MB ChB student profile: Emily

At Warwick Medical School you can study graduate-entry medicine without a science degree. Here, second year student Emily shares her experiences of the course coming from a degree in Education and Psychology.

Undergraduate degree

Education and Psychology, University of Southampton

Why did you choose to study medicine after a non-science undergraduate degree?

I grew up as a carer for my mum who has complex healthcare needs. I was always interested in healthcare, but never considered that I could be a doctor. It wasn’t until I had my own experience in resus in A&E that really pushed me to consider medicine as a career. But I had no science A-levels so didn’t think it was possible until I found GEM (Graduate-Entry Medicine).

Did you have any concerns about studying medicine before starting at Warwick?

I last studied science in my GCSEs and I was very worried I wouldn’t be able to understand the concepts and the anatomy.

What challenges have you encountered during the MB ChB?

It was definitely hard in the beginning, and I noticed that I would often be the only person in a room who didn’t know what a word or a concept meant.

What advantages have you found of having a non-science background?

I think knowing I needed to work hard meant I was incredibly determined. I also felt having diverse experiences helped in things like CBL (Case-Based Learning), as my perspective was very different to my classmates who were all science graduates.

What support have you had during the course so far?

Fellow non-science graduates and SEMs run by phase 2s and phase 3s during my first year were very helpful. Also the staff were incredibly supportive when we would voice our concerns around exams and things like that.

Would you recommend this route to medicine to others?

Absolutely! It was hard at first, and was harder for us as non-science graduates. But once I found my footing, I really enjoyed it and found actually I was quite good at things I was originally concerned about. I wouldn’t want to do anything else!