Parmigiani shortlist profiles: Andrew Smith (GBR)

Andrew Darby Smith

About to enter his final year of his medical degree, Smith has been a cornerstone of the university’s rowing club. He has trained a minimum of eight sessions per week during the season while studying for his medical degree.

After his introduction to rowing at medical school, Smith began managing the club’s novice men’s squad then moved into coaching while keeping up his own training with the men’s first eight. To help students struggling to strike a balance between training and studying, Smith pioneered a small tutorial scheme sharing revision notes, giving tutorials and encouraging students that were finding the demands of their degree overwhelming. At the same time Smith was working in London hospitals from 9am – 5pm every weekday.

By the end of the year Smith delivered the most successful novice crew in the club’s memory and laid the foundation for an Educational Support Scheme.

After becoming club president Smith introduced more students to the club than has ever been achieved before. He established two annual training camps, secured extra funding, introduced long-term financial and growth planning and built a formal educational support scheme for all club members that now covers every year of medical school through the appointment of two volunteer ‘education officers.’ Smith also designed the scheme to be sustainable long after he graduates.  

Smith achieved a first class degree in pharmacology and a ‘merit’ and ‘distinction’ in his fifth year medical exams. Through his degree Smith developed an interest in emergency medicine, presented at Imperial College’s National Trauma Conference and also does two 12-hour shifts each month with the London Ambulance Service.

Smith secured a 6-week elective placement in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the world’s busiest trauma unit and is planning to establish a student Trauma Medicine Society to enable him to share his knowledge with other like-minded students.

Initial Reaction to shortlisting:
"I was completely overwhelmed! I was already honoured that the Captains of my club wanted to put me forwards in the first place, but after reading the other shortlisted biographies, I also felt incredibly privileged to be considered alongside such talented and successful candidates from all over the world."

What I'm most looking forward to in the coming season/academic year:
"Following our Men's 1st eight qualifying for this year's Henley Royal Regatta (for the first time in our club's history), I am incredibly excited to see how the crew will continue to progress towards next year's regatta. However, whilst in isolation a tremendous achievement, the wider impact of this success through highlighting that with self-belief and crew commitment any goals are achievable, has the potential to catalyse all our crews to new levels of success in the upcoming season.

The combination of being able to watch our crews really challenge themselves to compete at higher levels than ever before, whilst entering the final year of my medical degree is set to make this academic year one of the most exhausting but enjoyable of my life!"