Georgina took part in our Summer School programme, during the pandemic-hit year of 2020. See what she’s up to now, and find out how this the benefit scheme led her down her current path below.

 

Tell us about who you are?

“I am a third-year medical student at the University of Nottingham. I am currently the president of the Welfare Hub society which is aimed at improving the mental health of medical student at the University of Nottingham through Instagram posts and some mental health workshops. I am also a course rep and student ambassador which involves representing my year group and participating in learning community forums each semester. One of my favourite parts about medical school is our clinical skills sessions and going on placement at a general practice. This helps us to gain practice in healthcare settings and talk to patients on the wards. Last summer, I had the privilege of volunteering in a district hospital in India for a month. I learnt a lot about how healthcare differs across the globe as well as how differently hospital multi-disciplinary teams interact with each other. I also saw cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth disease and Tuberculosis which are less common in the UK.“

What does a typical day look like for you?

“6:30am
Rise and shine! I try to wake up at 6:30am every day and spend the first hour doing some meditation and pre-reading work before a full day of lectures. I make some brief notes on Notion and note down some questions which I am unsure of.

7:30am
As a catered student, breakfast starts from 7:30am. I like to go as early as possible because it’s nice and quiet in the morning and I spend the time catching up on some shows or YouTube videos. Currently I am really enjoying watching The Apprentice and I would definitely recommend it!

8:30am
I pack my bag for the day and walk to the QMC for the first lecture at 9am. On the way, I like to listen to a Podcast on Spotify.

11am
After 2 hours of lectures, we have an hour break. Today, I used this time to practice some clinical skills techniques with my friends in the library. We practiced doing a respiratory and cardiovascular examination today and then went over some thorax anatomy which we learnt last year. I am not a fast learner when it comes to anatomy, but I have found that group study is a really good way to help me to retain information.

2pm
After another 2 hours of lectures, I head to the Portland building to grab some lunch. Here, I meet up with some of my friends from halls last year and catch up.

4pm
After going through the Anki flashcards I made today, I head to the gym for a Zumba class with my friend. Taking part in Zumba have been a great way to re-wind and cope with stress. It’s also a fantastic way to socialise with people outside of the medical course.

5pm
I have dinner in the halls canteen and then head back to my accommodation to shower and relax for a short while. Sometimes I would use this time to get my laundry done.

6:30pm
My evenings are very different depending on what day of the week it is. This evening, I did a virtual study session with friend from home using the pomodoro method. Studying with others has been really motivating and has encouraged me to stay off my phone and boosted my concentration.

9:30pm
By now, I feel like I have done enough work, so I relax and either watch shows or read a book. Tonight, I finished reading the thriller ‘Verity’ by Colleen Hoover which was an enjoyable read, especially the plot twist at the end!

10:30pm
Time to sleep and ready to repeat tomorrow!“

What’s the best thing about what you’re currently doing?

“Through being a medical student at the University of Nottingham, I have had many opportunities to help clinicians with research projects. As part of my third year BMedSci project, I am currently doing my own systematic review on understanding the autistic medical student to enable effective change to the learning environment. This has helped to develop my critical thinking skills and will help me to make informed decisions about patient care in the future. Through my early years at medical school, I am really grateful for the opportunity to learn anatomy through dissections. Through this experience, I have gained a deeper understanding of spatial relationships between different organs, nerves, and muscles. My peers were also really supportive and learning anatomy in small groups helped us to learn from each other. I will never forget this experience!“

How did you hear about the Sutton Trust and what led you to apply?

“I heard about Sutton Trust through my sixth form, and I completed the Sutton Trust Summer School programme in 2020 which took place online due to the covid-19 pandemic. I thought this was a fantastic programme as it helped me to meet current medical students at the University of Nottingham and gave me a chance to experience what university was really like. I met so many amazing people who have now gone on to be in my medicine cohort and the support that I received from student ambassadors for my medical school application was priceless! I was really inspired by my ambassadors that I became a summer school ambassador myself this year to pay the act forward and I hope to help for many years on.“

What do you remember about your time on your Sutton Trust programme?

“Summer School in 2020 was a different experience altogether due to the pandemic. Our summer school was now virtual which meant we couldn’t get to see the University in person and experience what living in student dorms felt like. The University worked around this and provided us virtual videos of the campus and tutor group meetings via Zoom felt equally welcoming. Through the Sutton Trust Programme, I had access to a range of resources to help with personal statements, budgeting, etc. It also gave me access to the TAP platform to contact current University students to ask any queries I had about applications and starting university. I made so many new friends through the summer school programme and I am still in contact with many today. I feel proud to be a Sutton Trust Alumni today and I am excited to help out as much as possible to give back the same level of support that I received as a sixth form student!“

Any other reflections or memories you’d like to share?

“One of my favourite memories from summer school is playing the item treasure hunt game virtually with my tutor group. We had to collect random items from our house and whoever got back with the item first was the winner. This game was a great icebreaker and helped us to get to know each other really well. Summer school was definitely one of the highlights of my summer 2020. I learnt a lot about what being a medical student entailed but I also learnt how to achieve a good work-life balance.“

If, like Georgina, you’d like to share your story with us – just get in touch with the alumni team via [email protected].

Browse our library of alumni stories and continue to be inspired!