Why did you choose Bristol for your BSc?

“I chose Bristol University for my first degree because of its reputation and location – I live near London so the city was somewhere different but still quite easy to get to. I did not want to go to a campus university and the layout of Bristol University as part of the city appealed. Choosing Bristol as a second degree was a more engineered choice. Graduate entry medicine is fiercely competitive and my four choices were all about maximising my chances. Bristol did not require entry tests which I liked despite having done them anyway.”

How would you sum up your experience?

“It was challenging. I could not have imagined the level of excellence that was expected for the highest marks and a lot of the time in the first year was about adjusting. I enjoyed the ability to steer my degree to what interested me. The dissertation project was great.”

What were the staff like?

“They were very supportive and welcoming. Everyone gets a tutor and my meetings were always on time and relaxed.”

How did your degree influence what you did next?

“I had never thought of doing a job as a scientist, I was always going to train as a pilot. I had always had an interest in medicine but with no medics in my family and no-one suggesting it to me, I didn't really consider it an option. My degree brought medicine right into my mind as an alternative career to flying, especially lectures given by medical doctors.”

What advice would you offer to any students contemplating a place at Bristol?

“Bristol is a great city, not too big to be impossible to get around, but not too small to be boring. The university offers many opportunities in all aspects of life for you to get stuck into. It’s a privilege to be taught by researchers who are working at the forefront of science. A degree in the medical sciences will challenge you academically and fascinate you at the same time. The level of detail can be difficult but if you are passionate about the topic, it will get you through.”