LifeLab summer school boosts young people’s dream of becoming a doctor
Aspiring medics joined our LifeLab summer school to gain hands-on experience and support their university applications.
We welcomed 39 young people from across the UK to LifeLab on the 23rd and 24th July for our annual summer school.
They explored the world of medicine through hands-on experience, tours and expert insights. They also received tips on how to make their application for medicine stand out from the crowd.
Developing new skills
Experience Medicine with LifeLab is a two-day course during the summer holidays. It is intended for students in years 9 to 11 who are interested in studying medicine at university.
LifeLab have run it every year since 2013, in collaboration with professionals at the University Hospital Southampton the University of Southampton’s Faculty of Medicine.
This year’s attendees had the opportunity to gain experience
practicing clinical skills. They were supported by the Faculty of Medicine’s
student ambassadors. The skills included venesection, cannulation, suturing,
blood pressure and urine testing.
Paramedics Ben Channon and Neil Bizzell from the critical care team’s ambulance service trained them how to respond to a trauma scenario, where someone has been injured.
They also had to use their knowledge of anatomy to work through a series of patient case studies and try being a ‘medical detective’.
Seeing the hospital
After an introduction to research, the students were given a tour of our NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility by Lisa Berry, Lead Research Matron.
This gave them an understanding of how doctors run medical research trials and studies to improve the care given to patients.
Attendees also had a tour of the hospital’s Acute Medical Unit by Dr Ben Chadwick. This gave them the chance to learn more about how our doctors treat patients on the wards.
Useful tips and advice
Current medical students shared what their typical day looks
like. They also answered questions from attendees about their experience.
We heard an inspiring keynote from Dr Stephen Downey, who talked to the students about his unconventional route to university, and how he over came challenges to achieve his dream.
The course finished with a session run by the Faculty of Medicine’s admission team, which parents or guardians could attend. This gave useful tips and insights on how to apply to study medicine at the university.
This was followed by a Q&A session, where the students and their families could ask the team questions about the admissions process.
Kate Bartlett, Developing Talent Lead at LifeLab, said:
“The summer school is a highlight for me. Seeing the young people so inspired by what they see and hear is incredible. It makes all the hard work worth it!
“Being able to inform students on what doctors do and the different routes you can take is so worthwhile, especially when we see them come back as medical students themselves.”
One student said their favourite part of the course was having the chance to practice clinical skills, as they had never done this before.
“I have never had the opportunity to experience these things, and I loved it,” they said. “It really showed me that medicine was the correct route for me.”
Parents said the summer school was a ‘great experience’ for their child. They also said it helped them decide whether a career in medicine was the right choice for them.
“It gave amazing practical experience,” said one parent, “and improved understanding of what a career in medicine is all about.”