In June, I was fortunate enough to be awarded a scholarship to the REACH (Realising Educational Aspirations for Careers in Health) Programme, which took place between the 5th to the 8th of August at the University of Otago. Over four days, twenty other students from across New Zealand and I got to experience life as a Health Sciences First Year student at Otago.

The action-packed days involved tours of residential colleges, lectures, the anatomy museum, along with trips out to St Clair’s and Baldwin Street; formerly the steepest street in the world. Highlights involved touring the new dental school and working with the simulation heads, and talking to current students in Health Sciences First Year and the professional pathways (Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory Science, and Physio). Being able to talk to current students and faculty members was incredibly beneficial- we got to hear so many different viewpoints on the professional pathways, which not only cemented my aspirations to work in healthcare, but opened my eyes to several fields within healthcare that I hadn’t previously considered. Throughout the trip, I met some awesome people, and had the opportunity to learn and experience a wonderfully vast range of fields within healthcare. If you have the opportunity to apply for the REACH programme, I would highly recommend it.