Past Student Profiles
Victoria Suntharalingam
1. Name: Victoria Suntharalingam
2. Where are you from?: Birmingham
3. Why did you choose the university of Sheffield?: I chose Sheffield university because I wanted to be at a Uni which had my distance from home to be independent, yet still close enough to go home often.
4. What do you think of Sheffield?: I thought Sheffield was an amazing city! I met so many people, some of which I am still in contact with. The night life is amazing and there is always something to do during the day and night!
5. What advice would you give to prospective Bmedsci H&HS students?: the advice that I would give to new students would be to have an open mind when entering the course. I had an open mind and once completing my first year, the modules that I studied allowed me to ascertain my career choice.
6. What was the most enjoyable and rewarding part of the course?:
The most rewarding part of the course was the work placement. I was attached to an eating disorders service in Sheffield. I know that it was only 8 weeks long, and i feel that I would have gained a lot more if I had more time, but it still confirmed that I would like to be part of an eating disorders service. I enjoyed being able to sit in on assessment and also to attend the hospital where emergency cases were. From all the information and new knowledge that i gained from the work placement, I was able to write my dissertation on a topic that I have an avid interest in!
7. What are you doing now?:I am now doing an msc in mental health studies at the university of Nottingham. This course is quite demanding as it is full of medics who want to further their knowledge of mental health. There was the option of completing the course in 3 years, but i opted to do the course in 1 year. I am studying a range of modules that is furthering my knowledge on mental health, yet still having an avid interest in eating disorders.
8. Do you think your degree helped further your career?: As I said above, I had an open mind when I embarked upon the course, but after studying a range of modules that covered a vast amount of information on the NHS and healthcare within the UK, I was able to base many assignments on my interest. A bmedsci in health and human sciences is a great way for a student to obtain knowledge on the theoretical side of medicine.
Emma Kaye
1. Name: Emma Kaye
2. Where are you from? Holmes Chapel, Cheshire.
3. Why did you choose the University of Sheffield? For several reasons! Besides the course, the University has a great reputation both academically and socially, and I really loved the city. In addition, it was just the right distance away from where I grew up - far enough to feel like I'd left home and gained full independence, but close enough to travel back and forth whenever I needed to!
4. What do you think of Sheffield? It's a really friendly and fun place to be a student! Great people, good nightlife, plenty of shops and on the edge of the Peak District - perfect if you ever fancy a break from the city!
5. What advice would you give to prospective BMedSci H&HS students? If you have the opportunity to, then go to the open days and speak to the staff and current students, as well as exploring Sheffield itself. I think the course is ideal for those with a strong interest in health, but who perhaps aren't too sure which career path to venture down yet; I was in that exact position whilst studying for my A levels and now know that I definitely want a career in Public Health Nutrition. I think the skills and knowledge that you gain from the degree will provide a solid foundation for any career or further study within the field of health and social care - it is quite unique!
6. What was the most enjoyable and rewarding part of the course? The work-based placement in third year; working with the 'Food in Sheffield (5-a-day)' team enabled me to gain valuable first-hand experience of nutrition-related health promotion, and really improved my confidence. Some of my best friends from University were also fellow BMedSci students!
7. What are you doing now? I'm studying for an MSc in Nutrition with Public Health Management at Sheffield Hallam University, and volunteering as a Community Health Champion in my spare time. I really wanted to stay in Sheffield, which I think says a lot about how great the city is!
8. Do you think your degree helped further your career? Definitely. I gained a comprehensive understanding of health and social care environments that has proved invaluable to my further study, and will no doubt continue to do so throughout my career.
Kate Marston
1. Name: Kate Marston
2. Where are you from? Sheffield.
3. Why did you choose the University of Sheffield? Because the course perfectly combined my practical work experiences with theoretical study and because of the university's adaptable admissions policy which places emphasis in more than just previous academic attainment as important factors in assessing the suitability of a potential student.
4. What do you think of Sheffield? Lovely - a great big town full of friendly faces and opportunity.
5. What advice would you give to prospective Bmedsci H&HS students?
Take notes - even just a few key points in every lecture (and share
these with your friends) - it really will help at essay-writing time.
Also definitely get some decent paid or voluntary work experience in the
health service while you study to help with employment opportunities
when you graduate.
6. What was the most enjoyable and rewarding part of the course?
Studying for one semester of my final year in Holland - a totally life
changing experience! Not forgetting graduation, which was the proudest
day of my life.
7. What are you doing now? Working as an assistant service manager in orthopaedics for Sheffield teaching hospitals foundation trust. It's a temporary placement that I
secured after graduating having stayed in touch with NHS colleagues
throughout my studies, keeping them updated on my progress and inviting
certain people in to university to see what was happening on the course.
I am using this time to gather experience and network with other staff
before i decide if NHS management is for me, or whether I would still
like to follow a more clinical career.
8. Do you think your degree helped further your career? Without a doubt.
Sophie Yates
1. Name: Sophie Yates
2. Where are you from? Cheshire.
3. Why did you choose the University of Sheffield? Having visited Sheffield for an open day, I was instantly struck by the friendliness of the university and its students, and knew that Sheffield was the place for me. The University of Sheffield is renowned for it´s excellence in teaching and research, as well as having top class facilities, and of course the best union in the UK for all your partying needs!
4. What do you think of Sheffield? I really enjoyed living and studying in Sheffield, as its village feel, in a metropolitan city centre environment, makes it the perfect place to settle after leaving home for the first time. The city felt so safe and friendly, and with the population of students being so large the city really caters for their every need. The student village, Broomhill, is always a centre of activity and a great place to live.
5. What advice would you give to prospective Bmedsci H&HS students?
My advice to any prospective BMedSci students is to embrace every opportunity that the University and Sheffield has to offer. Get involved in societies, sports teams, and activities that the union offer! In the third year of the course, we had chance to undertake an 8 week placement, and my advice for this is to choose a placement that really interests you, you will learn so much from it and it really gives you a chance to put all your learning into practice, and also to trail out possible career paths. My biggest piece of advice is to have fun... don´t get too stressed out over work, in my experience there was always help and support on hand.
6. What was the most enjoyable and rewarding part of the course?
Each year of the course brought a new challenge, along with more enjoyment, but for me third year was the best. Having the opportunity to put all my previous studying into practice was so rewarding, and my eight week placement within an eating disorder clinic was definitely a high point in my three years in Sheffield. The final assignment we had to undertake was our dissertation, and the sense of achievement I felt after completing it made it all worth while.
7. What are you doing now? After my eight week clinical placement, I was subsequently employed by the University Health Service and I continued to work for them until I left Sheffield in the summer of my graduation. Since leaving Sheffield, I have been employed by NHS Manchester as a project manager for urgent care services across the city. This
role has enabled me to utilise all my skills learnt from the course and I am thoroughly enjoying working in a healthcare environment.. even if I would prefer to still be a student in Sheffield!!
8. Do you think your degree helped further your career? The BMedSci course has without a doubt helped me to gain the job that I have now; as the mixture of management, clinical, social, psychological and research modules that the course offers has provided me with a broad insight into how healthcare systems work.