Funding to help student doctors

Trainee doctors at work at UCLan's medical school

The University of Central Lancashire is marking its 190th anniversary with two new scholarships to provide the NHS with doctors who more closely represent the communities they serve.

Worth £46,250 each, they will be awarded to the two “widening participation applicants” to the Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) who have successfully completed UCLan’s Pathways to Medicine Programme, who rank the highest after the application process.

The scholarship will be used to cover tuition fees for the five-year course.

University of Central Lancashire's Prof Cathy Jackson

The aim is to cement UCLan’s drive to offer opportunities to underprivileged students and train the doctors of the future – and help provide the NHS with doctors who more closely represent the communities they serve.

Named after one of the university’s founders, Joseph Livesey, the Livesey Scholarship will be awarded to two UK students applying to its MBBS degree from 2020 entry and every year after that.

Professor Cathy Jackson, executive dean of UCLan’s Faculty of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, said: “We have a responsibility to do as much as we can to ensure that all prospective medical students are given equal opportunities, whatever their background.

“We’re incredibly proud of the work we have done so far to put this in to practice and how we are helping to shape the future NHS workforce.

UCLan already offers two medical bursaries – the Kate Granger Scholarship to students from Cumbria, and the Mackenzie Scholarship for students from East  Lancashire.