Shropshire College holds seventh annual medical conference

The seventh annual Concord College Medical Futures Conference aimed at year 11 and 12 students aspiring for careers in medicine, provided a wealth of insights into the realities of medical careers.

The conference, which Acton Burnell-based Concord opened up free of charge to students across Shropshire, the Welsh borders and the West Midlands, has previously proved to be a catalyst in making key career decisions.

This latest conference offered 70 members of Concord’s own Medical Society as well as a similar number mostly from state schools across the region, with an opportunity to share aspirations to find common ground in exploring medical careers.

The programme consisted of lectures with students learning how to succeed in their medical school application and how to choose the right medical school. There were practical workshops supplemented by opportunities to build personalised programmes in Concord’s science building.

In addition, opportunities to speak directly to representatives from nearly 20 universities, 12 specialist doctors and many medical students including a significant number from the Concord Alumni Network.

One of the most valuable aspects of the day was the opportunity to speak to people at all stages of their medical careers, from students to junior doctors and consultants from a wide range of specialities.

A keynote presentation was given by scientist, engineer and innovator Dr Katerina Spranger, the founder of Oxford Heartbeat, an award-winning start-up company that develops medical device software to allow planning for surgeries to be simpler, faster and more accurate.

Talks were also given by Abraham Bashir, a senior tutor at The Medic Portal, and Dr Gordon Dent, director of admissions and senior lecturer at Keele University Medical School.