Careers in Medicine

Posted on by Careers Service

Welcome to the fascinating world of medicine. Where science and compassion interact to save lives and transform the human experience.

Panellist, Amber, speaks to students at the Careers Service about the Mature Medic Platform.

In March we welcomed a panel of 4 speakers for a panel event, who shared their experiences, as well as their top tips, to students interested in a career in medicine.  

Meet the panellists

Amber, a fourth-year MB ChB student at the University of Bristol, believes age should never be a barrier.

  • studying medicine as a mature student.
  • completed her PhD in Biochemistry at University of Bristol.
  • Her experiences motivated her to set up The Mature Medic Platform for students aged 21 and over.  The Mature Medic Platform offers guidance and mentorship for applying to medicine. Their ‘spotlight’ student videos also highlight the diversity of career journeys into medicine.

Ebube, a second-year MB ChB student at the University of Bristol, shared her experiences of struggling to secure a place to study medicine.

  • She was initially unfamiliar with the application process and overcame many hurdles.
  • She started her degree after a delay of two years.

Her passion for medicine and her perseverance led her to success. Ebube proves that passion can help you achieve your goals.

Jade, is a second-year graduate Professional Entry Medicine student at King’s College. She initially completed a Cellular and Molecular Medicine undergraduate degree.

  • During her degree, she embraced volunteering activities and part-time work.
  • She volunteered in residential care and coordinated a project for isolated older people.
  • She also tutored GCSE and A level students.
  • Jade also worked as a Widening Participation Ambassador and Open Day Host for the university. 

She believes engaging in opportunities to interact with different people during your degree is beneficial as patient interaction is such a vital part of medicine. Every experience counts!

Jodie is a University of Bristol medicine graduate, a Clinical Teaching Fellow on the MB ChB at the university, and is due to start Obstetrics and Gynaecology speciality training in 2023. She believes in the importance of continuous learning.

“Never stop being open to learning. You’ll continue to learn throughout your career in medicine.“

  • Jodie advises reflecting on why you want to pursue this career. What does medicine mean to you, and why is it important? Have you challenged these thoughts?
  • Medicine is a very rewarding career but can be very difficult at times. So it’s worth spending time understanding your motivations and reasons for pursuing medicine. This can help identify if medicine is the right choice for you.

Of course, the Careers Service can help too! We offer appointments to help reflect on your options. Talk to us on Live Chat or drop-in to see us at 5 Tyndall Avenue.

Top tips for students interested in applying for medicine:

Are you studying a non-science undergraduate degree?

Check each school’s eligibility as some offer places for non-science graduates, though criteria vary. Your current academic qualifications may be enough. Or schools may offer the opportunity to apply for a preliminary year. This is an alternative pathway into studying Medicine for students who don’t have the required ‘A’ level or equivalent subjects.

Useful links for further information. Happy exploring!

  • Careers Service Health Sector Guide – Medicine.  Includes advice on finding work experience. University of Bristol medicine students also share their varied routes into medicine and their advice for starting this journey
  • British Medical Association Studying medicine (bma.org.uk).  Information on how to become a doctor and what to expect at medical school
  • NHS Doctors | Health Careers. An introduction to medicine as a career and options to explore other NHS careers 
  • The Mature Medic Platform.  Advice on applying to medical school. Includes video ‘spotlights’ where mature medics share their varied career journeys into medicine 
  • Careers Service Online medicine panel recording. Medicine students and doctors share their experiences of studying and working in medicine.

This blog is written by Priyam Suri, MSc Bioinformatics

From Physics to HR – my IKEEP project

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Francisco is a physics postgraduate studying for a PhD in Functional Nanomaterials. He told us about his recent IKEEP (Intrapreneurial Knowledge Exchange Enterprise Pathway) placement, helping Southwest business Safer Industries to develop their human resources (HR). 

Francisco, can you tell us more about your IKEEP project?  

Safer Industries primarily focuses on services and products for clients to improve their safety and prevent criminal activity.

Physics PhD student Francisco Alvarez del Castillo Manzanos

We were tasked with laying the groundwork for their HR operational guidelines and policies, such as the Employee Lifecycle and Personal Development Programme.

This meant getting to know the company’s culture and goals, along with existing industry standards and best practices, the legal space the company operates within, and a fair bit of reflecting on what our ideal workplace would be and how to bring it about for future employees. 

