Serena Patel on her experience studying medicine at UCLan

Medicine (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) MBBS 

Whilst studying Medicine (MBBS) at UCLan Serena from Boston, Massachusetts has been so impressed with how much the staff care for their students, in particular going the extra mile for international students. She recalls one instance when her Professor invited everyone in the class to her family Christmas dinner, knowing many students were in the UK without family.

Serena’s first impressions of UCLan were extremely positive and the “outstanding facilities and well thought out, state-of-the-art course structure designed with the NHS in mind” helped her to make her decision to study with us.

“Even the admissions team went above and beyond to help support me, which was one of the reasons why UCLan was so appealing to me” she said. “If the admissions team was so caring and professional then I could only imagine what the rest of the team would be like.”

But it wasn’t until Serena arrived as a student and began her Medicine (MBBS) course that she really began to see what makes UCLan so special.

“The Tutors and Professors know us personally, which is something I did not get at my previous UK university. They are dedicated experts that care about how we are doing, providing extra sessions if needed. Their dedication to our education is substantial.

“I’ve had so many positive encounters with staff really caring for their students. They recognize international students are far from home so they go the extra mile to be there for them.”

As well as her delight at the staff and their interaction with students, Serena has also been impressed with her course: “The medical course is exceptional. We get feedback from Doctors in placement that tell us we are ahead in our knowledge and skills compared to other university’s medical students.”

“The hands on clinical experience, which starts from the first year, alongside the clinical skills labs, small teaching groups, the support we receive and knowing the staff personally is what makes this course stand out.”

Away from her academic studies, Serena enjoys to travel and she has benefitted from Preston train station’s close proximity to campus, which has allowed her to visit many different places in the UK.