Veronica is a third year Medicine student in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London. Veronica was awarded a Scholarship for Excellence and shared how this recognition has increased her confidence and enabled her to engage in other aspects of university life.
My name is Veronica, and I am the first in my family to study Medicine and am now in my third year. Both my parents are Polish, but I have lived in the UK all my life. I now spend term time living with friends in East London and stay with my parents in the holidays.
So far, my studies are going well. I am on placement now which I am really enjoying as I get to talk to patients and apply what I have learned in the earlier years of my degree. I chose to study at Queen Mary University of London for several reasons including the location of the university as well as its close-knit community of medical students. I always feel supported by my peers and it’s a lovely environment to study in. I also love the diversity here in London, I get to see a diverse range of patients which has really supported my learning and development, especially during my clinical placements. Living in London is not cheap, my student finance covers a lot of it and my parents can support me so I am very lucky in that sense but I also try to work during the holidays so I can support myself.
Receiving this scholarship has enabled me to involve myself in other areas of university life. There is now less pressure for me to work shifts during holidays and I can engage in societies and extra-curriculars and still have time to focus more time on my studies. This funding has really motivated me to continue trying my best and provided me with a great sense of comfort and security too.
I definitely think students, especially in London, worry about their finances. My rent also increased recently, so my friends and I had to decide how and where we can move our money around to ensure we can pay our bills. With placements, we also have added travel costs, which are substantial expenses for many students. I think it is hard to find someone who isn’t worrying about finances.
In terms of the future, I am just taking things step by step and progressing through the system as a medical student. I am still figuring out what aspect of medicine I want to specialise in, but I am really interested in public health matters too, so that is something I am considering. I think I would like to go into teaching at some point, perhaps teaching students at a university hospital. For now, I am just considering all my options.
I would like to say a massive thank you to the wonderful people who have funded this scholarship. For students like me, your donations can make a huge difference and change our university experience completely! I will carry this support forward when I can to help others. Your generosity is really appreciated and has gone a long way in supporting me through my third year.