Careers in health

Tuesday 14 June 2005

Local school pupils gained an interactive insight into Scotland’s healthcare profession at the University of St Andrews last night (Tuesday 14 June 2005).

Around 80 pupils attended the event in The Gateway, part of the Working in Health Access Programme (WHAP), an initiative led by the five Scottish medical schools, aimed at developing interest in healthcare professions. The event included a short talk by Professor Peter Mossey from Dundee’s dental school and an introduction to becoming a dentist, dental hygienist/dental lab technician, doctor, vet, physiologist or forensic anthropologist.

Pupils attended from Beath High (Cowdenbeath), Buckhaven High, Glenrothes High, Lochgelly High and St Columba’s High (Dunfermline) as well as Brechin High, Craigie High (Dundee), Forfar Academy, Morgan Academy (Dundee) and St Columba’s (Perth) together with another group of schools from Stirlingshire.

WHAP is the first programme of its kind and was launched in 2003 to raise awareness of possible careers in the healthcare professions for school pupils in S3. As well as the Scottish medical schools (Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews), it involves the collaboration of the Scottish veterinary schools (Edinburgh and Glasgow) and Stirling University Institute of Education.

Funded by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) and NHS Education for Scotland (NES), the programme particularly work with schools who do not traditionally send significant numbers into training for the medical or veterinary professions. A two-year programme is available to budding doctors, vets, nurses and chiropodists from S3 to S5, with further help and advice offered on the next steps into chosen professions.

ENDS

Issued by Beattie Media On behalf of the University of St Andrews For more information, please contact Claire Grainger, Press Officer – 01334 462530, 07730 415 015 or [email protected]; Ref: press releases/whap.doc View the latest University news at http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk


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