"We set up the Human Medicine Alumni so we would to continue to have a shared platform."

When you were kids, what did you want to be?

Alessandra: I never had a dream job. I looked up to my dad because as a kid I thought he knew everything and could do everything. But his training as a mechanical engineer and his job running a company didn't really help me much after all.

Caya: When I was a kid, I found everything exciting. At one point I wanted to be a marine biologist and at another an adventurer. If I wasn’t studying medicine right now, I would have taken a Bachelor’s course in a natural sciences subject and would then have become a pilot.

Leonie: I wanted to be an architect and did an apprenticeship as a draughtsman. But then I was unsure of what to do next. I attended an info event where medicine had a lasting impression on me. I now have direct contact with people, which is something that has always been lacking before. I’m now happy with my choice even though medicine was never on my radar.

Last year, you graduated with Bachelors’ in human medicine. What does it feel like to be amongst the first to have done this?

Leonie: Being one of the first people to obtain a Bachelor’s in Human Medicine at ETH is overwhelming and an honour. We were hugely involved in shaping the course so it’s kind of “our project” too. But it wasn't all plain sailing. But then being amongst the very first graduates was rather emotional. We weren’t able to have a graduation party because of coronavirus, which was very sad.

Caya: There were a lot of great things but it was hard work too. We were kind of the babies of our Medical Director. As he kept reminding us, he was really proud of us. And of course, that’s really nice. We provided a continuous stream of feedback and the Medical Director always listened to us and implemented our suggestions wherever possible. The current cohort of first-year students will have it much easier than we did. In five years, I’m sure that the course will be fantastic.

We had to work an awful lot out. For example, there were no summaries for the courses and no past papers. Once when we were at an event looking for sponsors, we had to explain that we were doing a real medical course and would become real doctors at the end of it.

But for sure, there is a certain charm about being the first graduates. This really bound us together as a group.

And what are your plans for the future?

Alessandra: Well of course, first we want to get our Masters’. I’m studying in Lugano; and still have two and a half years before I graduate. I still don't know what will happen after that. I can well imagine that I’ll go into lab or clinical work.

Leonie: I’m currently studying at the University of Zurich, and will start my elective year in the summer of 2021. So I’ll get to experience life in a hospital. I’m really looking forward to that. I’ve still got to write my dissertation too. At the moment, I think I’d rather work in a hospital than be a GP.

Caya: I still have two semesters to go at the University of Basel. Then I too have my elective year, which I’m really looking forward to. Attending online lectures isn’t very exciting; in fact it's pretty exhausting. In terms of my specialism, I haven't decided anything yet.

When you graduated, you set up the Human Medicine Alumni organisation. What are the aims of this group?

Caya: We were the first people to study human medicine at ETH. It really brought us together as a group. Out of the 100 who started, 77 of us graduated. We’re now spread over three universities. We set up the Human Medicine Alumni so we would to continue to have a shared platform. We can meet, chat and create new shared experiences.

Who can join the group?

Caya: We welcome all ETH graduates of the Bachelor’s in Human Medicine. I don’t know whether our association could also be of interest to other courses from the Health Sciences and Technology Department. It would be great if someone were to get in touch about it because in the past we organised events together with other specialist associations and it was a lot of fun.

Do you have any tips for today's students or anyone thinking of signing up for the course?

Caya: Because of coronavirus, it’s really hard at the moment. So my tip is for when all this is over: enjoy the course to the full. Go to parties and events. It may well be hard to get up for lectures the next morning, but you’ll be annoyed with yourself later if you don't do it. I now wish that I’d had more fun.

Alessandra: Engage with the ETH course and be open. Studying at ETH is certainly challenging. Getting an offer for the Masters’ courses afterwards cost us all sleep. Take things as they come. I really enjoyed being at ETH and can look back on some very happy times.

Leonie: If you’re already at ETH, chin up. It’s a tough time; you have to attend a lot of lectures and put up with long days. But believe me, things get better. There is much less content on the Master’s course and you will have already covered some of it at ETH. So don't worry, life will get easier.

If you have any questions, please get in touch. We are really happy to give advice on anything - being accepted on the Master’s and the course itself, thesis or elective year. We have experienced them all so don't be afraid to ask.