Westcountry medical graduates receive thank you hampers

Santander, through Santander Universities, provided £4.5million of funding to its 85 university partners across the UK to support their COVID-19 initiatives, including the University of Exeter and the University of Plymouth. Recent Medicine and Medical Imaging final year students and graduates from Exeter and Plymouth who chose to graduate early to support the NHS have now received a hamper filled with small gifts and a note from a senior staff member at their institution.

James Farquhar, early graduate, said: “It’s been both challenging and rewarding to be part of a busy clinical team during the pandemic. I’ve learned so much and gained incredible experience. It was a wonderful surprise to receive the hamper, I wasn’t expecting such a gift. It really cheered me up after a long shift at my new job.”

Professor Ian Fussell, Associate Dean of Education at the University of Exeter Medical School, wrote a note thanking Exeter students for their work during the pandemic and expressed how proud he was of all the students at the University of Exeter Medical School.

Ian said: “It was wonderful to be able to give a small gift to our students and recent graduates who have done so much to support the community. I’m extremely proud of all our students, many of whom are helping in other ways.

“I’m looking forward to meeting online with all our graduates, celebrating them finishing their degrees and catching up.”

Professor Julian Chaudhuri, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience) at the University of Plymouth, said in his note that the University was incredibly proud of the work the graduates and all their colleagues in the NHS were doing.

He added: “I can’t imagine many graduates have ever had to apply what they have learnt on their courses so quickly. The work they continue to do is truly astonishing in the most challenging of circumstances, and this small token of our thanks is very well deserved.

“This has also given us the opportunity to let them know they still have our support, despite having left the University, and that we are looking forward to celebrating their achievements in person at an appropriate time.”