Nearly 200 medical students in the north of Scotland have graduated early so they can be deployed to the frontline of the health service’s response to covid-19.

Amid “an unprecedented world health crisis”, 179 medics from the University of Aberdeen graduate today – nine weeks earlier than planned – to start work across Scottish and UK hospitals by the end of the month.

One of the new cohort of doctors soon to join the frontline is 23-year-old Aberdonian Callum Eddie.

“Being a doctor is all I've ever wanted to be so I am looking forward to doing what I can,” he says.

“In the last few weeks I have been in awe of the NHS. Every single person working, or volunteering, has been absolutely incredible, and it has been amazing to hear everyone’s support every Thursday evening too.

“The amount of work everyone has put in, and the danger people are putting themselves in on the front lines is absolutely admirable.

“I am sure my classmates would agree, the way we can contribute to the effort to tackle covid-19 is to do literally whatever is needed. The way I see it is, we are all in this together, healthcare professionals and the general public included, and if we all continue working together as a team we will get through this.”

 

“Our medical graduates will begin their careers by applying their skills and knowledge to support the response to an unprecedented world health crisis,” says Professor Rona Patey, the Director of the Institute for Education in Medical and Dental Sciences at the university.

“We are immensely proud of their achievements and are confident that they are prepared and ready for the challenges ahead.”

Given current lockdown restrictions, a virtual graduation ceremony is being held for the class of 2020.

The Head of the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition at the university, Professor Siladitya Bhattacharya, says the students are “absolutely ready” for the challenges that lie ahead in “unprecedented times”.

Ordinarily, medical students would have been ‘capped’ on the 19^th June at the summer graduations.

Instead they will be pre-registered as doctors next week by the General Medical Council after the UK Government asked the GMC and medical schools whether early registration was possible in order to help support the NHS.

Those volunteering to support the NHS effort will take up posts in a range of areas as far afield as Shetland, the Western Isles, Wick and London.

 

Philip Calderwood is 24 and originally from Ballymena in Northern Ireland. He will be working as an interim FY1 doctor in Aberdeen as part of a two-year foundation programme with NHS Grampian.

He said: “There are a few mixed feelings, to be honest. We have been training for our first day on the wards for a long time now and we know we are ready, but this particular challenge could not have been predicted.

“We know that we have a great support network in the university which is reassuring. I think everybody wants to be of some help with the skills that they've worked hard at developing.

“I hope to repay the time and effort invested in me by working hard for the teams I am with, and by delivering the best care that I can to the patients I meet.”

Nadia Crolla, aged 26 and from Glasgow, will be joining one of the medical wards at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and feels ready to take on the unique challenges. She said:

“The medical school has prepared us well for the stress and uncertainty that comes with being a doctor and although things are not functioning as normal at the minute, we have huge amounts of support from staff and colleagues to get us through this.

“The majority of being a good doctor doesn't come from books, it comes from how you communicate with people and how you maintain empathy in the most trying of times and the medical school have done a stellar job to prepare us for this.”

 

 

Sign up to our bulletin sent twice a week so you don’t miss out on the latest health and social care news.