A group of 49 aspiring doctors from schools across Suffolk and Essex got a hands-on look at what it takes to have a career in medicine.
Today’s ‘Medical Careers Symposium for Schools’ saw year 10, 11 and 12 students from seven schools from the two counties get a chance to try their hand at various medical skills - including suturing, basic life support, keyhole surgery and anaesthetics.
Students from Ipswich School, Royal Hospital School in Holbrook, Colchester Sixth Form, Colchester Royal Grammar School, The Gilberd School in Colchester, Thomas Gainsborough School in Great Cornard and Felsted School near Braintree took part in the event hosted at Colchester Hospital.
The special careers day was held at The ICENI Centre for surgical training and research, a joint venture between the Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust and Anglia Ruskin University.
The event included a talk by Mr Tan Arulampalam, clinical director of The ICENI Centre and a consultant surgeon at the Trust, who spoke to students about what it is like working as a surgeon.
“Our medical careers day gives our clinicians the opportunity to showcase the diverse, rewarding and fascinating career that medicine is,” he said.
“We are fortunate to have the UK’s newest medical school opening on our doorstep at Anglia Ruskin University and we will be an important part of this enterprise.
“Students find it difficult to access information about medical school entry and my hope is that we will attract the brightest young men and women from the broadest backgrounds.”
Medical students and a junior doctor also gave a presentation to the teenagers called ‘Surviving medical School’ and took part in ‘specialty speed dating’ sessions where the youngsters could learn about anaesthetics, emergency medicine, general practice, paediatrics and surgery from senior doctors.
The day included a talk by Dr Ruth Jackson from Anglia Ruskin University who has been spearheading the university’s new School of Medicine.
A turf cutting ceremony took place last month to start the construction of the £20 million building in Chelmsford, which will become Essex’s first undergraduate School of Medicine.
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