Graduates of Xaverian College’s Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary (MDV) Science Programme have returned to the classroom to share their experiences of how the course prepared them for university.
Since the programme was launched in 2019, 94 students have landed a place at their first-choice university. The MDV programme aims to support Xaverian high-achievers who wish to apply for competitive medicine, dentistry and veterinary science degrees at university.
Among the MDV Alumni coming back to share their stories was Chrissie Joseph, now in her second year at Hull York Medical School, who praised the MDV Programme for playing a key role in her successful application. She commented: “Xaverian’s supportive community, diverse extracurricular opportunities, and focus on developing well-rounded students made it the ideal place for me to grow academically and personally.
“The MDV Programme provided invaluable support in areas like strategic application advice, interview preparation, UCAT tips, and much more, helping me navigate the process with confidence.
“My advice for aspiring MDV students is to trust the process. There will be many hurdles along the way, from applying for your course, to the challenges you face once you’re in. However, having faith in yourself and staying focused will help you overcome those obstacles and succeed. The journey may not always be smooth, but your perseverance and dedication will pay off in the end!”
Another Xaverian Alumni, Izodosa Osarenmwinda, who is a first-year medic at the University of Birmingham, added: “The MDV Programme definitely played a key role in my successful application as I got three medicine interviews and three offers. The Programme taught me how to apply strategically and supported me with interview preparations, which helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses.
“My advice to aspiring MDV students is to join as many access/widening participation programmes as you can. They’re so useful, especially when it comes to perfecting your application and talking about work experience in your interviews. For example, I joined MAP, SMF, Zero Gravity and Sutton Trust. There are many more, so make sure to do your research!
“Getting on to an MDV course may seem unattainable at first but trust me, it’s possible, and quite frankly, it’s not as hard as it seems. So don’t feel like you don’t have what it takes. As long as you work hard, you’ll do great!”
Two former students, Tom Hancock and Niamh Rooney, who are currently taking a gap year, visited the College to talk specifically about re-applying to MDV courses after not receiving offers the first time around. Their initial rejection was based on their admissions test scores, however, following this, they became even more focused on their A Levels and achieved excellent results.
They reiterated the importance of strategic applications, and researching fully what UCAT scores have been accepted by MDV courses previously. They both agreed that getting top grades should be students’ first focus, alongside gaining work experience.
27 current Xaverian students have successfully secured offers for MDV courses at some of the UK’s most prestigious universities, including the University of Cambridge, The University of Edinburgh Medical School and the Brighton and Sussex Medical School.
The MDV Programme is designed to prepare students who are setting their sights on senior healthcare roles. Students are not only required to demonstrate outstanding academic ability, but also manual dexterity and clinical skills. To gain a place on the programme, students need to demonstrate a high level of academic rigor by achieving high GCSE grades (all 7s or above) and will need to be studying a minimum of two science A Levels.
As one of the largest providers of post-16 education in the region, Xaverian College offers an extensive range of A Levels in addition to several Applied courses. To find out more about the MDV Programme, visit xaverian.ac.uk.