UCL Medical school student here to help you smash your medical interview! 

Find out more about Sakshi

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

  My first job was as an assistant at a tuition Center! I realised that, although I enjoyed working with kids and teaching, what I truly wanted was to work on my own.

• 2) 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 mainly teach Biology A level but my favourite thing to help students with their medical applications, from the UCAT to interview prep. As a medical student, I understand how difficult and perplexing the process can be, which is why I find it so fulfilling to assist students in realising their full potential.

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

  My biology teacher at the A level used to compile booklets with test questions, diagrams, and specification points. I now utilise this structured approach to learning as my primary teaching style since I found it to be quite useful.

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

  I believe that the most crucial ability needed by a tutor is flexibility. You must be able to modify your lesson plans to fit the needs of your students and adapt your lessons to their needs. This will enable you to identify the exact issue preventing them from realising their full potential and fix it.

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

  I used to create flash cards based on the material we had covered in biology and chemistry classes. However, I would use enormous question banks, look up relevant questions using keywords, then copy and paste model answers onto my flash cards in place of the textbook and my notes. This way, I always learned what I needed to know. In the end, I received 3 A*s, so this definitely works!

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

  Due to my ADHD, I frequently struggled with overwhelm and procrastination. Establishing routines allowed me to maintain discipline rather than depending on sporadic motivation, which was helpful. Many ADHD students will agree that, depending on their state of mind, revision sessions can be either incredibly useful or completely pointless. I found that organising my work in a consistent format and making sure I added a lot of my favourite techniques helped to make revision enjoyable. Having worked with a few students with ADHD, I can say that they are the biggest fans of my teaching style because it was developed specifically for the ADHD brain by another ADHD brain!

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

  Medicine is my passion! I adore my course at UCL and intend to become a neurotrauma surgeon in the future. I still want to teach, though, because I enjoy sharing my appreciation for biology with others and I helping students find joy in the subject. I also find it so rewarding to help others get into medical school because it's such a wonderful place.

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

  I think I am a superprof because I listen, adapt and deliver quality lessons. I think my method is manageable and confidence-building for students, especially those with ADHD, because I go slowly and use exam questions frequently to reinforce what I teach. Though I might not be a superprof for everyone, why not schedule a free consultation as we might just be a perfect match!