Ashbourne A level College offers sixth form scholarships to students in and around London who have a proven record for outstanding academic achievement. Khadija Owusu, who showed excellent promise when applying to Ashbourne, is one of our first medical scholars, with two offers to study medicine from September.
Khadija studied at Elizabeth Garrett Anderson school where she excelled in many subjects, but showed particular enthusiasm for maths and science. When the time came to look for somewhere to study for her A levels, Khadija never considered Ashbourne College to be an option. Coming from a low income family, Khadija thought Ashbourne was ‘out of her reach’, but it was by chance that her uncle did some research and found out about the possibility of a scholarship.
To be eligible for a scholarship, a student must show that they are committed to learning and can maintain what should already be outstanding grades. In addition to displaying a passion for academia, Khadija’s dedication to her extracurricular activities was also admirable. During her time at EGA school, Khadija was part of the school choir, and was one of just 12 girls chosen to visit Washington DC to sing for the President and First Lady. In addition to music, Khadija was a member of the school debate team and also took part in the Jack Petchey ‘Speak Out’ Challenge. Khadija credits her background in debates and public speaking practice for being able to handle her medical school interviews so well.
Preparation is key for any student who wishes to study medicine, and work experience is fundamental. Khadija has already completed programmes at UCLH and The Royal Free hospital in Hampstead, which she said confirmed her ambition to become a doctor. But not only has she experienced work in her future field, Khadija has also worked in charity shops and in administrative roles. She believes that having a well rounded work background is important when going into public-facing roles such as medicine.
So what’s next? Khadija currently has two offers to study medicine from September – Hull / York and St George’s. She was keen on studying at these schools due to their course structure, which allows students to experience the clinical side of medicine in their first year. Of the two, she is leaning more towards St George’s, but would be happy to study at either school. She is looking forward to medical school and the many areas of medicine she will have the opportunity to experience, but has her heart set on becoming a GP. We wish Khadija success on her journey to becoming a doctor.
