DOZENS of teenagers from across the UK spent a week, working and living at a major North-East hospital, in a bid to showcase work within the Tees Valley.
A group of 16 to 17-year-olds from "less advantaged" backgrounds stayed in residential premises at The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, as part of a specially-organised course on behalf of a charity helping those on low incomes gain professional jobs.
More than 50 'aspiring doctors' shadowed medical staff, witnessing what life was like as a doctor working at a one of the region's biggest trauma hospitals.
From there they watched several live surgical procedures at the other end of a video link to theatres within the site.
David Macafee, director of medical education at the South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "It was great to welcome young people to our hospital and a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the great facilities we have here.
"We hope that the experience has inspired them to become the doctors of the future and that some of them will want to come back and work here with us when they finish medical school.”
During the week, the teenagers took part in interactive workshops, where they learnt how to put on plaster casts, while learning about falls prevention and also discovered day-to-day life working as a GP.
Nicole Olagesin, a teenager on the course from Middlesbrough, said: “The Medicine Residential has given me an insight into the options that I have.
"I didn’t really realise there were so many different roles I could do.”
Now in its third year running, the medical student team at the NHS foundation trust organised the week of training sessions and workshops on behalf of the Social Mobility Foundation charity.
David Johnston, chief executive of the charity said: “The Social Mobility Foundation is delighted to be working with South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for the third year in a row to run a residential programme for aspiring medics from disadvantaged backgrounds.
"Students have come from across the UK to take part and the fantastic experiences they have had through the week has given them real life experience of the medical sector."
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