Student Stories: “Enjoy every step of the journey and remember how much you’ve already achieved”
Second-year BSc (Honours) Medicine student Daniel Hogg shares his experience of completing a medical degree at St Andrews.
Hello! My name is Daniel Hogg, and I am a second-year BSc (Honours) Medicine student.
I chose to study medicine in St Andrews because I was drawn to the excellent clinical facilities, the chance to study at a partner school through the A100 programme, and the opportunity to learn anatomy through full-body dissection. I also wanted to experience life in a smaller town. Since I arrived, all of these aspects have exceeded my expectations: the facilities are fantastic, and the town is incredibly charming!
Academics are often the first thing people mention about medical school, and while they certainly are important, university life is about much more than studying. The social atmosphere in St Andrews is wonderful. Due to the small size of the town, I run into familiar faces constantly, which makes me feel very welcome and well‑connected. There are also so many societies to get involved in, and if you can’t find the one for you, you can always set one up. You may also have heard about the many St Andrews traditions, like academic families, May Dip, Raisin, and countless others. These are a great, unique way to connect with people and have fun all at the same time.
Living in St Andrews is also lovely. In first year, you will likely stay in one of the halls of residence. Whether you’re based in one of the historic halls in the town centre or a more modern one slightly further out, everything is still only a 10–15-minute walk away! I lived in Agnes Blackadder, which was ideal, as it was only a few minutes from the School of Medicine.
One of my favourite parts of the BSc (Honours) Medicine course has been our placements. I’ve visited community hospitals and a GP clinic, and even spent time with a health visiting team, but there are so many more opportunities to come. Most students I’ve spoken to particularly enjoy the orthopaedics placement! These experiences make me feel more informed about the different paths I could pursue in medicine and make me excited for the future.
If you’ve read this far, then you’re probably quite interested in medicine. I cannot emphasise how highly I would recommend St Andrews for your studies. There is far more to life here than I can describe in a short article, so I encourage you to explore others’ experiences too.
Are there hard times in medicine at St Andrews? Of course there are. There are hard times in any course, at any university. What makes a real difference here is the support you receive from staff, classmates, and friends, and the non-academic outlet provided by the huge variety of extra-curricular activities on offer. The best thing you can do is enjoy every step of the journey and remember how much you’ve already achieved to get here.
I sincerely hope to see many of you joining our school next year!