We have been lucky enough to have received some wonderful life science ‘good reads’ recommendations from our volunteer mentors, which included books and articles which they feel will support our students in their future endeavours.
Our first book bursaries were offered in Autumn 2020!
Below we've included testimonials from successful students, who have selected books from this list and to whom we have offered the bursaries.
Autumn 2020 recipients:
Caitlin - Pharmacy
‘The book 'Bad Pharma' by Ben Goldacre has grabbed my attention in every way, I cannot wait to read it. I believe this book will be of benefit for me to achieve my future goals because it has information I am going to need, and it offer an insight into a pharmacy career and what it is all about.’
Ragavi - Medicine
‘Looking at the books under the medicine section - My eyes drew to ‘Get into medical school -1250 UKCAT practice questions’ because to get into medical school, I will need to sit the UKCAT exam next year summer, and I’m confident this book will be useful and will help me get a step closer to achieving my goal.’
Kian - Medicine
'My selection of books offer a diverse reading list which I can reference throughout my university application, and crucially, upon interview. Having read these would put me in good stead by showing rather than telling them of my wider reading into the degree course; I'd likely have a more comprehensive understanding of the degree course compared to my cohort- a massive advantage.'
Lauren – Medicine
‘My book of choice would be, 'Get into medical school -1250 UKCAT practice questions’ as I feel like it would benefit me to have some idea of what I will be faced with when being tested to get into medical school.’
Erin – Veterinary Science
‘The book ‘Getting into Veterinary School’ would provide confidence and reassurance of how to present myself in interviews, and how to prepare etc to ensure the greatest chance of success in getting a place. Whether I fulfil my dreams of becoming a veterinary surgeon or not, I am sure that I will definitely have a career in veterinary science field and therefore these books would stay with me not only to see me through qualification, but through my career.’
Morgan – Natural Sciences
‘Receiving these books will help me choose which subjects and specific topics I enjoy and am interested in within the natural sciences, as it will allow me to read more in-depth about them, and possibly learn new things. These books will also give me a lot of knowledge about the subjects that interest me, which will probably make me even more enthusiastic about my favourite topics.’
Spring 2021 recipients:
Kian - Medicine
'Books offer a lifetimes worth of advice and wisdom. I view this as an important method of research in making the most informed decision about the degree/ career I’m pursuing. Deciding my career path will be one of the most important decisions I will ever make and I don’t take that lightly, hence my emphasis on making the most informed decision.'
Hannah - Midwifery
'I consider that the books that my mentor has recommended will have a positive impact on my preparation for university as there are a wide range of resources she has shared with me in order for me to reach my full potential. Overall, I believe that by using the recommended books I will be able to efficiently progress into my academic future.'
Aisha - Nursing
'The books I have chosen will assist me in my nursing journey. I believe a nurse does not just tend to a person’s physical health issues but their emotional needs as well. As a nurse being able to communicate with a patient is essential as it can strengthen trust and will likely lead to a swift recovery for the patient. In addition to this, understanding and learning about medical knowledge will give me a familiarity with medical terms which can help me achieve higher grades in my A-Levels and university.
Macie - Microbiology
'I think that my books of choice will majorly benefit me and my future goals because reading these books will help me to, gain knowledge and help me to exercise my mind with a book that I am interested in and will help me in the future by preparing me for what I may be learning about in courses in years to come and will help me to have a head start and to gain understanding. I think that the books will benefit me the most by keeping my mind calm and relaxed during these unforeseen circumstances and will help distract me from the world's issues and to just focus on the books that will be giving me helpful information that will help me in the future.'
Autumn 2021 recipients:
Cerys - Midwifery/Nursing
'The books I have chosen will be most helpful in helping me decide my future career path within health and social care. I cannot thank you enough for this opportunity, I shall treasure them and study them, and I don't doubt they will be a great help as I progress along my career path.'
Kian - Biomedicince
'My chosen books offer growth in a variety of aspects. Most offer insight into interests that I’ll also be encountering during my degree/s. Some offer personal growth which is very important to me. In terms of career goals, developing myself personally (such as mindset) will make me a better scientist and clinician. Most of the books cover topics that could steer my focus when I come to actively research. I’d like to use this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of topics in major science. The more informed I am the better decisions I can make. When I come into conversation about these topics I’ll be better equipped to offer original ideas and make a positive contribution to the field. These choices will also supplement the further reading part of my university application, which could enrich my personal statement and any potential interviews.'
Spring 2022 recipients:
Elena – Pharmacy
‘Both books cover a wide range of subjects relevant to the practice of pharmacy. Things like managing a business, dispensing, calculations, techniques and treatments, adverse drug reactions, pharmacoeconomics and medicine management. Medical abbreviations, pharmaceutical Latin terms, weights and measures, and presentation skills in addition to so many other things which will be extremely useful for my future and for me to succeed.’
Ismail – Medicine
‘These are books that will help me as to expand my knowledge regarding general topics in medicine. I would gain information that will needed later. After reading and understanding these books I will also be able to write about it in my Personal Statement as a super-curricular activity and as an experience, which would improve my UCAS application overall in the long run.’
Kian – Biomedical Science/Neuroscience
‘Books such as 'Essential Neuroscience’ cover the very content I’ll encounter during my degree and I’d like to get my bearing around that; but mainly due to my passion and interest in neuroscience as a field.’