How have you found the first year of the MB ChB? What have you particularly enjoyed?

Year 1 is very busy and there is a large amount content to learn, but the work is engaging and the staff are very approachable. I have particularly enjoyed the anatomy teaching in which self-directed learning is combined with applied workshops in the well-equipped Beehive Building.

There is a strong student support network and it is a pleasure to study with mature students from a range of academic backgrounds.

How has your degree in Health and Medical Sciences prepared you for Medicine? Which skills have particularly helped you?

My degree in Health and Medical Sciences has equipped me with a broad understanding of health and disease in the context of individual and population health. Some HMS content overlaps with the ‘Cell and Tissue Biomedicine’ and ‘Social and Population Perspective’ themes of the MB ChB. HMS allowed me to develop the organisational and study skills that have been key to my progress in medicine.

Do you have any advice for students considering studying HMS or those about to start the course?

I would recommend the HMS programme for its depth and breadth. It is an enriching degree in its own right, but it also provides a credible route into Graduate Entry Medicine. It allows you to keep your options open, and I would advise students to keep on top of the work, be organised and maintain an open mind about your eventual postgraduate destination.