Aspiring medical students from seven local schools attended Oakham’s Medical and Clinical Careers Conference for a morning of talks on general practice, hospital medicine, veterinary medicine and careers in healthcare.
The conference was opened by Professor Philip Baker, the Dean of Medicine at Leicester University and was part of Oakham School’s Careers Week.
Careers and Middle School Administrator, Mrs Helen Elliot said, “It was an information-packed morning with pupils hearing about the application process, preparing for admissions tests and being given some advice on how to shine at interview. They listened intently as representatives from both hospital medicine and General Practice eloquently described working in their profession, the highs and lows and the different focus on their jobs. They also heard about the alternative careers in healthcare that are open to students and opportunities, of which they may not have been aware.”
Helen continues, “The morning concluded with an exercise on multi-tasking – who could build a Lego house while discussing the pros and cons of Brexit at the same time as maintaining eye contact with the interviewer.”
Dr Andrew Nicoll, the lead on Clinical Courses and organiser of the event said, “Applying to study Medicine is a challenging process, and the conference was a great opportunity for the pupils to learn about how to put together a successful application. We are always grateful to those members of the medical profession who are willing to give up their time to help advise the next generation of students.”
Oakham has a busy programme of events and activities for students considering clinical courses including lectures, mock interviews, personal statement workshops and more. There are Old Oakhamians training to be doctors, veterinary surgeons and dentists at Bristol, Imperial College, Nottingham and Sheffield, among many other UK universities. In addition, former pupils regularly receive offers to study medicine abroad.
