University of Plymouth Peninsula Medical School Widening Participation team - Dr Louise Alldridge, Dr Helen Watson, Julie Monk and Dr Kerry Gilbert

University of Plymouth Peninsula Medical School Widening Participation team - Dr Louise Alldridge, Dr Helen Watson, Julie Monk and Dr Kerry Gilbert

Budding doctors from disadvantaged backgrounds have the chance to kick-start their career thanks to a new programme at the University of Plymouth.

The medical degree with a foundation year will welcome its first 16 students in 2019, and is designed as a route into medicine for students who might not otherwise access higher education. 

Care leavers, carers, refugee students from a low-income and other disadvantaged backgrounds are all encouraged to apply by the 15 October deadline, with successful applicants completing a foundation year, and then transferring onto the traditional five-year medical degree. 

Committed to widening participation, the programme comes in addition to the University’s existing initiatives to improve opportunities and provide training for students keen to study medicine, who come from backgrounds where this may not have been considered an option. For example, local students can access a work experience week, and regular outreach visits already take place as part of the Peninsula Pathway to the Healthcare Professions.

medical students take notes during lecture. Image courtesy of Getty Images.

“If you’re hard-working, caring and dedicated, you’re good enough and should have the opportunity to become a doctor,” said programme lead Dr Louise Alldridge. “But we recognise that for some students, higher education might not be an obvious option. We have a committed team here that looks to make a career in medicine a reality for these students, and the programme is carefully designed to include: learning skills for medicine and lifelong learning, active learning in the life sciences, interdisciplinary team-working, alongside traditional science modules and the opportunity for paid work to help fund your studies.”

Medical school gets approval from students

98 per cent of medical students were satisfied overall with the quality of their course at the University of Plymouth, according to the 2018 National Student Survey.

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