Meet the Medical Students
Leeds Medical School
Faiz
I am a 3rd year medical student at the University of Leeds. I came through Leeds Medical School via a partnership access at another higher education institution. Prior to university I was a part of the social mobility foundation this charity supports WAP to gain admission into competitive courses. Attending the medical summer school allowed me to gain a better insight into what studying and practicing medicine would be but also provided me with support for the admissions process, something I did not have any awareness of as none of my peers, friends or family members had gone to medical school.
Ellie
I am a 2nd year medical student at the University of Leeds. In my journey to applying to Medical School, I did both Access to Leeds and Reach for Excellence. I found both these programmes helpful as it gave me a step-by-step guide in how to apply for both the University of Leeds and Medicine.
Simran
I am Simran, a 22-year-old medical student at the University of Leeds. During sixth-form, I was involved in the Access to Leeds and Reach for Excellence programmes through which I gained extensive knowledge about studying at university, especially at the University of Leeds. I found these programmes useful because I was given the opportunity to attend several events to establish that Medicine is the course for me.
Josh
Hi there, my name is Josh and I am originally from Rotherham. I took part in both the RfE programme and A2L before coming to university. I found RfE a great way to find out more about medicine, even though I already knew it was what I wanted to study, It also allowed me to meet some of my current course mates which I think is a huge benefit of doing RfE.
Meg
I applied to medicine in Year 12 and came straight from A-levels. I was part of Access2Leeds, which means in return for firming Leeds as my top choice and completing some extra work, I got slightly lowered entry requirements! I always wanted to do medicine but I struggled with my confidence to apply, I didn't think I would get in as I'm not naturally the smartest, however I managed to show so many of my interpersonal skills as well as scraping the grades and now here I am about to finish my second year at Leeds!
Mateus
While I didn't specifically participate in outreach programs like RfE, or ROPS, the pre-entry program I attended provided the necessary support and resources to navigate the medical school application process. Having a strong support system, including teachers who believed in me, played a crucial role in my journey toward securing a place in medical school. Additionally, I did an online summer school which helped me and I learnt a lot.
Hull-York Medical School
James
I am James, a first Year medical student at Hull York Medical School. I enjoy swimming, playing piano, playing korfball and of course, enjoy being an ambassador for HYMS too. My experience in applying to medical school was quite a roller-coaster, but to summarise, I did 3 A levels and an EPQ at a state school and I took part in a few outreach programmes including, YorWay to York, Oxford’s UNIQ Summer School, and the Hull York Medical School Summer School programme, did both the BMAT and UCAT, receiving two invites to interview at Cambridge and York, but ultimately being rejected from all 4 of my medical school offers. Following I worked as a Healthcare assistant during the summer and prepped once again for the UCAT, however on results day I received an offer from HYMS and swiftly accepted.
Eleanor
I applied to medical school in my final year of sixth form. I received three offers for medical school but I didn't meet the grade requirements first time round. I then took a gap year, worked as a receptionist for a general practice, resat one of my A levels and reapplied to medical school. I received three further offers, made the grade requirements, spent the summer before medical school travelling and came to HYMS in the September.
Ayesha
My name is Ayesha. I’m a first-year medical student at Hull York Medical School. I studied a level Chemistry, Biology and French. I did really well on a level results day and I was extremely chuffed. I tried to apply for medicine through clearing and received an interview from HYMS. This was probably one of the best days of my life. Changing my mindset that I was going to medical school was hard and I hardly had any time to prepare. I learnt from this experience that you should never give up and instead keep on trying because your efforts, determination and motivation to study medicine will not go to waste. I took part in the Reach for Excellence programme by the University of Leeds as well as the Manchester Outreach Medicine Programme.
Somaya
My journey to medical school was hectic. To summarise, I worked hard, not smart. I didn't have the appropriate academic support around me and felt perpetually frustrated. My family couldn't help me, we couldn't afford tutors. Over the next few months, I worked hard, practised for potential interviews, and started drafting my personal statement. I also searched for widening participation programmes and even managed to get into one. In October 2019 I applied to four medical schools and one clinical science course (plan B, an alternative route to medicine). I received three offers!
Caitlin
My name is Caitlin, I’m 20 years old and I’m from Leeds. I am currently in my second year of medical school at Hull York Medical School, and so far, I absolutely love it. I would describe my experience applying to medical school as challenging, yet extremely rewarding and I learnt so much along the way. Both summer schools provided me with some extra insight knowledge into what the medical field is like, and I also learnt skills such as how to answer interview style questions. I would recommend taking part in any outreach programmes you can as they can be helpful for your application. One of the main takeaways I got from the outreach programmes I attended, was the importance of reflecting on yourself. Reflecting on the activities you take part in can help you recognise the skills you learnt and developed and how you can improve for the future. This will be very useful when you get to the interview stage of the application process so a top tip from me would be to start a reflection diary.
Overall, my experience applying to medical consisted of lots of mixed emotions, but I learnt so much and it was all worth it in the end when I found out I was accepted on results day.
Overall, my experience applying to medical consisted of lots of mixed emotions, but I learnt so much and it was all worth it in the end when I found out I was accepted on results day.
Collins
My name is Collins. I attended to secondary school and sixth form in Sheffield. My experience applying to medical school was quite nerve-racking but exciting at the same time. I applied to 4 different medical schools and the process was quite hectic. I found the summer prior to applying very stressful as I was trying to simultaneously complete my personal statement, prepare for my UCAT exam whilst revising my A-level subjects. I spent most of my summer practising for the UCAT exam and took the exam right before Y13 started. I partook in Realising Opportunities which is a programme that allows students from disadvantaged backgrounds to have an equal and fair opportunity at applying for university. The preparation for my interviews was a bit stressful but thankfully the hard work paid off.