Student Spotlight: Widening Participation
Student Spotlights pass the mic to our student doctors, to hear their take on their School experience and shine the light on a particular role, team or pathway through the School of Medicine. This month we look into how student doctors are supporting the University of Liverpool’s commitment to improving higher education access for underrepresented groups of students.
The Widening Participation & Outreach Team works to develop initiatives to widen access to the university and to nurture local talent and potential. In practice, this can take on many different forms, from working with learners from as young as Primary School age to providing targeted support and opportunities to specific groups such as young people from a care background, young adult carers or asylum seeking and refugee students.
The School of Medicine is proud to collaborate closely with the team in reaching out to aspiring medics and supporting them at every step of their education journey. Together, the University and School have set up innovative programmes such as Merseyside Young Medics, providing a taste of university life to students in Years 9-11, and Destination Medicine, a summer school for Year 12 students considering applying to Medicine.
Widening Participation and Outreach Manager Pete Doyle highlights the strong and ongoing partnership between the team and the School of Medicine.
We have a long and successful record of working together to support groups and individuals to firstly consider Higher Education as an option, and then take the necessary actions to make this transition a reality.
"A clear, supported, pathway exists beginning at 13 years old and leading into Liverpool Scholars and Destination Medicine - Sixth Form projects offering direct access to the University.”
Student Doctor involvement & support
These initiatives and others simply wouldn’t be possible without the care and dedication of Liverpool student doctors who devote their time and commitment to supporting students keen on joining their ranks as future medics, and continue to connect with them throughout their journey through the School.
One such student is Ed Routh, in his fourth year of studies and his fourth year as a Student Advocate, a role that gives students the opportunity to act as a role model to young people.
Ed says, “I've always been interested in widening participation, especially getting people into medicine who, like myself, don't have any doctors in the family. It's always harder to be the first!”
“The Student Advocate role is very varied and there are loads of different opportunities, from one to one mentoring and open days, to subject specific summer schools and applicant days. I've done everything from chemistry tutoring to helping year 12s have a go at Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) exams.”
“I find the most rewarding part is helping out others who are in a situation you were in when you were their age."
It's nice to see people excited to be where you are, that dream of being where you are - it reminds you of your own hard work and how lucky you are.
During her years at the School, final-year Student Doctor Pippa Caine has provided crucial support to aspiring student doctors, including meeting virtually with all of the applicants from a care background this year to support their applications – resulting in 10 students receiving a conditional offer for Medicine, the highest number ever!
Year Five Student Doctor Pippa Caine
Pippa reflects, “It has been a privilege to work with the scheme and help students from a variety of backgrounds recognise their potential to study and excel in medicine. Attaining an offer to study a medical degree remains very competitive."
Many students begin the process with little insight into how their own life experiences would help them to become kind, empathic and diligent doctors.
“Helping the students recognise they have many of the qualities outlined by the GMC’s Good Medical Practice is the starting point to enable them to form a reflective and focused personal statement which often leads to interview offers.”
“Many of the students may not know anyone that has attended university and so they have questions about my own personal experience of university life. I enjoy outlining the curriculum at Liverpool and talking to them about the exciting extra-curricular opportunities. Some students have worries about finances and settling into university, which can be discussed with the team to look into solutions such as bursaries or additional support as they begin their studies.”
“My hope is that there might be student doctors reading this who were previously unaware of the scheme and would like to get involved with helping next year’s cohort of applicants.”
Student Doctor Chyu Yan Naing is also a Student Advocate and President of the BME Medics Society, who are involved in developing a session for this year’s Destination Medicine programme.
Student Doctor & President of BME Medics Chyu Yan Naing
“Being an international student from Myanmar, higher education is something I couldn’t take for granted. I am grateful for everyone I met along the way who helped and supported me so that university education became an option and a reality for me. Now I am in a position that I can return the favour!”
“I believe it’s important to encourage students to take part in leadership and management opportunities, and to make career decisions free of stigma. To this end, this year BME Medics has held panel discussions and ran a specialty series delivered by BAME clinicians to showcase representation in all areas of Medicine and Surgery and provide networking opportunities.”
Year Three Student Doctor Charmaine Ncube is a Student Advocate and committee member of BME Medics.
“I became a Student Advocate during semester one of first year and never looked back. From campus tours to tutoring sciences to career fairs - the work is extremely rewarding and you can juggle shifts around lectures and placement. I have worked with sixth-form students on the 3-day Destination Medicine programme and on a series of year 10 summer schools."
Only after working with such amazing kids do you fully realise how crucial programmes like these are in engaging brilliant, young minds and inspiring them to strive to fulfil their potential. A simple campus tour could be what opens their eyes to considering higher education.
“Not everyone interested in medicine has the network, social support or academic guidance the majority of student doctors have at their disposal or, let’s be honest, the finances to access all three. There are a multitude of barriers to higher education that can be overlooked these opportunities enable students to experience what we take for granted every day.”
Student Doctors Charmaine Ncube & Guilleary Deles (L-R)
Student Doctor and Student Advocate Guilleary Deles is just coming to the end of her first year at the School.
“I was once a part of that group of students who needed extra insight to make sure they are making the right decisions to get into higher education, specifically medicine. I now aim to give back to the university and help students that were like me.”
“I have been involved in supporting the application process as part of the Liverpool Scholars programme, which I in turn benefited from as they helped my own application to the University and opened up opportunities for work experience in the medical field.”
Student Doctors Blessita Sabu and Anusha Yoganathan are also Student Advocates and recently shared how they transformed their mentoring into online support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anusha has been mentoring a Year 13 student in Biology over Zoom. “What I enjoy most is developing good rapport with my student and watching her excel throughout the weeks. I think this programme is really remarkable as it supports students who have had their studies affected by the pandemic to aim for their goals and achieve the grades they need to study the degree they want to at university.”
Alongside mentoring, Blessita has also been involved with Merseyside Young Medics and delivered presentations on applying to the MBChB programme.
My journey into medicine was not like a typical medical applicant, and so I wanted to share my experience with others to show them that if you are determined you can get where you want to be.
"Some students don’t have the resources and sometimes lack confidence in applying, so being able to give them encouragement and support is really rewarding. It’s also a great way to improve valuable skills needed in medicine like teaching and public speaking.”
Student Doctors Anusha Yoganathan & Blessita Sabu (L-R)
A special thank you to all involved
School of Medicine Admissions Directors Fiona Watson and Robert Skaife work closely with Pete Doyle and the University’s Widening Participation and Outreach team.
“In 2014, the Medical Schools Council published ‘A Journey to Medicine: Outreach Guidance’ which addressed the finding that medicine had fallen behind other subjects in ensuring fair access. This resulted in the addition of both Merseyside Young Medics and Destination Medicine to our widening participation portfolio in 2015. The development of Liverpool’s ‘Journey to Medicine’ has been an enjoyable and rewarding experience and we cannot thank our student doctors enough for their commitment to its successful delivery.”
The student doctors who have worked in this area are caring and compassionate, enthusiastic, highly professional and a joy to work with. Equipped with all the skills and attributes that we desire in a Liverpool Student Doctor, they are indeed role models for the medical profession.
Do you want to step into the spotlight?
If you would like to feature in the spotlight series, or nominate someone to share their story, drop us a line at mednews@liverpool.ac.uk.
Discover More
- Read Blessita and Aisha’s full account of their mentoring experiences throughout the pandemic over on the University’s Coronavirus blog.
- Learn more about Widening Participation and Outreach initiatives, including the Destination Medicine programme, on the University website.
- Keen to get involved and support Widening Participation efforts next academic year? Register your interest via this online form.