Kinan Wihba

Kinan Wihba

Course: Medicine

From: Syria

Committee elections during these unprecedented times

Kinan Wihba

Medicine

Yes, it is yet another corona-related blog. I hope you’re all okay during such trying times. 

Clubs, Societies & Projects (CSP) are integral to the student experience at university. At Imperial, we have over 340 CSP. They are all run and led by students for students. I decided to write about how a CSP committee is elected usually elected and how elections occurred this year

Some background details

The Clubs are mainly for sports. They play both competitively in London-wide and national leagues, and casually for social participation. Clubs is often used interchangeably with Societies which is a term used to describe any student group.

Remote mental health self-support

Kinan Wihba

Medicine

Taking charge of your own mental health support. 

We have been in a state of nationwide lock-down for a few weeks now. This has understandably taken a toll on everyone’s mental health. Some may have managed to cope more than others. However, professional and academic commitments still need to be met even during a pandemic. The pressure from keeping up with that alongside the uncertainty of the current situation may lead to heightened anxiety among students. This can manifest in many ways some of which are erratic sleep, loss of appetite, irritability or panic attacks.

With the pressures from the crisis and everything being run remotely, the access to professional mental health support has unfortunately diminished.

<3 Central Library <3

Kinan Wihba

Medicine

My first online open-book exam is in 13 days.

I am desperately trying to revise but to little avail. The exam season panic has fittingly kicked in.  You may ask why I need to revise when all my assessments are going to be open-book. I had the same question. We were advised by our faculty that the exams will be testing understanding instead of simple factual recall. Hence, we need to know the material and understand it sufficiently in order to pass. The faculty has kindly arranged an online mock so we can familiarise ourselves with the platform used to deliver the exams.

It’s not a productivity contest

Kinan Wihba

Medicine

The lockdown and the uncertainty of the current climate have taken a toll on everyone’s mental health and wellbeing. Some managed to cope impressively well with the situation whereas others might be slightly or seriously struggling. Social media has proven vital to remain in touch with family and friends with whom you don’t live. But, it can be detrimental to one’s ability to cope as it encourages people to compare themselves with others.

If you are managing to remain motivated and productive during these trying times, then this is absolutely commendable regardless of what is motivating you to work. Motivation can take many forms: wanting to self-improve, trying to fill free time and/or trying to escape the current climate.

Part-time Work at Imperial: President’s Ambassador

Kinan Wihba

Medicine

I have done and still do a lot of part-time work at Imperial. It is financially rewarding and it feels that I am contributing to the Imperial community in some way. Last time, I spoke about working as a student caller and fundraiser with the regular giving team. This time, I am going to tell you about what the President’s Ambassador (PA) scheme is and what it is like to be a PA.

The Application Process

Hiring usually opens a few weeks into the first term of the academic year. You are required to fill a standard application form to provide your contact details, the reasons behind applying, and any previous experiences you have.

Imperial Has Not Fallen

Kinan Wihba

Medicine

Disclaimer: This is not an official statement from Imperial College. This is just me deciding to write a blog to update people as I ran out of things to do during isolation 🙂 

Imperial has been responding vigilantly to the COVID19 crisis. The Faculty of Medicine had been emailing us updates over the past few days detailing how we should proceed during these uncertain times. We are all trying to adapt to this fast-changing situation the best we can.

Difficult decisions were made. Clinical exams were duly cancelled. All teaching will be delivered remotely for the rest of the academic year.

Reflections from the Dissection Room

Kinan Wihba

Medicine

Cadaveric dissection is becoming obsolete among medical schools. It used to feel like a rite of passage but as part of the curriculum update at Imperial, 1st year students solely use prosections for their anatomy learning.

Whether you have seen a dead body before or not, it seldom prepares you to what you will see in the dissection room (DR). Over the last four terms of medical school, we dissected the entire human body so I decided to write a free-form reflection on my experience emotionally.

The reactions from students in the first session ranged from being absolutely fine to fainting.

The London Coffee Festival

Kinan Wihba

Medicine

I love coffee. I drink coffee every single day and will probably do for the rest of my life <3. This is why I was beyond excited when I found out about the London Coffee Festival (LCF). I remember buying tickets with my friend last year during a sleep deprivation-induced haze- coursework life :). It ended up being one of the best experiences I have had in London so far.

The LCF takes place in the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane. This year marks its tenth anniversary and it is one of the biggest gatherings for coffee lovers in Europe!

Part-time Work at Imperial: Student Caller

Kinan Wihba

Medicine

The Imperial Spring 2020 Telethon will be running for 7 weeks in February and March. I worked on the Spring 2019 Telethon. So, I decided to write about what the job entails and provide some advice for future callers!

This campaign aims to reach out to alumni to share exciting news from Imperial with them and to invite them to support the college through a range of giving opportunities. Ultimately, the telethon is not about fundraising. It is about initiating and strengthening long-term contact between Imperial and its alumni. It is also about you enjoying great conversation with alumni.

The Time Commitment:

Shifts take place on weekdays in the evening on the weekend during the day and afternoon.

Medicine Interview: A Guide to MMIs at Imperial

Kinan Wihba

Medicine

Interview season is upon us. Although exciting, it can be really daunting as an applicant as you each medical school interviews differently so you don’t know what to expect. This year, Imperial is using MMIs (Multiple Mini-Interviews) instead of the traditional panel interview. Therefore, I decided to write this blog so people know what to expect and feel more at ease.

“The interview is not intended to be an intimidating experience and staff will try to put candidates at ease while evaluating the following:

  • Motivation and realistic approach to medicine as a career
  • Capacity to deal with stressful situations
  • Evidence of commitment to the values of the NHS constitution
  • Evidence of working as a leader and a team member
  • Ability to multitask
  • Likely contribution to university life
  • Communication skills and maturity of character”

The above list is directly taken from the Imperial website.

Learn more about life at Imperial

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