From EF Academy to medical school: Jacopo Bagnoli ’20
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Jacopo Bagnoli, originally from Italy, graduated from EF Academy Oxford in 2020. We caught up with him a few months after graduating to hear about his journey from high school to medical student at the University of Pavia.
Tell us a bit about yourself!
Hello everyone! My name is Jacopo and I just started Medical School in English in Italy, precisely in Pavia, the 2nd most recognized university for medicine and surgery in my country.
What was your proudest achievement at EF Academy?
My proudest achievement at EF Academy was being able to win the medical genetics award. The medical genetics competition was held during the quarantine period online. Each of us presented a topic of their interest. I discussed my Extended Essay in CRISPR CAS 9 and its use in the cure of Huntington’s disease in humans.
Why did you choose to study medicine?
I chose Medicine because I have always been interested in the life sciences and how they interact giving rise to the complexity of the human body and what surrounds it. Moreover, the desire to help others being on the frontline is the reason why I chose a more clinical career like Medicine, rather than let’s say Neurosciences or Biotech.
How did EF Academy help you get to where you are today?
EF Academy Oxford helped me a lot in what concerns preparation for Medical Admission tests, and interview practice. This gave me both the analytical skills and decision making techniques needed to succeed in my future career.
What are your plans for the future?
My current main plan is completing Medical School. I’m also going to do extra-curricular research, so that once I graduate I will have broader career options in the Health Sector. My future plans concern entering a surgical specialty (at least for now), as well as pursuing Medical research, and why not teaching the next generation of Doctors.
Do you have any advice for current students wanting to study medicine?
If your dream has always been to study medicine, I have some advice for you.
- Study hard, but don’t forget the work-life balance. You need some rest to achieve success, otherwise you simply won’t be able to coop with the work, especially later on in your medical career.
- Practice, practice, practice! This is especially true if you are preparing some medical school interviews. Try some questions with your friends as well as teachers or members of your family. I will be giving you some tricks in a future post.
- Do some work experience. Not for interviews (even though it’s needed most of the time), but to really get an idea of whether medicine is the right career for you. I would strongly suggest doing whatever you can to help people in your community, though please remember to stay safe in these challenging times.
- Never give up! It may be hard, but if you have a dream and you work hard enough you will succeed!
I say it from the perspective of someone who got 3 interviews and 1 offer. I was in and then Coronavirus ended (temporarily) my dream. I decided to study as hard as I could during summer to try the entry test for Italian Medical schools. This is done in English so I had an advantage over other people. I thought everything fell apart and that I couldn’t succeed, but here I am in the 2nd best medical school in Italy.
If I did it, you can definitely do it too, just work hard, and again, don’t forget the school-life balance!
EF Academy’s alumni community brings together over 4,500 graduates spread across the world. Through our alumni spotlight posts, we showcase the fascinating, diverse personal and professional journeys EF Academy alumni have embarked on since finishing high school.