A few weeks before graduation, I consider studying medicine as one of the best
decisions I have ever made. Coming originally from a medical family, I already knew about
the number of real difficulties and challenges associated with this profession when I was
applying for my medical studies. At that time, I was ready for the fact that medicine may be
very demanding and could affect my personal life significantly. On the other hand, I believed
it would bring plenty of satisfaction and a good sense of fulfilment into my life. This attitude
enabled me to keep my initial motivation and enthusiasm during the whole six-year-long
study period and actually also worked as a prevention of the student burn-out syndrome and
sad moments of desillusion which unfortunately afflicted plenty of my classmates. Studying
theoretical disciplines, I always tried to imagine how every single piece of knowledge I
absorbed could help to safe my patient’s life in the future. Hence, it was very easy to
develop interests in so many subjects as my study results can confirm.
After the first study year oriented mostly on morphology of the human body I was
offered a job at the Department of Anatomy. Since that time I have been involved in
teaching younger medical students within seminars as a lector. Working with them was a
real pleasure for me and made me always improve my communication skills and extend my
knowledge base. Within the following two study years, I became truly fascinated with
physiology/pathophysiology which later led to my strong interest in Internal Medicine. I like
how internists are trained to solve puzzling diagnostic problems and can handle different
states of polymorbidity when several chronic diseases strike at the same time in one body
and how they bring to patients an understanding of their wellness. Developing my interest in
internal medicine started with regular extracurricular cardiology seminars that made me even
consider specializing in this wonderful medical field. I absolved a few cardiology electives
to get more clinical experience (two of them abroad – at King’s College London and
Northwestern University in Chicago). Finally, I realized I was missing the rest of the internal
medicine there, respectively dealing with other organ systems as well.
As a medical student I always received new information with a critical aspect and
inquired why it is just so. In my opinion, only fair-minded research can bring a relevant
answer. I think every good clinician should have at least basic research experience and
master Evidence-Based-Medicine principles very well, so that he or she could evaluate
relevancy of his or her treatment acts according to existing research studies at any time.
Therefore, I was also interested in research work during my studies. In 2007, I asked
Professor Bartunkova (Head of Institute of Immunology, 2nd Medical School, Charles
University and University Hospital Motol in Prague) if I could join her research group and
visit Immunology outpatients’ clinic on a regularly basis. At the very beginning, I learnt some
routine laboratory methods and got familiar with the use and principles of multicolour flow
cytometry.
Afterwards I was offered a research project with the cooperation of the Department of
Rehabilitation and Exercise Medicine at our university hospital. This project was focused on
how intensive physical exercise affects dendritic cells subsets in peripheral blood in elite
sportsmen. I designed and planned the project, organized the sampling issues and
performed most of the lab measurements with consequent data analysis. After the
presentation of my research results at the Faculty Students’ Scientific Conference I was
nominated for Prix de Medicine and asked to contribute as a co-author to one book chapter
related to exercise immunology. In summer 2008, I also took part in IFMSA research
exchange at University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, U.S.A. where I was studying
molecular interactions between some key haemocoagulation factors. It was my first very
intensive full-time lab working experience. Performing several consecutive experiments,
I learnt how to analyse acquired data correctly and use them for the following project
planning. That time I found very exciting how every partial experiment was leading straight to
Ondrej SUCHANEK
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE (MSc. Integrated Immunology, Oxford)
2
another one and I just couldn’t quench my research thirst to go further until the initial
question was fully answered.
Immunology entices me so much because of its integrated approach to the whole
human body with wide cooperation of other clinical disciplines. It helps to understand
pathogenesis of a very broad spectrum of human diseases across almost all medical
specialties. It offers a natural opportunity to combine clinical medicine which I like very much
and research work that is much more creative and stimulating, especially in such a rapidly
evolving research area. According to my above-mentioned interests, it is easy to understand
why I have become more and more convinced that this is the right field for me.
Since I would like to deepen my understanding of immunology and its latest
developments I am very attracted to the programme MSc. Integrated Immunology at the
University of Oxford, which is arguably one of the world leaders in this area. This course
provides comprehensive and in-depth training in immunology for science and medical
postgraduates and integrates other relevant areas, including professional development and
transferable skills, for a well rounded approach. I think it is a wonderful opportunity to gain as
much knowledge as possible in both aspects of immunology in one year - clinical approach
necessary for a medical doctor and the laboratory experience and scientific principles
essential for a researcher. Since I would like to get on the academic track of higher medical
training (combining clinical medicine, research / PhD studies and teaching), this programme
fits perfectly into my further plans.
Studying in Oxford attracts me so much not only because of my interest in
immunology. Above all, it offers unique intensive education with distinctive tutorials and
multidisciplinary college communities where students are intellectually challenged all the
time and have the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and many different
countries. Oxford students are valued highly especially for their analytical skills, sound
judgment, original thinking style and problem solving. In my opinion, my regular medical
curriculum developed these important skills very insufficiently and that’s why I tried to get
them hardly through my numerous extracurricular activities as mentioned above (working in
Academic Senate, teaching younger students, doing research). Oxford represents a learning
opportunity that simply does not exist in my home country and I believe it would help me to
expand both my personal and professional skills, knowledge base and experience much
faster than ever before.
I believe that my participation in the course of Integrated Immunology would be of
a great value not only for me, but also for the Charles University and University Hospital
Motol, where I’d like to return after a few years. I am sure it would also be an ideal start point
and motivation for my future PhD studies and that it would help me to choose their topic as
both course directors suppose.
Prague, 21th June, 2010. Ondrej Suchanek