3rd Year UoA Medical Student tutoring -> 4 Core Biomed Papers + MMI+ UCAT for MBChB entry at the University of Auckland

Find out more about Luka

• When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  In intermediate school, I decided to go pretty all out for a science fair project on the anatomy of the ear, and I played around with the physics of how we perceive sound based on the shapes of our ears. It is pretty safe to say that this sparked a natural curiosity about medicine and the physiology of the body, which has led me to where I am today, studying medicine at the University of Auckland! Tutoring came naturally to me as I began volunteering at my high school to tutor other students through a student-led organisation. I decided that Superprof was a great way for me to expand my experiences in tutoring which has brought me to where I am today!

• Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  I tutor the premedical papers at the University of Auckland as well as the MMI and the UCAT, and I believe that each has its own unique aspects, with the UCAT typically being the lowlight of the year for many students due to the unpredictable nature of the questions and the difficulty to study for it without proper techniques, and I'm here to help you with exactly that! I love talking with students that I tutor about how all of the body systems can exist in synchrony with each other, and it is awesome when I am able to help anyone connect the dots between these systems within the body and how they work. I absolutely love all the premedical core papers that I teach, and tutoring gives me a way to stay constantly sharp on all of them as well as share my passion for them with others.

• Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  The people who stick out to me when I think about who has gone above and beyond for me in my academic endeavours are both my dad and my mum. They have both always encouraged the inquisitive thinking that I have had from a young age, and without that motivation, I don't think I would be where I am today. As well as this, both of them have always encouraged me to pave my own way in my life be that academically or anything for that matter. On top of this, I have had countless teachers throughout my entire high school experience motivate me to keep studying the sciences, with a special mention to Mr Van Vuuren for entertaining my questions about biology for a whopping 5 years during high school.

• What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  I think letting you, as the student, take the lead in the lessons is an important skill for me to have as a tutor, as you know your weaknesses and what we need to work on. This is the first thing which I try to establish when we have our first lesson as I want to see what your goals for the year are and what you hope to get out of these lessons. I make sure to set goals for both of us to make sure that we are heading in the right direction coming towards the end of the year, and we will also have short-term goals so that you can see the effects of consistent progress. Listening to your concerns and where you want to be will ensure that you leave our calls feeling as if you have made a bit of progress after each one, no matter what!

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  I remember in high school, my physics teacher was extremely passionate about the subject. After a class had finished, I went to speak to him about some things I had found on the internet which definitely were not relevant to the class, and most teachers would have told me to bugger off if I had asked them the same unnecessary questions.
  
  He didn't try to kill my curiosity on the topic but sat down with me for a good portion of a lunchtime and talked my ear off about the subject. The conversation raised in me a much more real interest in physics and taught me a very important lesson: never be afraid to ask for an answer and knowledge beyond what you "need" to know if you love a subject. This attitude served as the principal way for me to study throughout my premedical year and medicine, where my curiosity and urge to probe deeper were what took me that step further compared to others.

• What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

  The premedical year is a gruelling experience which I have been through myself and I have my own tips and tricks to navigate through it that I want to share with you! The content which you experience during your first Biomedical year at University is completely unlike anything that you would have dealt with during highschool. Some make it out to seem impossible but it really isn't with the right attitude. Time management beats unnecessarily long hours of studying as well as efficiently revising content consistently throughout the semesters. Making time for studying, sports and work is something that still trips me up on occasion but I do believe that it is the core for success in medical school and beyond.

• Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  For me personally, the feeling of all the information that you will learn on your journey towards medical school, which seems irrelevant at the moment, "clicking" together and forming the big picture, is the most valuable thing that I have experienced so far. Helping others have this revelation is something that I never take for granted when tutoring. In terms of the subject, Biomed is so full of detail that if you truly love the content, you can get lost in it, and medicine is a whole other can of worms.

• What makes you a Superprof (besides answering these interview questions) ?

  I believe that my consistent experience of tutoring NCEA students since 2021 and my experience tutoring the four pre-medical papers gives me a unique skill set that not many have. I have worked with all kinds of students, ranging from those trying to get into medicine through their premedical year all the way to those who want to pass their high school subjects, and the truth is that all of these options are totally valid! My experience means that I am able to cater our lessons for whatever your needs are and I know that this creates a chill learning environment for both me and you!
  
  My passion for what I teach is also something that I believe sets me apart from most. My love for sharing knowledge, as well as constantly staying up to date on the content which I cover in lessons, gives you an unbeatable experience during lessons. I believe that my skill of being able to articulate concepts in multiple ways means that I am able to communicate complex ideas which are presented in the Biomed core papers efficiently no matter who you are or what your learning style is.