Future Medics Programme
Launched in September 2024, Penrice Academy's Future Medics Programme increases awareness of what it takes to study Medicine and Healthcare subjects through fun, inspiring and interactive teaching focused on medicine, health and science.
There are a range of opportunities that provide advice and hands-on experience, including guest speakers, webinars and practical exercises, allowing Penrice students to gain detailed insight into possible future careers in the sector.
Representatives from Peninsula Medical School (University of Plymouth), Brighton and Sussex Medical School, the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust and Cornwall Partnership Foundation Trust have assisted in setting up the programme, offering a range of opportunities.
Levelling the Playing Field
The Future Medics Programme forms a new part of the existing Penrice Scholarship Programme, offering opportunities that remove common ‘ceilings to success’ for the most academically able in state secondary schools. The Penrice Careers Team have set up the initiative in an effort to ‘level the playing field’.
Mrs Stevenson
Careers Curriculum Lead at Penrice Academy
"In 2019, a report from the Sutton Trust identified that whilst just 7% of Britons are privately educated, they make up 39% of the leading professions. Children in St Austell deserve the best, and we are playing our part to level the playing field by striving to offer Penrice students the best careers opportunities and experiences possible.
I know from being a parent that it is so competitive to get into Medical School, and if you don’t find out about a lot of the application processes and the challenges until A-Levels, then you are already at a disadvantage. Building strong personal statements is one thing, but there are so many other considerations. For example, the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) exam must be sat in October the year before a student applies to university. This translates to a student’s first two months at College or Sixth Form in Year 12. If they only become aware of the UCAT requirement after this deadline then some medical career pathways may already be closed, or delayed by a whole year at the very least."
Just the Start
Despite having a range of Future Medics opportunities already locked in for this academic year, Penrice are still hoping to grow their outreach and expand the programme further.
Those who are active in the field of Medicine and Healthcare and wish to help inspire the next generation are warmly encouraged to email Mrs April Stevenson via careersteam@penrice.org.uk.
"I am delighted to support the Future Medics programme, it is an exciting development. Everyone in their life has some contact with the heath service from birth to end of life, there are so many careers and options to train that it is great that students will be getting an early introduction to the career opportunities here in Cornwall. Across Cornwall we look forward to welcoming them as our future health professionals."
Ms Julie Gripton, from Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
