Pathways to medicine: one year on

Secondary school students have marked the end of their first year on a pioneering outreach programme at Imperial this month.

Pathways to Medicine, which welcomed its first cohort of students last year, is a three year programme - run in partnership with the Sutton Trust - which aims to improve opportunities in Medicine for state-school students from low and middle-income homes.

It consists of a programme of initiatives that run throughout Year 11 and Sixth Form to help students make strong and informed applications to study medicine at university. All students on Pathways to Medicine are guaranteed access to work experience in a healthcare setting.

Earlier this month, students gathered at Imperial for a week-long summer school to introduce them to life at University and reflect upon their first year on the programme. Throughout the week they attended workshops to help them with their Medical School applications, as well as trying their hand at practical experiments with Imperial academics, including a surgery simulation.

Reflecting on her time on Pathways to Medicine, 17 year old participant Carmen Ho from Thomas Tallis School in Kidbrooke said: “Thanks to the programme, I was able to secure work experience at Charing Cross Hospital working with an anaesthetist.  It was really fascinating – I had the opportunity to put on scrubs and watch real surgeries take place. Apparently lots of students faint the first time they watch surgery, but I was really eager to see more. It gave me a really valuable insight into the work doctors do on a day to day basis, which is nothing like you see on TV.”

Dr Kevin Murphy, Admissions Tutor for Widening Participation in the Faculty of Medicine, is leading the project at the College. He said: "It was great to see the progress that students on Pathways to Medicine have made, and to hear at first-hand how much they had enjoyed their work experience placements during the year. The activities they have been involved in will, we hope, allow them to demonstrate that they have the skills and the commitment to make excellent medical students and doctors when they apply for medical school later in the year."

Photos by Thomas Angus