I really enjoyed the style of teaching at College. Having an increased focus on independent learning worked well for me and helped to prepare me for Higher Education. All of my A-level teachers were brilliant and were all greatly invested in our success. We were treated as adults and our teachers emphasised that our success at College was very much dependant on how much we decided to put into our work. This gave me a strong work ethic that has continued now I am working towards being a surgeon.

I am in my first year of MBChB at the University of Warwick. It’s a graduate-entry accelerated four-year medical degree for people with previous degrees in life sciences. I’d never considered doing Medicine while I was at College, but don’t regret that: lots of things in my life might not have happened if I had not gone to Bristol to do Medical Microbiology first.

I was passionate about microbes and the wide scope of diseases that they can cause, and very much enjoyed learning about and working on coronaviruses such as SARS, MERS and SARS-CoV-2. Alongside my studies, I carried on my competitive swimming at a national level, becoming University of Bristol swimming captain in my final year. However, part-way through my degree I started to be drawn towards a career with more patient contact and less laboratory work.

On graduating, I planned to live at home for a year to gain some medical work experience and start building my application for graduate-entry Medicine – a highly competitive degree. I secured a Healthcare Assistant role at Brighton and Sussex NHS Trust and the very first day that I stepped into an orthopaedic theatre, I knew immediately that I wanted to be a surgeon.

My main role was acting as surgical circulator, preparing the instruments for surgery and running for the scrub nurse during operations. Occasionally I had the privilege of scrubbing in and assisting too. I’d always come home with the biggest smile on my face on those days. It was a pivotal moment in my life and changed my path for the better. That year, I applied for Medicine but was unsuccessful even getting to interview, due to a lower than hoped-for score in my University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) – the test for all medical school applicants.

Not to be discouraged, I moved back to Bristol for another year to start a job in emergency theatres at the North Bristol NHS Trust. There I worked in a variety of emergency surgical specialities, ranging from neurology and vascular to obstetrics and gynaecology. This turned out to be the best decision I could have made, and I am so grateful to colleagues that I have met and learned from along the way.

I reapplied to medical school in 2023, gaining place on the Graduate Entry Medicine programme at Warwick. While Warwick still needs a minimum UCAT score, they also really value relevant work experience in healthcare, so I had lots to talk about in the interview.

The course is extremely testing with a very heavy workload, but I couldn’t be happier with where I am in my life. I’ve met fantastic people who I have no doubt will be friends for life, and I’m one step closer to becoming an orthopaedic surgeon.

Having started Medicine at 23, I think my advice for students considering Medicine would be not to rush into it. It’s so crucial to have work experience in healthcare, not only to be successful at medical school, but also to know that it’s the right choice for you. It’s a life-changing decision, so you have to be 100% ‘in’!

There is absolutely no harm in taking a year out after College, in fact I think it is beneficial. Get some experience in healthcare, earn some money, meet new people or even go travelling. This can all prepare you for medical school and a career as a doctor. And, if you don’t apply the first-time round, don’t stress. Take some time away from applications and reset. Then, apply again when you’re ready.

Chloe Howes

Reigate College: 2016-2018

Higher Education: BSc Medical Microbiology, University of Bristol 2018-2021 then MBChB (Graduate-entry Medicine), University of Warwick