Pragati Rajesh

• Awarded Year 1 Merit Award, recognising placement within the top percentile of the cohort at medical school.
• Peer-Assisted Learning Lead (Year 2) tutoring programme, facilitating collaborative learning and supporting junior students’ academic development.
• Research Lead for Aston MedTech Society, coordinating student research initiatives and preparing research topics to work on.
• Administrator for Aston Surgical Society, managing organisational operations, event coordination, and member engagement.
• Working part-time as an MMI tutor helping high schoolers perform well in medical school interviews.

Conferences & Academic Engagement

• Attended the British National Undergraduate Gastrointestinal Conference hosted at the UCL Medical School, representing Aston Medical School alongside seven other UK medical schools.
• Participated in the Women in Surgery Conference 2026 at Leicester Medical School, exploring surgical careers and hands on workshops like laparoscopy simulation, chest drain insertion techniques, A&E assessment, etc.
• Attended the BAMSOC Academic Medicine Conference at University of Birmingham Medical School, focusing on pathways in academic medicine and clinician-scientist careers.
• Undertook endoscopy observation at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, gaining insight into gastroenterological diagnostic procedures and how to interpret endoscopy and colonoscopies.
• Developed strong rapport with patients through empathetic communication.
• Performed multiple clinical examinations (cardiovascular, abdominal, cranial nerve and peripheral neurological) on patients during GP placement.
• Practiced clinical skills under supervision; enhanced proficiency and confidence in performing procedures.

Clinical Exposure & Shadowing

• Completed 320+ hours of clinical observation and hospital shadowing across secondary care settings.
• Attended GP placement for a total of 4 weeks over the first two years of university.
• Observed multidisciplinary clinical practice at Zulekha Hospital and Saudi German Hospital Dubai, gaining exposure to patient care, ward rounds, and hospital workflows prior to hospital placement.