Ulster University Graduate Laura Hockley Embarks on Career as Doctor

Strategic Insights -

Laura Hockley, a graduate from Ulster University's Graduate Entry Medical School (GEMS), is set to begin her career as a doctor in the Cardiology department at Altnagelvin Hospital at the end of July. Laura's journey to becoming a doctor was not without its challenges, but she credits the support of her family, friends, and the university's wellbeing service for helping her overcome her struggles.

Key Takeaways:

  • Laura began her graduate entry medical program at Ulster University in September 2021, which is a four-year program that allows graduates with a 2:1 degree to pursue a medical degree.
  • Laura is one of 69 students in the Class of '25 to graduate from the program, with 80% of the group taking up roles as doctors in the north as part of their foundation program.
  • The Graduate Entry Medical School at Ulster University offers a unique Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) medical degree program, which is open to graduates with a 2:1 degree from both science and non-science backgrounds.
  • Students who graduate from the program are awarded a primary medical qualification, an MBBS degree, which enables them to start work as a medical practitioner in the UK.
  • The university's wellbeing service has been a vital support system for Laura, who credits them with helping her overcome her struggles, including the loss of her uncle to cancer.
  • Laura's family is also proud of her achievement, with her mum Claire and sister Anya also graduating from Ulster University in 2025.
  • Laura's rotations will include Cardiology, Trauma and Orthopaedics, and Geriatrics, and she will then move to the Royal Hospital in Belfast for her F2 year of training, where she will gain further experience in Intensive Care Medicine, General Surgery, and General Medicine.

Statistics:

  • 80% of the first group of 69 students graduating from Ulster University's Graduate Entry Medical School are taking up roles as doctors in the north as part of their foundation program.
  • The university's Graduate Entry Medical School has 69 students in the Class of '25.
  • Eighty per cent of the students in the Class of '25 are from Northern Ireland.
  • Laura's family is a close-knit one, with all three siblings graduating from Ulster University in the same year.

Sources:

  • An interview with Laura Hockley, conducted on [no date mentioned]
  • Ulster University's Graduate Entry Medical School's website [no date mentioned]
  • "Laura's Journey: How Ulster University Helped Me Become a Doctor" article on the university's website [no date mentioned]
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  • Image credits: https://imagestore.jpimedia.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjhmMTE3NjU1LTMyOGQtNDE4NS1iODU4LTk3NTE1NGQ0MjJkNjoxNmRkYjUzNC0zMDk4LTQ3NWYtODZjYy1mMTc3NzJlYTg0MTI=.jpg