A Successful First Year for the Preston Widening Access Programme.

Celebration for the first year of Cardinal Newman students to take part in and complete the Preston Widening Access Programme (PWAP) for Medicine.

Seven Cardinal Newman students celebrated successfully completing the first year of the PWAP, which is connected to Manchester University, with an awards celebration at Chorley District Hospital Education Centre, on Friday 29^th August.

The students were the first to take part in the programme in the Lancashire area which has been set up to raise aspirations in college students and give them the knowledge on an array of possible careers in the medical profession. The aim is to encourage a wider, more diverse workforce in medicine to go with the wide and diverse spectrum of patients.

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is the first trust to deliver the programme on the Royal Preston Hospital (RPH) site working in partnership with Cardinal Newman College as the chosen Pilot College in the region.

The students collecting their certificate were Amy MacLeod (Holy Cross), Perry Judd (Rossendale School), Kiera Bryan (St Bede’s, Lytham), Zarka Ameerat (Penwortham Girls’), Kimberley Parkinson (St Michael’s), Heather Baynes (Leyland St Mary’s) & Ameera Selant (Preston Muslim Girls’ High School).

“The students have worked hard over the course of the programme researching and writing an academic report and each gaining over 50 hours of volunteering, developing their awareness and skills. They have benefited from expert teaching from medical students and medical consultants on a range of topics during the sessions at RPH gaining valuable insight into studying medicine at University” says Adam Patterson, the College coordinator of the PWAP Pilot.

The programme comprises of a range of activities and study which will support students to enhance their application to University. Successful completion of the programme also guarantees an interview with the University of Manchester for a place on the MBChB Manchester/Preston undergraduate programme and a slightly reduced academic entry requirement, if successful at interview. The programme has been developed in conjunction with Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust whose medical students support successful applicants through the PWAP.