Multiple successful MMI Interview and UCAT candidates tutored in a personalised manner by experienced 3rd-year University of Adelaide medical student.

Find out more about Sarthak

• When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  Medicine has been a longtime passion of mine and goes as far back as my encounter with the healthcare system following an accident back when I was 10 years old. The empathy and breadth of knowledge that the doctors I met displayed captivated my younger self. I've been rather fortunate to be able to realise my aspirations since and enter Medicine myself. However, I was only able to come this far thanks to the teachings of many others. Hence, to give back I chose to take up private tutoring and help other prospective Medicine students fulfil their dreams. This also followed on from my time spent teaching in various other fields, which I had thoroughly enjoyed doing. Teaching is a fervent passion of mine in conjunction with Medicine.

• Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  I help students prepare for the arduous steps in the Medicine entry pathway, namely the interviews and the UCAT test. The topics I like to discuss with students in relation to these include a systemic breakdown of the various question types one may encounter as well as more niche areas, such as how to present yourself online during an MMI or how to tackle test day anxiety.
  
  MMI interviews have 8 key question types, whilst the UCAT consists of 5 subtests utilising a diverse portfolio of questions. I am well versed with all of these areas and help students develop a concrete approach to tackling any question they may face.

• Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  One of my biggest role models in life was my Year 9 Maths teacher, who beyond just guiding me with the curriculum area of mathematics, taught me a wide-array of life skills. Her patience, compassion and ability to recognise and cultivate the strengths in others whilst helping them mitigate their weaknesses continues to be of inspiration to me. I strive to follow her example with student-centred tutoring that hones in on what each individual student needs to grow and improve.

• What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  Outside of the ones listed in the previous answer, I believe a great tutor embodies two pivotal attributes: friendliness and sound technical ability. To me, students feeling comfortable to ask questions at any time and state what they'd like to work on specifically is vital. For this, an open relaxed atmosphere is needed which comes from having an amiable disposition. However, without a comprehensive understanding of the topic, it can be challenging to answer a student's questions or tailor to their areas of improvement. Therefore, up-to-date subject knowledge is an equally crucial quality to have.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  An undoubtedly challenging area of Medicine entry is having to juggle school work in conjunction to MMI and UCAT training. As a New Zealand applicant, this was especially true for me as I had my first few interviews in the middle of my end-of-year examinations. To ensure I was adequately prepared for all aspects of the admission process, there were two things I did in particular: create a timetable for myself at the start of every school week and aim for consistency over quantity of practice. Having a weekly timetable was critical for not falling behind on school subjects. When practicing, I aimed to do a little amount daily rather than several hours once every few days. This kept me from degrading in areas I had already previously covered, and coupled with beginning early in the year, ensured I was ready come interview/test day.

• What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or are still facing in your subject?

  A difficulty I encountered in MMIs was distinguishing myself from the hundreds of other applicants, especially in relation to staple questions such as 'why did you choose Medicine?'. What helped me overcome this hurdle for this question in particular was putting forth a highly personalised answer that delved into my individual life experiences. Responding with a timeline of events from what initially drew me to Medicine to what solidified the decision to pick it as a career path aided me in avoiding the widespread 'to help others' answer. In a similar fashion, I devised answering strategies that help differentiate a good response from an excellent one for other question types. I now aim to share these with my students.

• Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  Outside of Medicine, another pronounced passion of mine is Karate, which I've been training in for close to four years now. I'm presently a brown belt, one belt away from black, as well as a gold medalist at a national level. I find it to be a great stress relief and escape from my studies. Coincidentally, my love for teaching extends itself to this aspect of my life too as I am an instructor at my club.

• What makes you a Superprof (besides answering these interview questions)?

  By guiding them through the niche intricacies of Medicine admission from our first lesson together all the way to their interview/test day, I wholeheartedly aim for my students to become excellent Doctors. Hopefully, I'll be able to see them on the wards one day!