We held our first Medical Careers Seminar at the Ark Conference Centre to inspire and inform pupils in Hampshire interested in pursuing a medical career, whilst raising vital funds for Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Among those speaking were leading health professionals such as Karen Morrison, Professor of Neurology and Associate Dean for Education at University Hospital Southampton, who provided guidance on the medical school application process, and Philippa Aslet, Associate Director of Nursing at HHFT, who spoke about the role of nurses, working in the NHS and a nurse’s career path.  There were further insights throughout the morning from both General and Urological Surgeons, a Consultant Gynaecologist, a Physiotherapist, a Junior Doctor and The British Medical Association (BMA).

Over 70 Year 11 and Sixth Form students attended the seminar which raised a total of £3,227 for the charity.  This money will go towards a Nuclear Medicine SPECT/CT Scanner for Radiology which is primarily used for cancer diagnosis, pre-op breast cancer surgery (sentinel node), pulmonary embolism diagnosis, staging diseases and looking for secondary bone lesions and cancers.  The Nuclear Medicine department in Basingstoke Hospital has a sole gamma camera which is now technologically obsolete due to its age – 17 years (expected life was 10 years). Only a limited range of examinations can be undertaken with this old technology.

We would like to thank the pupils and teachers who attended, and all of the seminar sponsors, including: Watership Property, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd, Cheam School, Chance Organisation, Keystone Tutors, School House Magazine and the Candover Clinic.  Photos of the seminar can be found here.