Maddie set for medicine degree thanks to Heathcote

Maddie Robert from Heathcote is set to take her place at university thanks to her experience at the Norwich care home.

Maddie took a gap year after her A levels to work on her application to join medical school and pursue a career in medicine. Without any experience in healthcare, she took the positive step of approaching Heathcote care home on Unthank Road in Norwich.

Maddie takes up the story: “I’ve always wanted to pursue a career in medicine but realised that I had no experience of working in healthcare. I felt that I needed this to support my application to medical school. I know that elderly people make up a significant proportion of the people treated by the NHS, so it made sense for me to work in a care home to gain some experience with this.

“I approached Heathcote in October 2022 and was warmly welcomed by the team at the home, especially the residents. I’ve learned so much working alongside the whole team at the home. I’ve been brilliantly supported, including the opportunity to work closely with one of the GPs who support the home. This has given me a much better insight into a career in medicine.

“I am very grateful to have joined such a supportive team who have been so welcoming and given me the confidence as a young person new to the role, and an aspiring medical student. Their belief in me meant that by January and February of this year, I felt confident enough to attend my university interviews with a far better knowledge about elderly care within the community, all gained from my experience at Heathcote.

I’m delighted that thanks to this experience, I secured three offers for medical school placements and have accepted my place at the University of Birmingham, where I will start my studies in September 2023.”

Sylvie Ames, Manager at Heathcote is proud of Maddie. “From the day since Maddie literally knocked on our door looking for work in a care home, we have all been supporting her with gaining experience, giving her the chance to learn all the different aspects of a care home. We’ve seen her confidence grow and watched her develop and learn new skills which will all help with her future plans.

“We have watched her mature into a lovely kind young lady and we are all very proud of how well she has done. She will be greatly missed by all staff and residents at Heathcote, and we wish her every success with all she does in the future.”