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Outstanding PLUS Awards: meet the judges!

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Meet the distinguished panel of judges who selected the winners of this year’s Outstanding PLUS Awards.

The OPA celebrates Bristol PLUS Award students who have made a significant change or impact in their PLUS Award activity. There are eight award categories, with just one winner per category.

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Meet the Bristol PLUS achievers who are championing mental health in their community!

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Mental Health Awareness (MHA) week is an opportunity to think about mental health, tackle stigma, and discover tools and techniques to protect our mental wellbeing.  

We're proud to support Mental Health Awareness Week 15 to 21 May 2023 Mental Health Foundation

This year, MHA week is themed around anxiety. We caught up with three Bristol PLUS Award achievers to learn how their work has improved the wellbeing of others in their community.  

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Graduate stories: Working at Tesco as a Bristol graduate

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Rachel graduated from Bristol with an Economics degree and now works in data analysis for Tesco. We recently caught up with Rachel to hear about her experience working for Tesco and her advice for students that are starting their career.

Rachel Buzinin

“Thinking about careers and trying to secure a first job might be easy for some.  Maybe you’ve had an idea about what you want to do for a while and your university degree is leading you in this direction.

However, for others, it’s less clear, and this can cause anxiety and confusion. I fit into the latter group and nearly 7 years since graduating I’m still figuring it out!

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Outstanding PLUS Awards: Honourable Mentions 2022/23!

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Outstanding PLUS Awards

The Outstanding PLUS Awards (OPA) recognise exceptional Bristol PLUS Award achievers who have gone above and beyond in their PLUS Award activity.

Whilst there can only be one winner for each of the eight categories, the judges awarded a number of honourable mentions to those shortlisted in each category.

With 114 nominations overall, the judging was tougher than ever, so a huge congratulations to everyone who received an honourable mention! Let’s meet them… 

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Post-Get Hired checklist: make the most of your connections.

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Bristol Beacon’s Get Hired event on Wednesday 3 May brought together more than 750 students with 40 employers from a range of industries, offering immediate job vacancies, graduate roles, and internships.

Fair sponsors, Outlook Energy, talking to students at the Get Hired careers fair.

But attending the fair is only the first step – what you do next can determine your success in building your network, finding a mentor, or landing your dream job.

The employers at Get Hired were impressed by the quality of students they met, and as we know Bristol students are the 4th most targeted by top graduate employers, so it’s important to capitalize on that positive impression and keep the momentum going.

Here are some tips to help you maximise your post-fair experience.

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Science meets the arts in an IKEEP work placement

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Electrical and Electronic Engineering student Tirenioluwa Omigbodun recently took on the challenge of an IKEEP placement with independent arts venue The Bristol Improv Theatre (BIT).

She was part of a student team looking at external factors impacting the theatre so they can adapt and attract new audiences. 

Tirenioluwa Omigbodun posing for a selfie in front of the window overlooking Wills Memorial Building on a sunny day in Bristol.

Tirenioluwa, can you tell us about your team placement with Bristol Improv Theatre?

The placement with the Bristol Improv Theatre was on looking at their external environment. The theatre was preparing their 2023/25 business plan and needed a glimpse of the socio-economic environment. We researched their audience profiles, trends within the industry and how the BIT impacts its environment.  

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Outstanding PLUS Awards: Meet the Winners 2022/23!

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"Outstanding PLUS Awards" against a purple background

Let’s meet the outstanding eight who have cinched an Outstanding PLUS Award for going above and beyond their Bristol PLUS Award activity.

But first, what are the Outstanding PLUS Awards (OPA)?

The OPA celebrates Bristol PLUS Award students who have made a significant change or impact in their PLUS Award activity.

There are eight award categories, with just one winner per category. This year, we received 114 applications across the eight categories (the highest number of applications yet!).

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How to get into: Start-ups and SMEs

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Are you innovative, self-driven and interested in working in a close-knit work environment? Then working in a start-up or SME might be the right career move for you!

On 28 February, the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law invited University of Bristol alumni to talk about their experiences in start-ups and SMEs, as part of the ‘How to get into…’ event series.

Read on for our speakers’ top tips for those interested in pursuing a career in the sector, as well as an overview of the sector and some useful links.

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