don't be misled. 

Rather than being the home of future doctors Medlink is an experience which can help to show a few of the different sides to medicine and enrich your knowledge. There is bound to be a lot you will already know which is reiterated at you in the talks and if you are already certain medicine is for you and have a good knowledge of the career it may not be suitable for you. 

It's nice to meet other young people going through the same experience and hear about other people's thoughts and opinions but you can't help but feel did I just pay to hear overly enthusiastic people shout 'YOU WILL BE THE NEXT GENERATION OF DOCTORS!' at me? There is a slight feeling of being conned as you receive multiple talks from a man named James (with no medical degree) who shouts at you a bit and tells you to get off your lazy ass and actually do something for your application. At most points off each day someone will be trying to sell you something, guaranteed.

On the other hand there are moments when you'll be brought to the edge of your seat by passionate people from all sorts of medical areas, telling true stories of how they dealt with patients on the verge of death. It is these people that truly show you what the profession has to offer and the change you can make. In addition you receive talks from current medical students who give you a truthful idea of what it's like and talk a little more about the ups and downs of university life. 

The best bits:
-talks from a Helicopter rescue doctor and international aid worker
-meeting new people
-free stuff

The worst bits:
-people selling you the experience
-some talks are boring (but that's part of university life) and the information could easily be found online.

-Izzie