Student Stories: “The anatomy teaching is exceptional”
Third-year medical student Ayra Ahmad shares her experience at St Andrews thus far as she joins the first cohort to undertake the new MBChB (ScotCOM) programme.
My name is Ayra, and I’m a third-year medical student who recently began my MBChB here at St Andrews through the new MBChB (ScotCOM) programme.
I started my journey at St Andrews in 2023 following an incredible gap year working for a medical device company. This exposure to medical engineering led me to realise that I had a knack for working with people, and a passion for the science and sociology behind them. With this realisation, I figured I could try my hand at Medicine.
And so, it began! I chose St Andrews for three main reasons: the spiral curriculum, the extensive anatomy teaching and dissections, and the town itself. I’ve found the spiral curriculum challenges and motivates students, pulling on themes addressed earlier in the semester to reinforce key topics with increasing clinical integration. Whether in the form of lectures, workshops, or labs, this style of learning deepens knowledge, eventually helping to contextualise topics from a clinical lens.
The anatomy teaching at St Andrews is exceptional. It’s comprehensive, offering opportunities to learn from textbooks, prosections, and full-body dissections. As medical students, our privileged access to these resources aids us in consolidating complex anatomy and linking function to structure.
Lasty, being so integrated into the community, one cannot mention the University without mentioning the town itself. I initially chose it for its quiet, small-town charm but soon discovered how lively it really is! There is always a sporting event on, a ball in town, or market stalls dotting the street. And the student traditions! Where do I begin? The Harry Potter-esque autumn evenings by Sallies, the sea of red gowns during May Dip, and the spontaneous summer study breaks on the beach. The list goes on…
As much as I adore St Andrews, what excites me most right now is the future. I’m about to begin my clinical years (the latter half of the medical degree), and I’m honoured to be part of the first cohort to undertake the new MBChB (ScotCOM) programme. With the excellent clinical skills training I’ve had at the medical school, along with early placement experiences across Fife in my second and third years, I feel well-prepared for this next step. I’m looking forward to putting everything I’ve learned into practice, in the community, on the wards, and across the NHS boards of Fife, Forth Valley, and the Borders. It’s all happening very soon… wish me luck!
All in all, if you’re considering studying the MBChB (ScotCOM) here at St Andrews, I couldn’t encourage you enough! Rest assured that you’ll be joining a university and community that truly care about your success and will support you every step of the way.
See you on the wards!