Westholme Welcomes Alumni Dr Mrinalini Dey

This week we had the pleasure of welcoming Dr Mrinalini Dey back to school to talk with various groups of students about her journey since Westholme and the incredible research she is conducting. Mrinalini graduated from Westholme in 2009 and went on to study Medicine at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge. Her training has also taken her to be part of the Academic Foundation Programme in Lancaster, the NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship in Rheumatology and Internal Medicine in Liverpool, before moving to Kings College, London, where she is now coming to the end of her training to become a Consultant Rheumatologist. Mrinalini was more than happy to return to her roots at Westholme and support our students applying for Medicine, to Oxford and Cambridge, whilst also delivering an academic lecture entitled “Science, Stethoscopes and what shapes our health – My Journey through Medicine and Research”.  

Speaking with the MedSoc group, Mrinalini gave invaluable advice on preparing their applications, the interview process, and the pathways available for medical students. Speaking with Oxford and Cambridge applicants, her personal experience and time spent at Cambridge really brought those next steps to life and what life at those academic institutions is truly like. The Q&A sessions with these groups was highly beneficial and provided personal insight for those juts thinking about an application and final tips for those finalising their applications for the deadline next week. 

Having graced the Westholme stage on numerous occasions during her time at school, be that for a concert playing the violin as part of the school orchestra or in the school production, presenting an assembly or gaining an award, Mrinalini was excited to return and deliver a formal lecture to Year 11 to 13 students about her career, where her job has taken her to speak and complete research around the world, and what her role involves in rheumatology. As a number of our students will be delivering their own lectures as part of the Cicero Academic Lecture Programme, it was an incredible opportunity for them to witness a professional delivering a research-based lecture, after which she kindly discussed with the group to explain what goes into that process, from research to final delivery on stage in front of an audience.  

Lastly, Mrinalini also enjoyed her time speaking with our Prep 6 students about “A Day in the Life of a Doctor”. She thoroughly enjoyed answering their insightful questions, such as “who is her most memorable patient” and importantly “why does it take so long to speak to a doctor”? Apologising on behalf of the medical profession, Mrinalini enjoyed the honesty and enthusiasm of our Prep 6 students, some of whom we discussed might one day be that same student who went from Prep to Seniors to Sixth Form to a professional in Medicine, finally to one day themselves return to inspire the next generation. 

We are truly grateful to Mrinalini for taking the time to travel from London before she heads of to America to deliver her next lecture. I know she enjoyed seeing the school, that sense of nostalgia seeing the school and how it has developed, and bumping into teachers that inspired her during her time at the school. Mrinalini was very complementary about her time and it was wonderful to hear her talk so fondly about the school and how Westholme has shaped her as a person and been a major factor in her success throughout her journey.