Hello, my name is Róisín. I am a first year HCP-Med student and podiatrist. I am very passionate about widening participation and encouraging people to consider a career in healthcare.
HCP-Med is a medical degree designed for experienced healthcare professionals interested in training to become doctors. It is part-time and mostly online for the first three years, with the final two years being full-time and in-person, where we join with the larger undergraduate MBChB programme.
Flexible structure
The structure of the HCP-Med course means I have a level of flexibility that is not always available when compared with a traditional undergraduate medical degree. I have been a podiatrist for over five years and it has provided me with a fantastic career. As I’m still working part-time, this suits me well – there are some set classes within the timetable, but as a whole you can structure the course to fit round your life. This is particularly important to me whilst managing my current health concerns and wider responsibilities.
This is a sentiment shared by my peers within HCP-Med. The element of online learning means I can maintain and develop current clinical skills whilst expanding knowledge base and clinical opportunity through the longitudinal placements in general practice.
I have a keen interest in general practice and this link from the early stages is very exciting. Within my placement, the team have been incredibly welcoming and my experience thus far has helped solidify why I pursued medicine.
Small class sizes
The smaller class size also helped push me towards HCP-Med. Being in a small class of people from different healthcare backgrounds has provided a really unique learning experience. We are able to pull from our own previous clinical experiences and further develop our understanding of the patient journey.
I loved how enthusiastic the course leaders were during the virtual information evenings and they appeared to be genuinely excited about this new development within the university. This enthusiasm has continued throughout my first year – it’s clear the HCP-Med Team are very engaged and open to feedback as the course develops. Being involved in a course that you can help shape is a fantastic opportunity!
I am incredibly glad I made the decision to choose HCP-Med.
Find out more about the HCP-Med programme:
