Elizabeth Akeju, Undergraduate, Faculty of Medicine

Elizabeth Akeju

“Participation in our annual showcase Afrogala allowed me to celebrate my culture through dance, modelling and drama”

During the first year of my medicine degree, I was able to participate in many activities, both degree-related and extracurricular. This year has given me the opportunity to explore the basics of medicine through lectures, tutorials, projects, placements and podcasts! I loved how there were so many tools used to help us learn and collaborate with others, my favourite being podcast creation for a module called Lifestyle Medicine and Prevention. Within this same module, we explored public health.

This summer, I received the opportunity to do a remote internship with Think Pacific, a social enterprise and registered Fijian charity. I worked with an organisation called Diabetes Fiji on a media awareness campaign, focused on raising awareness about their work tackling non-communicable diseases. This was an amazing experience that allowed me to connect with a global network of interns as well as develop my own character and skills, whilst working in a remote setting.

I engage with my hobbies through Imperial College Netball, the African Caribbean Society (ACS), Gospel Choir and Nutritank. Through ACS I have met so many people from similar cultural backgrounds, as I am of Nigerian descent. Participation in our annual showcase Afrogala allowed me to celebrate my culture through dance, modelling and drama. This was definitely one of the highlights of my year and I’m excited to be co-ordinating the showcase this year! Participation in Gospel Choir provided an environment where I could worship God through music with friends who became an invaluable support circle that encouraged me throughout the year.

Another highlight of my year was volunteering with the SHARP Project. This project is delivered within the community and uses simulation as a tool to reduce and prevent knife violence in young people. Coming from an area where knife violence was quite prevalent growing up, this project allowed me to be a part of the change and see the impact that such public health interventions could have on young people. It was so inspiring!

Moving forward, I’m excited to continue learning about medicine and building the skills required to have a successful medical career in the future. I’m also excited for the opportunities this new academic year will bring, both academically and within clubs and societies.

Discover more from Imperial people

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading