Dr Laurence Leaver hosts sixth form student as part of RCGP Widening Participation Work Experience Programme

Green Templeton College Governing Body Fellow Dr Laurence Leaver hosted local sixth form pupil Habiba Shahid at his practice as part of the Widening Participation Work Experience Programme which has been coordinated by the Royal College of General Practitioners since 2016.

The programme provides work experience to pupils – who may otherwise struggle to gain such opportunities – along with a preparation and follow-up workshop, while also supporting practices by matching them with local pupils and supplying suitable resources.

Habiba is part of the first cohort to have taken part in the programme in Oxford. Her placement took place at the start of the year, before the COVID-19 restrictions were in place. The RCGP Thames Valley Faculty have led the programme locally, contacting Habiba’s school, whose teachers handpicked her for this opportunity. Habiba is in Year 12 studying A Level Biology and Chemistry and is aiming to apply to study Medicine.

She said: “I am grateful for the valuable experience that both Dr Leaver and the RCGP scheme have given me. I feel privileged to see the variety of patients and how the doctor approaches each health problem differently. I highly recommend participating in this scheme.”

Dr Leaver offered to host Habiba at his practice because of a motivation to inspire future GPs. “It’s great to see the enthusiasm and ability of young aspiring medics,” he said. “We get lots of people ask to shadow us but we want to encourage applicants who don’t have ready opportunities, and the RCGP scheme ensures we can really make a difference where it matters. It is also a privilege to showcase General Practice: meeting those who are keen to join our profession is an antidote to media cynicism and doctor burn-out.”

Dr Ian Wood, Chair of the First 5 committee at the RCGP, who spearheaded this programme in Oxford said: “The aim of work experience is to ensure that every young person can apply to medical school informed, having developed an understanding of the realities of medicine, our aim is that every applicant has formed this knowledge through the lens of general practice because the vast majority of healthcare is delivered in primary care settings.

“It is well understood that there are inequities in who can gain access to work experience in healthcare and 80 per cent of applicants to medicine come from 20 per cent of the UK schools (Medical Schools Selection Alliance 2018 Report).

“We are delighted to have launched the programme in Oxford and to be partnering with such fantastic practices. We aim to extend the programme to Buckinghamshire and Berkshire early in 2021. The feedback from the participants in our first cohort, including Laurence’s practice, has been exceptional, and some of the most positive the RCGP have ever received. We know the programme has impact on pupils, last year 88 per cent of pupils who took part in Birmingham said they were more likely to consider becoming a GP as a result of the programme.”