Having been fortunate enough to be selected for the four-year graduate medicine programme at Southampton Medical school, I have been thriving in such a stimulating and exciting environment. I spend 3 days a week in a hospital, on the wards talking to patients, being given lectures by consultants who have just come out of the operating theatre, or improving my clinical skills. The other days we work together as a team to teach each other important concepts or commit ourselves fully to our books! My breadth of knowledge has expanded beyond belief, now I just have to prove it in the forthcoming exams! The course has been even more enjoyable than I first thought, further confirming my dedication to a career in medicine.

With my first degree being in neuroscience, and my present goal being to specialise in neurology I am heavily involved in the Southampton University Neurology Society. I have been attending conferences from world experts in their field, from cardiology to immunology, and these have been both stimulating and engaging. Next year I am keen to expand my horizons beyond neurology, and get involved with other areas of medicine, to keep my options open for the future.

This summer I will continue to work in the neurology theatres at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. This is a job that provides me not only extra funding for the next academic year, but a tremendous source of medical expertise from which to learn from every day.

I have been working in collaboration with a neurosurgeon at Great Ormond Street over the last two years and have successfully written a paper on our findings of a novel surgical procedure, which I hope to present at an international conference in Germany at the end of the summer.

Studying medicine has many challenges; long hours, endless learning and a daunting curriculum, but for many on my course finding the funds to be able to afford to continue year to year is their most pressing concern. The significant increase in tuition fees combined with the limited government funding for graduate courses, means that without the assistance of the BSB it would not be possible to continue my training.

Having the support of the BSB has given me the freedom to challenge myself and set me on a firm path to achieve my ambition to become a doctor. I am extremely grateful for all the BSB has contributed, supporting me throughout my studies, towards my future career.