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Target Medicine programmes are designed for students from non-selective state schools around greater London who meet selected eligibility criteria. It currently comprises of four main programmes:
Mentoring Scheme
A 12 month mentoring scheme for high achieving Year 12 students from underrepresented backgrounds aspiring to become doctors. The scheme matches over 230 sixth form pupils with 60 UCL medical students offering guided lessons and targeted support enabling students to become more competitive and well-informed medical school applicants.
Summer School
This is a week-long non-residential programme for Year 11 students considering medical school as an option for them. The summer school teaches young people about the pathway into medicine and gives them an opportunity to experience what it’s like being a medical student through hands-on workshops, projects, and an opportunity to work with real patients.
Summer Challenge
Summer Challenge is a series of events over 6 weeks for Year 12 students whose parents have not been to university, and who are academically high achieving. Student explore why medical ethics is important for those who work in health care and explore different perspectives on a range of ethical issues. The programme encourages critical thinking and debate, and gives students valuable practice at crafting academic essays, which can be used during A-Level and university study.
The Summer Challenge is run in collaboration with UCL's Widening Participation Team.
We do not charge a fee for any of the support and advice offered to students and schools/colleges.
Become
Become is a one-day event for Year 9 and 10 students of African and Caribbean descent to explore what it might be like to study medicine. The idea of this event was developed by four UCL Medical Students from Black African and Black Caribbean backgrounds, who noticed a low number of students from similar backgrounds entering the field of Medicine.
Through this event, they hope to inspire young people from similar backgrounds to pursue anything they put their mind to. Using their own stories, and by delving into the field of medicine through practical hands-on workshops, they aim to show young people what they too can Become.
Our Staff and Student Team:
- Rupa Lakhani
Rupa is the Target Medicine Manager and Senior Access Officer for UCL Medical School. She manages all widening access work for the Medical School. Rupa has worked in widening participation (WP) for almost 8 years and before that took part in various types of voluntary work including mentoring, tutoring, and aspiration raising activities in schools. In a previous role, Rupa worked supporting Care Leavers for two years. She has also recently held the position of HELOA London Chair.
Rupa was born in Canada, but attended secondary school in the United States. When she moved to the UK from North America, she was naturally drawn to WP work due to her own background. Her parents did not go to university so she found it challenging navigating the Higher Education system. She attended secondary school in the US where only 10% of her class went to university, where poverty levels are extremely high and opportunities seem limited. Despite these challenges, Rupa graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in International Studies, Economic Development from Simon Fraser University in Canada.
Rupa is committed to working with students from underrepresented backgrounds and strives to ensure all students have the right information, advice and guidance required to meet their true potential. She is also passionate about race equality issues and sits on the UCLMS EDI Committee, as well the UCLMS WP Strategy Group.
- Student Leads
Student Lead: Esme Goudie is a 5th year UCL Medical Student and the current Student Lead for Target Medicine.
Deputy Student Lead: Mirali Patel is a 4th year UCL Medical Student and the current Deputy Student Lead for Target Medicine.The Student Leads are responsible for leading and supporting 60 UCL Medical Student volunteers involved as mentors and Team Leaders in the programme. The Student Leads are vital part of the mentor scheme and are involved in every step of the process from developing the mentor training content, creating and editing session content, editing bulletins, and delivering training. They also play a significant role in leading Target Medicine events such as Meet the Doctor, All about UCAT, All about BMAT, and Mock Interviews.
