Health profession showcase to Fife school pupils

Wednesday 16 February 2005

Fife school pupils will gain an interactive insight into Scotland’s healthcare sector tonight (Wednesday 16 February 2005) as part of a University of St Andrews hospital event.

The event, at Queen Margaret Hospital, Dunfermline, is 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.

Around 70 S4 pupils from the following schools will attend – Auchmuty High, Buckhaven High, Glenrothes High, Glenwood High, Kirkcaldy High, Lochgelly High, Viewforth High and Woodmill High.

Each pupil will have an individual timetable of three exciting workshops from the five on offer – Medicine, Nursing, Dietetics, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy.

The event, which will take place from 6-8.30pm, has been organised by Schools Project Officer Alice Smith, who is based at St Andrews, one of the partner institutions.

Alice said, “Staff from these disciplines have given their evening to the event. Indeed, events such as these rely on the goodwill and commitment of such staff – for which we are very grateful”.

This is the fifth distinct WHAP event in Fife since Spring 2004. Previous widening participation activities have included interactive workshops at the ‘St Andrews Medical School’, ‘Nursing workshops’ in the schools (lead by Stuart Hislop of Stirling University), ‘Vet tours’ of the Easterbush Vet Centre, University of Edinburgh and ‘Course Research Skills and Advice’ workshops in schools.

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.

For more information, please contact Alice Smith, Schools Project Officer, WHAP, University of St Andrews, 66 North Street St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9AJ – email [email protected] or telephone 01334 462352.

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 View the latest University news at http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk


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