To help our future vets and doctors understand what it is like to study these career pathways, we ask Old Ipswichians to come and talk about their experiences of applying to universities, the interview process and then studying at their chosen university.

Shortly after Jerome Scoote had popped in from UEA to give his advice about studying Medicine, Lana Mo, a fifth year veterinary student from Surrey came in to talk about life as a final year student and what her plans were for the future. She explained that students should make the most of their first and second years with regard to sports and societies as the future years were very demanding. She also talked about extra-mural studies (EMS) which is the required practical experience that has to be completed during
the breaks in term time. She explained that this meant she had not had a real break from studying during the past five years!

Last week we welcomed Evan McNab, a second year medical student from Leeds, and Anna Wijnberg, a third year veterinary medicine student from Nottingham, back to the school for the first time since they left. Evan briefly discussed the pros and cons of BMAT over the UCAT, before delivering a tutorial based on a scenario used for training doctors in A&E. His tablet displayed the vital statistics (breathing rate, oxygen sats, heart rate and blood pressure) of a patient admitted to A&E and he talked the students through the procedure to identify what was wrong with the patient, getting them to figure out what had
happened, why and what should be done to treat them.

The vitals then changed as treatments were given and the outcomes were discussed. By the end, the students deduced that the patient had suffered an allergic reaction. Anna spoke to the aspiring vets about life at Nottingham and how the course was delivered, answering questions and giving advice on how to make a competitive application.

It was great to welcome back our OIs and for them to be so generous with their time and advice to our students. We wish them all the best for the future and look forward to them returning again in the near future.

Mr Calver, Deputy Head of Sixth Form