Age 16-18
Deren Aygin qualified as an NHS doctor specialising in emergency medicine. He finished his medical training as a junior doctor based at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
A former student at Sanders Draper School, who lived in Havering-atte-Bower, Deren achieved As in A Level Maths, Biology and General Studies and a B in Chemistry. He left Havering Sixth Form College in 2011 to study Biomedical Sciences at Queen Mary University, having been rejected by Medical School.
He then decided to train to become a Police Officer with the Metropolitan Police but finally was able to join Medical School when his second application was accepted.
Because his journey to Medical School was not a smooth one, Deren likes to inspire current students to follow their dreams and never give up. As a former student, he has been a special guest at Havering Sixth Form College’s Awards Evenings, telling students of his experiences.
He said he had always wanted to be a doctor, but felt completely deflated when he was turned down for Medical School immediately after his A Levels. He said: “But I now realise that it wasn’t a failure – it was an opportunity. So I became a Police Officer and my experiences in that career shaped me as a person. A few years later, the same Medical School accepted me because I was then the type of person they wanted and I’m now a doctor.”
Deren has also spoken to prospective students and their parents at College Open Days, saying that his time at Havering Sixth Form helped him prepare well for his Medical degree.
