A UNIVERSITY professor who spearheaded the creation of a medical school in west Cumbria hopes the campus will continue to thrive – and more Cumbrians will choose to study there.
The University of Central Lancashire began training medical and health professionals at its Westlakes site in Whitehaven over six years ago.
It has grown from having four students who were sent on placement in 2017, to 200 students on the campus studying full time, alongside students from all over the world who attend online and block teaching programmes.
As part of the rising number of students coming to study in west Cumbria, UCLan purchased Summergrove Halls, just outside of Whitehaven, in February 2023.
Professor Cathy Jackson, who was the founding head of the medical school, said: “Purchasing the Summergrove hotel and converting it into high quality student accommodation was an integral part of UCLan’s strategic plan to increase the number of students we have in west Cumbria.
“Living at Summergrove which is only a 10-minute walk away from this world class facility is a fantastic opportunity for any aspiring medics and healthcare professionals.”
The university aims to provide a range of courses for health professionals from those starting out on their further education journeys at the ages of 17 and 18 right through to upskilling current doctors and nurses.
Prof Jackson said: “In the future I’d like to see the majority of the University of Central Lancashire’s health care and medical students spend at least one year in Cumbria so that they can experience what it’s really like to live and work in a truly remote rural setting.
“Our campus in Whitehaven is home to the National Centre for Remote and Rural Medicine (NCRRM) where we are always looking for new ways to deliver medical education alongside traditional pathways.
“The University has been committed to providing Cumbria with a sustainable health care workforce since the medical school began almost 10 years ago.
“We have invested heavily in the area and want more Cumbrians to come and study here alongside our national and international students, to this end we provide an annual full scholarship for a Cumbrian to study medicine with us which covers all fees throughout the course.”
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