Sixth form students get a ‘Taste of Medicine’

Tuesday 19 October 2021

The Medical Specialist Group has given first-hand experience to sixth formers interested in studying medicine.

Following a week's work experience, students on the ‘Taste of Medicine’ course were reunited to give their feedback to MSG doctors and to receive advice on applying to medical school.

The course is run during the summer term and has supported dozens of young islanders on their path to medical school.

Pictured: Students reunited last week to give feedback and receive advice about applying to medical school (Credit: Jackson Chambers Photography)

Students involved are paired up and over the course of the week, attend ten different sessions covering specialties such as surgery, the emergency department, adult medicine, paediatrics, oncology, obstetrics and gynaecology.  

Course leader and consultant paediatrician Dr Clare Betteridge said: “We aim to make each session as interesting and as hands on as possible.

“When one of the students was with me in the special care baby unit, he helped out by dropping sugar solution into a baby’s mouth while I took bloods."

Ellie Dufty from Ladies’ College explained that she’s always wanted to be a doctor but has no family members from a medical background.

Pictured: “The Taste of Medicine course was amazing; I got to see so much, said Ladies’ College student Ellie Dufty.” (Credit: Jackson Chambers Photography)

“It was great how the doctors would take the time to explain what they were doing in detail," she said. 

“It made a massive difference to my personal statement in my university application that I had real life experience to talk about.”

Grammar School student, Rhianna Trump, said: “I was thinking of general practice, but the Taste of Medicine course has opened my eyes to the possibility of a career in hospital medicine.”

Dr Betteridge added: “There is no other course in the UK like it as far as I am aware in terms of the range of experience that we provide at no cost to the students.”