Name: George Liu                                                                                                                                

Course: Medicine, Year 3 

Campus: Chelmsford

Volunteer Role: Committee Member 

"I think my favourite thing about volunteering with the SU is the people you get to meet. Being part of a committee allows you to interact with members more. You get to meet people from lots of different degrees which otherwise would not have been possible"

What are your main duties and how do they benefit others?

President of Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery President/ Coach of Martial Arts Society President/ Assistant Coach of Badminton

My main role this year has been ensuring I impart the knowledge I have gained over the past 2/3yrs so that my committee are prepared to take on more demanding roles in the future.  Alongside this I have been involved in running all 3 societies to ensure all our members (and non-members) are able to make the most out of our society.

CCTS, has offered its members a variety of events this year including our International Virtual Reality Conference, where 150 attendees (student to consultant level) from over 10 countries came together to learn more about Cardiology and Cardiothoracics. Through this event we were also able to raise over £1000 for The Children's Heart Federation, a charity which helps children born with congenital heart defects. In addition to this we continued to host our Journal Club for its 2nd year, which attracted an international audience this year.  At our Journal Club members are taught how to analyse scientific literature and are also given the opportunity to present a paper of their choice, thereby improving their presentation skills and confidence!

Martial Arts Society have continued to coach members this year in a range of martial arts, particularly focusing on self-defence. However, this year has been a particular struggle due to COVID-19, hence training has been limited for members, but we do hope to get back into proper training once it is safer. Despite this, I have seen members develop their basics skills such as kicking, striking and elements of throwing through resistance band training.

Badminton has also been restricted more recently, but before lockdown kicked in, I was able to see some great improvement in our team! Members have improved on covering the court, shot placement and rotation.

What have you enjoyed most about volunteering?

I think my favourite thing about volunteering with the SU is the people you get to meet. Being part of a committee allows you to interact with members more. You get to meet people from lots of different degrees which otherwise would not have been possible.

In addition to this, seeing the final product of all your hard work is very rewarding too, as you get to look back and think "I did this"!

What skills have you learnt and used during your volunteering?

I have learnt so much from my roles that I probably can't list them all here! Being a President has taught me so much as you are required to keep the society together. But to do this you also need to make sure you listen to your team where you lack knowledge and also lean on others when you need support. Therefore, I would say teamwork is the most key skill as a committee member, because as cheesy as it sounds Together Everyone Achieves More!

What are your future career aspirations?

I want to be a Cardiac Surgeon in the future (at least another 15yrs to go lol). My volunteering role has been crucial to achieving this goal. Without this role, I would not have developed all the key skills that are essential to being a good surgeon.

What inspires you to volunteer?

As I mentioned before, being able to meet more people through my roles has been the biggest drive. However, I would also say that my roles have been a great way to destress alongside my medical degree which is essential to ensure I don't burn out!

What is your favourite volunteering memory?

I have a number, but the common theme between them all is seeing your students improve. It's a small thing but it is really great to see others developing their skills because of your teaching.

Why do you love volunteering?

It nice to be able to give back to the community and improve campus life for everyone!

Do you have any last thoughts or comments?

Thank you to the SU team and all my Committees. It wouldn't have been possible to achieve any of the things I did without your help! (Maj, Maya, Inês, Gurdas, Aarushi, Taanish, Sophie, Nikita, Charlie, Pat, Mus) Thank you also to all those who nominated me!