Post by Sofia L.

For over a decade, becoming a doctor has been my dream. Today, I can happily say that I have received 4 out of 4 offers for Graduate Entry Medicine, alongside scoring in the top 10% nationally in the UCAT this past summer. Spending much of my childhood in and out of hospital is where this dream first began. Sitting on the other side of the bed, I experienced healthcare not as a profession, but as something deeply human. The doctors and nurses who cared for me during those years shaped more than my recovery; they shaped my ambition. That perspective has stayed with me ever since, and it continues to influence the kind of clinician I hope to become. There were countless moments along the way when this felt like a dream entirely out of reach. From being a nursing student wondering whether I was capable enough, to balancing full-time placements with UCAT preparation, this journey has tested my resilience, discipline, and belief in myself more than I could have ever expected. Most importantly, it has reminded me why I started. Nursing has shaped me in ways I will always be grateful for. It has grounded me in compassion, teamwork, patient advocacy, and the realities of frontline care. Choosing to pursue medicine was never about leaving that behind; it was always about building on it. This achievement represents years of quiet work and self-doubt that I learned to turn into determination for a dream that I refused to let go of. To everyone who supported and encouraged me through each stage of my academic journey, thank you so much.