Science Students take Pathway to Medicine
A Level students Katie Allerton and Amy Woollen have secured places on the Hull York Medical School (HYMS) Pathways to Medicine Programme, giving them an exciting opportunity to investigate careers in medicine.
Both Katie and Amy study A Levels in Biology, Chemistry and Maths at York College, and previously attended Selby High School. At York College they attend the Tuesday Medic Group, to gain an insight into the world of medicine, and where they enjoyed listening to a guest speaker from HYMS who gave a presentation on the Pathway to Medicine programme.
Katie and Amy want to make the most of the opportunities on the Programme. They will be assigned a GP work placement, receive mentoring and experience mock interviews to assist with their UCAS applications, attend reflective sessions to help them decide which medical routes best suits them, and enjoy a summer residential.
Amy was inspired by her first session at the HYMS Pathway to Medicine programmes: “It was great meeting like-minded people interested in careers within medicine. I spoke to GPs and specialists and took a tour of the medical school, it really opened my eyes to the possibilities in the future. I hope to study medicine and then decide which specialist area I would like to go into.”
Katie chose her A Level subjects specifically because she hopes to go into forensic pathology. She says: “Having the chance to spend the day with student ambassadors from the HYMS was insightful. I realised that even though the grade requirements are high, the courses are very accessible, with lots of different routes. There are basic core modules to study and then you choose which elements you are most interested in and how much depth you want to study them in. I really enjoyed hearing about clinical experiences too.”
The Pathways to Medicine programme was developed to widen access to the medical profession. Launched in 2012 at Imperial College London, and expanded to HYMS in 2015, the Programme is funded by Health Education England. Research by the Sutton Trust has shown that the top echelons of the medical professions are drawn from a narrow range of social backgrounds. The programme aims to raise student’s aspirations and allow them to make informed decisions about their future career.
