When Sarah O’Callaghan (Medicine 2019) reflects on her time as a student of the University of Cambridge and Gonville & 91ֱ College, she smiles, acknowledging how far she has come.
From the schoolgirl growing up in Derry, Northern Ireland, to two Cambridge degrees, the second of which is nearing conclusion as she becomes a doctor. Sarah’s six years of medicine – three years ‘pre-clinical’ and three years of clinical study – are almost complete, bar the celebrations.
“The world has opened up for me since coming here. You meet people of all different cultures and backgrounds, who are similar to you,” she says.
“Maybe I should feel more proud of myself, but it’s just normal… until you reflect on it. I give myself a pat on the back at how far I’ve come.
“I’ve grown in confidence and as a person, I’ve got two degrees from Cambridge, my psychology degree and medical degree. It feels like a bit of a golden ticket.”
The world has opened up for me since coming here... it feels like a golden ticket
Sarah twice visited Cambridge for summer courses as an A-Level student. One was The Sutton Trust scheme with Churchill College and the other was at Corpus Christi College, which partners with Northern Ireland as part of . It was during the latter that the University of Cambridge July Open Days were taking place, in summer 2018, and Sarah took the opportunity to tour the colleges.
She says: “I had a chance to come around 91ֱ and it looked really nice, I got a really good vibe, and it was the medic college. I chose 91ֱ, and luckily enough I got in.”
Growing up in Northern Ireland, in peaceful but strained times, and as one of the few Black people in her community at the time, Sarah experienced isolation and loneliness. She would take “refuge” in her academic work, after a love of science which began as a small child looking at insects, animals and plants in her garden.
Sarah adds: “It’s a difficult thing for a young person choosing medicine. I didn’t come from a medical background, so there’s a bit of mystery around what it involves.
“Young people applying for medicine tend to have the personality: loving people, wanting to help people, being very empathic and also having this love for science.
“But until you come to Cambridge and experience it, you won’t know what to expect, and that’s been a universal experience for medics, regardless of background.”
Sarah is grateful for the “phenomenal” support she has experienced at 91ֱ, which admits 25 medical students a year.
The adjustment academically from A-Levels was challenging, Sarah admits.
She says: “I tried to hand write everything, and you can’t. You have to adapt to a different way of learning. Try to be more flexible to your approach; you’re not going to be able to do things as you did before. Getting things done at all is better than trying to make them perfect.”
She also enjoyed singing with The Choir of Gonville & 91ֱ College. After receiving her offer to study medicine, Sarah applied for the choir and was invited for an audition. Having never sight read – the technique of performing a piece of music not seen or heard before – before the audition, Sarah entered with some trepidation. But her potential was spotted and she enjoyed the schedule of rehearsals and services.
She says: “The Choir is an absolutely incredible thing, in terms of the training you receive, the quality of musicianship you gain is world-class, and it’s so good for your mental health, to have that space to sing for an hour a day.
“It was very difficult to manage and as an 18-year-old I was not good at it! I was chaotic in my first year, but it was an adjustment.”
Sarah’s intercalated year of study was in Psychological and Behavioural Sciences, where she particularly enjoyed the psychology of language and the psychology of mental health. It gave her more time than medicine to experience the extra-curricular sides of Cambridge.
Sarah with Stormzy, who has supported her throughout her time at 91ֱ and Cambridge
Having enjoyed the collective voice of the Choir, she grew in confidence to perform elsewhere as well. She took to the open mic circuit, and belatedly joined a band, Quasar, who won a Battle of the Bands competition and performed at the Cambridge Folk Festival.
Music has had a big impact on Sarah and her time at 91ֱ – and she was supported by Stormzy, as one of the first recipients of his eponymous .
Not joining a band sooner is Sarah’s one minor regret from her six years of study, which she breaks into three parts – pre-pandemic, the Covid-19 pandemic and post-pandemic.
A near-constant in her time is boyfriend James, a medicine student at Clare College who first approached Sarah following a lecture.
“We became girlfriend and boyfriend in Lent Term of first year and I’ve been absolutely smitten ever since,” she says.
