Advice from OIs is so valuable to the pupils thinking about their next steps after Ipswich School and we are incredibly grateful to those that return to support them. Getting real insight into their future careers is vital to making the right choices. 

Last week we welcomed back Jerome Scoote (OI 2013-20) who gave a resume of the universities he applied to as well as UEA and discussed the interview process, what was involved and what was focussed on. He made suggestions to the Year 13 students regarding what they should read up on as they await to be invited to interviews. 

Jerome then went over the course outline at UEA, a typical week as a medical student on the renal ward, before showing what his placement week timetable looked like. He discussed his GP placements and what he has been doing at Ipswich Hospital so far. Jerome highlighted the pros and cons of problem based learning, explaining that who is placed in your group can make a real difference to the experience you have. He discussed how he had to re-think his approach to learning in the first year, moving away from his A-level style note writing to a more question-bank approach, as the sheer volume of work to be completed made note taking impossible.

The students found that Jerome was an interesting speaker and his first-hand advice and shared experience was invaluable - thank you Jerome!

Article by Mr A Calver, Careers Department