The Vice-Chancellor's message to our medical students
Lancaster University Vice-Chancellor Andy Schofield thanks recent Medical School Graduates for their selfless work throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.
To provide direct and essential financial support for medical students now and in the future, we have established the Lancaster University Medical Student Hardship Fund.
In the past year, over 70 of our medical students have spent their time in between studies providing frontline support to hospitals across the North West in the region's continued fight against the Coronavirus Pandemic. Most recently, some of these students have been involved in the running of the University’s coronavirus testing site as well as contributing to the mass vaccination programme currently taking place at our new Health Innovation Campus.
Many students have had to balance long and challenging shifts in a variety of roles alongside remote and blended learning whilst spending much of the last year living away from their families.
Much of the extra work they have undertaken has been on a voluntary basis, meaning many are still facing the financial pressures of student life alongside the stresses of providing frontline medical support.
In order to provide direct and essential financial support for medical students as they continue to support hospitals across the region, both now and in the future, we have established the Lancaster University Medical Student Hardship Fund. Medical students from all year groups will be able to apply to the Hardship Fund for support when they need it most. It can be used to cover the cost of essential training resources and equipment or to help to pay living and travel costs for those undertaking placements in hospitals across the region.
Charlotte has been a Clinical Support Worker (CSW) at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI) since her first year. It’s the CSW’s responsibility to look after the personal care of patients: It’s both good experience and one of the few jobs flexible enough to fit around the demands of studying Medicine.
Things began to change very quickly for her in early March. Placements were suddenly cancelled, then exams followed suit; her housemates (being international students) took the decision to leave for their home countries as travel restrictions began to be applied around the world. Knowing that she wasn’t at risk of bringing Covid home to anyone, Charlotte decided to pick up more and more shifts in A&E and the Respiratory wards at the RLI.
As the pandemic built, the work became more and more stressful, with one shift in particular where she, one other CSW and two nurses, had to manage a ward of nearly thirty patients by themselves. Nevertheless, her colleagues working full-time in the NHS, were all looking out for one another even more than usual.
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Lancaster University Vice-Chancellor Andy Schofield thanks recent Medical School Graduates for their selfless work throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.
Philanthropy, Alumni and Supporter Engagement
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Nick Fragel
Director of Philanthropy, Alumni and Supporter Engagement
T: 07817 687 115
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