Record number of students given a dose of a life in Medicine at residential event
By: News Archive
Aspiring medical students from local schools got a taste of university life and what it’s like to stay on campus thanks to a University of East Anglia (UEA) project supporting young people from underrepresented backgrounds.
The three-day residential, which took place from Tuesday (19 February) to Thursday (21 February), is an annual event at UEA for sixth-form and college students who have an interest in taking a degree in medicine or pursuing a career in the medical profession.
The event is part of UEA’s Medical Aspirations Scheme, which helps students who are expected to gain the grades needed to study medicine but who may need extra support because they have little family experience of higher education, have been in local authority care and/or have a low household income.
Those who attended the residential are guaranteed an interview for a medicine-based course at UEA, provided they achieve the minimum entry requirements. They also have the opportunity to take part in a three-day GP work experience placement this summer.
Three of the successful students will also receive one of three full-scholarships, worth £9,250 per annum, which funds the first four years of their course (or residential costs if desired), with a further final year funded by the NHS.
More than 250 students have attended the residential since Medical Aspirations began in 2010, with scholarships supporting over 20 students during that time. In 2016, the General Medical Council described the scheme as ‘good practice in preparing students to study medicine’.
As part of the residential, the students stayed on campus at Broadview Lodge and got a tour of areas including the UEA Sportspark and library, the John Innes Centre and a behind the scenes look at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, where they got to have lunch with doctors and consultants.
There were also talks put on about applying to medicine courses, radiology, the anatomy and medical ethics, as well as social events in the evenings.
Attendance on the scheme is free and it is partly funded by UEA alumnus David Tibble. David graduated in 1970 and wanted to help local aspiring medics from underrepresented backgrounds in the profession.
Laura Anderson, UEA Outreach Officer, said: “Medical Aspirations is all about ensuring there is a route into university for everyone, no matter where you’re from or what your background is and we had 40 students take part in the scheme this year, which is more than ever before.
“This is the tenth year of Medical Aspirations and we had a lot of current of our Medical Society students coming along to share their experiences, as well as alumni who have passed through the scheme and gone on to forge their own careers, so it was a great mix of the past, present and future at UEA.”
Louis de Bernard, a Year 12 student from Wymondham College, attended this year’s event and said: “None of my family have had experience of university and I wasn’t sure if medicine was what I wanted to do. But I heard about Medical Aspirations from careers advisors and I thought it would give me the chance to benefit from the work experience placements that they offer.
“It’s been great talking to and getting to know new people in a similar situation to me and I’ve enjoyed meeting current medicine students too. UEA has been a really friendly university to stay in and the idea of applying to a medicine course feels much less stressful than before.”
In previous years the course has been open to students in Norfolk and North Suffolk and has been expanded this year to include pupils from the rest of Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire.
A key element to the residential is interaction with current medical students. Jay Aldous went through the Medical Aspirations Scheme in 2012-13 and talked this year’s students through his experiences and his journey through to UEA’s Norwich Medical School.
Jay said: “I was a student with a background that makes me statistically less likely to get a place at medical school, so I wanted to share my journey with those in similar positions and to show students that, regardless of your background or your disadvantages, studying to be a doctor is still a possible and worthwhile option.
“I already knew I would be happy at UEA because I visited during the Medical Aspirations course before I started medical school in 2013 and it gave me a brilliant insight into what it might be like studying here. I had an opportunity to talk to current students and lecturers and to meet some friendly, similar-minded people on the course – it really made up my mind that UEA was the university for me.”
Do you know someone who could be interested in applying for Medical Aspirations for 2019/20? More information, including eligibility and how to apply, is on the UEA website.
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