Meet Anna Harvey: September's Bright Young Thing

PUBLISHED: 19:27 31 August 2014 | UPDATED: 20:01 31 August 2014

Sarah Sturt

Anna Harvey

Manu Palomeque 07977074797

Tell us about yourself

Hi, I’m Anna Harvey, aged 18, and I am currently coming to the end of my school career, having just sat A-Levels in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and History at St Lawrence College in Ramsgate. Two 
years ago I achieved 10 A* grades at 
GCSE. I live in Margate with my parents, my three sisters and two brothers, and various neighbourhood cats who have decided our home is nicer than theirs.

What are you doing now?

This year I received offers from Hull York Medical School, Barts and the London Medical School and King’s College London to study Medicine, which I was incredibly proud of as more than half of all medical applicants do not secure a place. After 
a summer of working at a fab local café – Morgan’s Margate – I will be taking 
up my place at King’s, provided all goes well on results day!

What are your ambitions?

I hope to go into paediatric medicine after spending a week on work experience in a local children’s ward and being incredibly impressed with not only the skill and knowledge of the doctors, but the sensitivity they displayed towards both their patients and their patients’ relatives.

Where do you see yourself in 
five years?

I’ll actually still be studying for my degree! Initial medical training at university lasts for six years, and then there is two years 
of working and studying in a foundation programme before you can apply for specialist training posts. Hopefully at uni I’ll be able to get involved in volunteering and will be doing something useful with my free time; I am especially interested in working with disadvantaged young people.

What’s best about Kent?

Definitely living by the sea! I have 
never lived more than a 10-minute 
walk from the beach and it’s actually 
one of the things I am most scared of missing when I move to London in September (except my family, of course).

My home town of Margate is currently undergoing a revival and is now a brilliant centre for artists of all types and vintage fashion lovers. We have also just had 
a beautiful new seafront put in place, which looks amazing with the sun 
setting behind it.

What are your hobbies and interests?

I really enjoy drama and most recently played Mary Magdalene in our school production of Jesus Christ Superstar – a role I really enjoyed due to my prior reputation for playing evil characters!

I am also a bit of a reader, and usually have two or three books on the go at once. 
I spend most of my weekends going to 
local bands’ gigs – Thanet now has several brilliant small music venues, including the new Ramsgate Music Hall, which has garnered significant attention from the indie music press since it opened.

Advice on applying for medical school?

Be original – I took a risk by starting my personal statement with an anecdote about a very young me being terrified at a human body exhibition, which a lot of people who read it said I should take out.

I stuck by it, however, and at both my interviews the interviewers remembered me from my statement! They have hundreds of personal statements to read – make yours the one they remember. n