Kelley Chen’s Experience at the University of Leicester
I’m coming towards the end of my first year of studying Medicine at the University of Leicester, and am here to share my experiences on what studying here is like. I can still remember myself this time last year struggling to choose which university to firm but can honestly say that I have had an amazing time here so far, having made so much lovely memorises, hopefully with many more to come!
City & Atmosphere
In terms of the atmosphere, I’ve found there to be a strong community feel at Leicester – all the students I’ve met are really friendly, and lecturers are always happy to help outside of teaching sessions. The city itself is vibrant and student-orientated, with lots to do, and many good restaurants you can try out! It’s big enough to give you that student experience, but not too big that it becomes overwhelming or busy, or difficult to find your way around. This was something that I really liked because I grew up in a small town, so I was worried about being in an entirely different/bigger place, but Leicester provided a good balance for me. The university campus itself is situated in a convenient place, with a train station nearby and the city centre being within walking distance. The area also has lots of green spaces, and a Botanic Garden nearby.
Course & Teaching style
Looking at the teaching style, Leicester has an integrated course, with year 1 and 2 (Phase 1) being the pre-clinical years and years 3-5 (Phase 2) being the clinical years.
During Phase 1, Leicester has systems-based learning, where you will cover a range of modules (such as Musculoskeletal System, Cardiovascular System, Infection, Pathological Processes, Medical Cell Biology & Genetics, Head & Neck, Respiratory System, and many more)! Your learning will primarily consist of a 1:1 split between lectures and facilitated group work, where you go through questions relating to the lectures, and you can have anywhere from 4 to 8 hours of teaching per day. I’ve really loved this teaching style because it allows me to review and consolidate my learning more effectively!
You will have CHDD tutorials for 2 hours every fortnight, where you'll learn about clinical skills such as taking patient histories and how to perform examinations. In addition, Leicester understands that studying medicine can be challenging, and therefore has a Health Enhancement Programme throughout first year, which teaches you about maintaining a good wellbeing.
During Phase 2, you have full-time clinical placements, where you will rotate around a variety of specialties/wards. You will receive some teaching within the clinical setting you are allocated to, and will also be provided with lots of resources by the university for self-study. You will also have Student Selected Components, allowing you to delve deeper into your interests!
Leicester offers early patient contact from the first year of the course through its ‘Patients Know Best’ sessions, where you can communicate with patients who are experiencing long term illnesses. You are also provided with HCA training, part of which involves undertaking a 2-day hospital shift towards the end of year 1, allowing you to work as a bank HCA afterwards!
Leicester also offers full-body cadaveric dissection as part of the teaching, along with regular drop-in sessions throughout the year, which I have found really helpful as this allows me to visualise the anatomy and see how different parts fit together. When it comes to revision, many online platforms such as Simple Med and Teach Me Anatomy (which the university will provide free access to) are created by Leicester medical students, so are a good resource because they closely match our curriculum. Older years also put on many revision sessions throughout the year.
Research Opportunities
There are lots of research opportunities available at Leicester if this is something you’re interested in, most of which will be sent to you via the weekly Extracurriculars Announcements which they become available. We also have a research society that runs regular talks by researchers/academics, and also runs a Journal Club in collaboration with UEA Medical School, where you will have the opportunity to discuss research papers and improve research skills. You will also have the opportunity to attend or present any research you have undertaken at the annual INSPIRE Conference (NMRC), which is run with UEA, Nottingham and Lincoln.
At the moment, I'm really enjoying undertaking a research project on the role of AI in medical education with a small group of other students, which will be presented that the international ASME conference coming up in July.
Intercalation Opportunities
Leicester gives you the opportunity to intercalate for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a wide variety of subjects, which are listed on their website!
Student life & Clubs/Societies
I’d say that on the whole, there is a pretty good student life here, with lots that you can do, and many events taking place in the O2 on campus. We also have a very active medic society (LUSUMA) which offers lots of medic sports, academic sub-societies (including ones on different medical specialities) that you can join, and a Medic Parents Scheme. They also put on many great socials and formals throughout the year!
Whilst study medicine can be hard work, by being organised, there is definitely still time for you to take part in other things you enjoy. For example, I’m currently taking part in badminton, and also love going for walks around my accomodation. In addition, I’m part of the GP Society committee as a Phase 1 Coordinator, which I have been able to balance with being Regional Lead for Medics&Me, and mentoring students who are applying to medicine. There are so many opportunities available, so definitely try out anything you are interested in!
Student Support
Leicester has lots of support available to students, including the personal tutor scheme, and a Pastoral and Academic Support Unit within the medical school specifically for medical students.
Overall, I have really enjoyed studying medicine at Leicester, and have met some of the most supportive people!
Kelley Chen - Medical Student, University of Leicester
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