Lily has been dedicated to her pursuit of a place to study Medicine from the outset of Sixth Form. Her interest in this career began at an early age, and a perfect score at GCSE, along with the College’s biennial Medical and Dental conference hosted for schools in Cheltenham and Gloucester, created a strong platform for her successes to date. After exploring interests in Fourth and Fifth Form with the Careers team, the College’s programme of support for Medicine applicants begins formally from the outset of Lower Sixth and is delivered by Mr John Jones, Medicine and Dentistry Coordinator.

The programme provides forward looking guidance on what pupils should be doing in preparation for Medicine. This includes the acquisition of work experience, both independently and via the College’s weekly Community Action programme, and activities supporting young people which can include DofE or CCF. A small number of pupils on the programme have volunteered at Cheltenham General Hospital.

Formally, preparation sessions begin in January of Lower Sixth, addressing the university medical and dental scene, the standards set by the General Medical Council and the Medical Schools Council, the pillars of medical ethics, and an introduction to the UCAT medical schools selection test. Some of these sessions are offered to schools in the Cheltenham Educational Partnership too. Speakers at these sessions have included GPs, surgeons, occupational health doctors, and Army doctors.

Pupils are introduced to the UCAT during the programme and then hone their skills during a full day tutorial workshop in June. Lily’s successes with offers from Cardiff and Newcastle resulted from expert knowledge and guidance from Mr Jones in making targeted applications informed by her test mark and excellent GCSE grades.

The Autumn Term of Upper Sixth focuses on interview preparation, and mock interviews are organised through the programme and delivered by medical professionals and Old Cheltonians. Lily has been consistent in her ambitions from the outset, capitalising on excellent subject preparation and application guidance, sharpening her verbal and quantitative reasoning skills, and developing a varied profile to support an impressive personal statement. This ultimately provides a toolkit for effective interview responses.

We wish her every success with her future in the medical profession!

Our Pathways & Possibilities series celebrates the journeys of our pupils as they take their next steps beyond College, while supporting current pupils and parents with expert guidance along the way. Each week, we will share a mix of success stories and practical advice from our Higher Education and Careers team to help inspire and inform future pathways.

If you would like to learn more about Sixth Form at Cheltenham College, please click here.

If you would like to find out more about the College’s Higher Education & Careers department, please click here.