Aspiring Medics and Dentists from New College Swindon Head Off to University

Eight former New College students will be heading off to university this autumn to study Medicine and Dentistry.

Following A Level Results Day this year, four students from New College will be studying Medicine at UCL, Bristol, Exeter and Southampton. After taking a gap year, two former New College students will also study Medicine at Manchester University and St. George’s in London. One former student will also be heading off to university in Cardiff to study Dentistry, whilst another former student will study Dentistry at Manchester after gaining a place on a Graduate Entry Programme. These students are part of the 500+ New College learners also heading to university this year.

After achieving an A* and two A grades in his A Levels, former student Dawid Akala will be heading to University College London this September to study Medicine. He said: “I enjoy science and love working with people and Medicine is a combination of those two things. After graduating I hope to spend some time travelling as a doctor. I liked New College as an open, comfortable learning environment - it definitely develops your independent study and time management skills in a greater way than school. At the same time teachers are highly supportive and approachable, taking genuine interest in your progress.”

Katie Ash achieved an A* and two A grades in her A Levels at New College. She also achieved an A in AS Sociology this year. She will be studying Medicine at the University of Bristol in September. She said: “I chose medicine as I wanted a career in which I was able to care for people and make a difference to their lives, but in a clinical rather than a lab environment, and because I love the sciences (particularly chemistry and biology) and so I wanted to study a subject where they could be practically applied, preferably for the benefit of others. My time at New College has been great and the atmosphere is always very friendly. The teaching is at a high standard and the teachers are really supportive and help you to achieve the best grades possible.”

Former New College student Miles Frost achieved an A* and four A grades in his A Levels at New College. He also achieved a grade B in AS General Studies this year. He said: “I wanted to go into medicine due to my love for Biology and Chemistry which sparked during secondary school and continued at my time at New College. All of my teachers were brilliant, I will remember all of them. Support was always there for me from them, especially my tutor Donald MacLennan and my med package tutor Angela Mak, who were incredibly helpful over the period in which I was applying for University.”

Miles will be studying Medicine for five years at the University of Southampton and hopes to work in a hospital as a physician and a researcher in the future.