OR Gap Year

Eve Lownds (A’16)

Opening my results in August 2021 I had little idea of what the next year would hold while I re-applied to medicine. I never intended to have a break after leaving Repton but the disappointment of four rejections was a blessing in disguise. If I could go back, I would not change a thing.

Initially I obtained a student placement with the Mental Health Charity, The Charlie Waller Trust. In this role I went behind the scenes of the charity sector while also exploring my passion of mental health education. Concerts, sports events, and schools were just some of the places I visited to spread the message of Charlie Waller and support fundraisers. I learned more practical skills during this time too, including sorting data and proofreading mental health resources. Working both from home and in the office, my first job introduced me to the intricacies of working in teams and less desirable things like brie left in the fridge over a bank holiday. I found this job difficult at times and I can take away experience of less positive elements which will help me in future to know what to look out for.

In February I received two offers for medical school and I impulsively booked a plane ticket to Costa Rica. With very little planning and even less Spanish I embarked on my first solo-travel trip. I visited jungles, beaches and mountains and made friends from across the globe. This time really gave me the space to process the last few years of lockdown and take a breath before beginning medical school. Visiting candle lit natural hot springs was a definite highlight as well as a 90m drop Tarzan swing for the adrenaline lovers. Although nervous at the start, solo travel was the best decision, I would recommend it to everyone.

Returning home, I began a job at a small coffee shop in my hometown. With no experience it was a baptism of fire (or boiling milk) and was vastly different to my previous office job. Lots of ‘dodgy’ latte art later, I made some lifelong friends in my co-workers despite my reputation for spilling drinks. Working in hospitality gave me renewed patience and communication skills and undoubtably will help me speaking to patients in later life.

Writing this in my Uni room of Medical School, I was blessed with a gap year and cannot wait for what the next five years will bring before I start life as Dr Lownds.