Profile nineteen

I am an 18 year old student from Liverpool who has just finished studying for A Levels and is preparing to go to university to study Medicine.

Over the past few years I have spent a lot of my time preparing for my chosen career in Medicine. I have found the time to volunteer at the Royal Liverpool Hospital and for the British Red Cross. Volunteering has confirmed to me that Medicine, as a people focused career, is what I wanted to do. I get a lot out of helping others in difficult circumstances, and meeting a wide range of different people which is why I continue to volunteer. It has also allowed me to learn a lot about myself and I feel it has developed me as a person, increasing my social awareness and interpersonal skills.

Undoubtedly, getting into medical school is very hard for any applicant, with the typical number of applicants per place being ten and above. Being the first in my family to consider higher education and furthermore to consider medicine made me feel quite anxious at first and lose confidence in my ability. However, keeping the idea of my future career in mind I rose to the challenge and, in all honesty, I can now say that the last two years have been the most fulfilling for me academically.

I have just finished studying for A Levels in Biology Chemistry, Physics and General Studies and achieved grade A in all four subjects.  I was fortunate enough to gain offers from three medical schools and have chosen to go to St Andrews University. The decision to select St Andrews medical school was a no-brainer for me. Being a traditional course, I will spend three years studying for a ‘pre clinical’ Bsc degree in medicine and then study an extra three years at the University of Manchester (clinical) where I will graduate with the MB ChB (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) degree which will qualify me to practice as a doctor. The advantage of this set up for me is that there is an extra year compared to other medical courses which will allow more time to study the science I love. Being able to study for a BSc degree, as well, means that I will be doing a research dissertation which really appeals to me. St Andrews really is a beautiful place, everything is within walking distance and it is the 3rd oldest university in the world. When attending for interview I felt a strong affinity for the town, and decided there and then that it was for me.

After getting my place at university, I began to realize that life as a medical student will be hard: without the ability to get a job (due to workload) and with the prospect of not much financial support, I was bound to struggle. This concern was heightened by the fact that I was moving almost three hundred  miles away from home.  A teacher at my school told me about The John Moran Educational Trust. I was anxious before interview because I didn’t know what to expect from the trustees.  However, as soon as I walked into the interview room, the trustees put me at ease and made me feel very welcome. I can’t thank them enough for their kind, welcoming approach and for giving me this award. This really will ease the financial pressure on me as a student and allow me to focus on my studies and enjoy university life.