Sophie took part in our UK Summer School programme in 2018 and is now studying graduate-entry medicine.

Tell us a bit about your background.

“I lived with my parents in Nottinghamshire before moving away for university, and my secondary school had a low rate of progression to higher education so it was important for me to have my own drive to study and my own motivations.

My parents had not been to university but my older siblings had previously, so I wasn’t too unaware of the application process but it did feel like a very big unknown when the time came around. A lot of my friends were applying for higher education too but all for different courses and different universities. It was quite daunting to be looking at such a huge array of options and having no idea what route I wanted to take – it took a long time to settle on what I wanted.”

What made you apply for your Sutton Trust programme?

“I learned about the Sutton Trust Summer Schools through my college’s Career’s Advisors. They were really supportive with the application and provided me with all the information I would need to apply. I knew that I needed to see what university was like from a different perspective to just looking online, so having a week at one seemed like the perfect chance to decide if it was right for me.”

What was the highlight of your Sutton Trust programme?

“I absolutely loved my time on the Summer School at the University of Nottingham. I spent five days there studying Physics with a big group of students of the same age, and we got along so well right from the start. I still have some of them on social media and I love seeing what they’re up to now, we got along so well during that week and I like knowing that they’re doing something they enjoy now! It was a nerve-wracking time when we first met but I think that’s what made us so friendly during the week – we were all in the same boat and wanting to do similar things.”

How did taking part in a Sutton Trust programme impact you?

“I had no idea what I wanted to do before the Sutton Trust Summer School. I was quite set on Physics, but more towards the Biomedical side of the courses that I had seen. I still enjoy Physics and know that it’ll always be something I favour, but the Summer School and my studies during college helped me to decide that Biology was ultimately the right choice for me and I went on to study Biomedical Science at Lancaster University.”

What are you doing now?

“I’m now studying Graduate Entry Medicine at The University of Sheffield after working for two years in clinical trials in Liverpool and Manchester. I’ve moved all over the North West to gain valuable experience that allowed me to apply for my current course.

On a typical day, I’ll wake up early (I prefer to be up and sorted so I have more time in the evenings) so I can either go for a run or the gym, then I’ll head over to a study room for the morning before having a set of lectures in the afternoon. Mornings are sometimes filled with placements with GPs, Integrated Learning Activities, Clinical Skills teaching or study groups with my course mates. It’s a very hands-on course, but everything is so different and I love learning about each area that comes up.

I’m very excited to be studying Medicine now – I’ve definitely found my calling and I can’t wait for the next steps in my career.”

 

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