Sophie Bennett
Sophie Bennett completed her Biomedical Science degree and went on to pursue her dream of studying medicine.
When Sophie opened her A-level results, she was devastated. Having not made the grades to get into her first-choice university, she was faced with going to her insurance choice – somewhere she’d never visited.
“I never thought I’d need Clearing,” she recalled. “I thought my life was over and I’d never achieve anything. You open that paper and think what now? I was distraught.”
Her results, determined by earlier assessments due to the cancellation of exams during the Covid-19 pandemic, had left her feeling uncertain about her future. But a conversation with her mum, who was studying Paramedic Science at the University of Worcester, changed everything. On the way back from visiting her insurance choice, Sophie’s mum suggested she consider Worcester.
Visiting on a dedicated Clearing Open Day the next day changed everything for Sophie, particularly as she was able to speak to a lecturer, and she knew it was the place for her.
“I remember it being a lot easier than I thought, but it was quite scary - the thought of having to speak to someone and say I’ve failed and I’ve not made it,” she said. “But even speaking to him definitely made a massive impact. He asked what I was interested in and said he thought Biomedical Science was the course for me. He made me feel like I could do it and if I couldn’t do it the lecturers would be there to support me. It was just a first impression thing. Everyone was so lovely and so welcoming.”
This convinced her to apply and having got her place and accommodation the process she said seemed to go very quickly. She said along the way there were always people at the University that she could turn to for advice. “It was a very quick turnaround, there were still people to contact if I had any questions at Worcester and they replied to me quickly with any questions or queries,” she added.
Over the next three years, Sophie thrived. She completed her degree in Biomedical Science and went on to secure a place at the University of Worcester’s Graduate Entry Medical School — one of just fifty places awarded after a highly competitive application process.
Applying to medical school had once felt out of reach, but her time at Worcester gave her the confidence to pursue her dream of becoming an emergency doctor. “I’m really glad I came here,” she says. “It’s the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Her advice to others who don’t get the grades they hope for is simple. “It’s going to be okay,” she said. “Just take a minute, make peace with what you’ve got first, because it’s not going to help to be down, and look at all your options. It feels like the end of the world but it’s not, there are better things to come.”