A huge thank you to our guest speaker Dr Leora Harverd who spoke so passionately to our Year 12 MedSoc students about her journey into medicine and the non-stop challenges of the recent pandemic.

Having decided at the age of 9 that she wanted to become a doctor, Dr Harverd took a gap year after her A Levels to travel and work in Israel, whilst she considered the various medical paths she might follow. After gaining work experience in a hospital and exploring fields of interest more fully, she went on to study Medicine at UCL. In her own words – life has been ‘non-stop’ since graduating and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Dr Harverd gave students a real insight into the realities of the pandemic on the ground and how her committed team has overcome the very many challenges along the way, from implementing high-end technology to diagnose patients, to the resilience required working long days as the race to vaccinate continues. To date, over 32,000 people have been vaccinated through Dr Harverd’s North London hub.

The girls were in awe of her dedication, her ‘can-do’ approach and her absolute commitment to her patients and the programme, and valued enormously her parting words of advice:

• Don’t be worried about taking a gap year – it can provide you with unique experiences and gives you time to figure out what you really want to do
• If you decide early on that a course is not for you, don’t worry about changing – just talk it through with your university.
• Good luck and enjoy the journey – it will be incredibly fulfilling!