A STUDENT who hadn’t made plans to go to university a year ago is now aiming to study Medicine with hopes of becoming a doctor.
Dom Crawley, from Great Sankey, discovered his passion after taking the Pre Med course at Priestley College and has just finished in the top 10% in the country on a clinical aptitude test.
“A year ago I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but now I realise I want a career in science that is also a social profession,” said Dom, a former pupil at Penketh High.
Students hoping to study Medicine at most universities have to take the UKCAT – an aptitude test that helps lecturers make more informed choices from amongst the many highly-qualified applicants who apply for places.
Dom, who studies A-Levels in Biology, Chemistry and Physics at Priestley College, secured 2,860 points – one of the highest marks in the country.
Priestley became the UK’s first dedicated sixth form college to be awarded STEM assured status in recognition of the standard of teaching in science, technology, engineering and maths.
Jan Costello, director of STEM at Priestley, said: “It’s great to see that Dom has discovered his passion and has a strong sense of the career he wants to pursue.
“We’ve no doubt with the skills that he has developed, both at Priestley and during a work placement, that he will achieve his goals.”
During his summer holidays Dom completed a four-week Nuffield placement with Unilever where he was given his own research to complete and received a ‘highly commended’ award for his efforts.
The prestigious Nuffield placement is only awarded to a handful of students in the UK every year.
Dom said it made an immediate difference when he returned to the classroom to continue his A-Levels.
“I’ve noticed that I am able to set up practicals faster and feel I have a wider picture and understanding of what I am doing,” he said.
