Jason Hancock
Experience as a 'second year' medic
Jason was keen to study medicine at a school that used problem-based learning. Manchester was particularly appealing because of the opportunities that such a large university and city offered.
Why medicine?
I have always had an interest in science and I wanted to follow a career that combined this interest with the opportunity to help people with their clinical problems and provide them with the opportunity to improve their own quality of life.
Why Manchester?
I was attracted to the current reputation of the School of Medicine as well as its long-standing history. I also wanted to study at a school offering problem-based learning (PBL) and so the course structure appealed to me. The city has lots to offer and I wanted the chance to live and work here.
What has been the highlight of the course so far?
Dissection sessions in the neuroscience semester were particularly good. The student-selected component allowed me to look in more detail at a subject that I otherwise would not have had the opportunity to study. I have also enjoyed the Early Experience programme, which gave me the chance to communicate with patients to gain an insight into the way in which illness affects their lives. I found this especially helpful for appreciating the psychosocial elements of the course.
What is the School of Medicine like?
It is obviously very PBL-orientated, so if you like PBL and you have the motivation to work alone then its great. It’s a very big medical school and so there are lots of opportunities to meet loads of new people. The size of the University also means that there are lots of clubs and societies to get involved in away from medicine when you need to unwind.
