1 IN 7 GRADUATES SET FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL

14 students from Shrewsbury’s Class of 2021 have been accepted into Medical School programs in Thailand and abroad for the next academic year, with three more on either waitlists or applying to university in Australia; 1:7 of the entire graduating cohort.  

Included in the list of offers so far are the University of Cambridge (1), Srinakharinwirot/ Nottingham University (2), Mahidol Ramathibodi (3), Chulalongkorn University (1), Chiang Mai University (2), Chulabhorn International College of Medicine (2) and HRH Princess Chulabhorn College of Medical Science (3).

These achievements highlight the considerable efforts made by the Higher Education (HE) team, teachers, and the students themselves, who have not only proved their academic capability, but also demonstrated a wide range of soft skills that are ultimately required to practice in the medical field. 

Tanai (Prompt) Chotanaphuti is set to head to the UK with an offer from the University of Cambridge (Gonville and Caius College); a world-leading institution that offers just a handful of medical programme placements to international students each year. 

Mentored throughout the application process by Shrewsbury alumnus and current Cambridge medic, Tachakrit (Earth) Tachatirakul (Class of 2017), Head of Biology, Ms Sharp, and  Form Tutor, Mr Redman (also Gonville and Caius alumnus), Prompt also points to the insights he gained through seminars led by Dr Julie - a Shrewsbury Parent and Professor of Medicine at Mahidol University. For several years, Dr Julie has given up her time to help prospective medics explore real life case studies and issues surrounding medical ethics, as well as discuss what university admissions counsellors are looking for from potential applicants.

Several students will also embark on programmes that split their time between Thailand and the UK. One such student is Supicha (Hoya) Chaiprasithikul, who is excited to experience life at university and beyond on both sides of the world.

“First up is a six-month preparatory course in Thailand before departing for preclinical studies at the University of Nottingham for two-and-half years. We complete an honours year project to receive a Bachelor of Medical Science from the University of Nottingham. After that, we complete three years of clinical studies in Thailand. It is a pretty immersive course, and I get to experience English culture too!” Hoya exclaimed.

The rigorous application process asks students to sit the BioMedical Admission Test exam (BMAT), submit a portfolio, and sit through a challenging interview process. Significant preparation is required, and it is with the help of the Shrewsbury HE team, students stay focused and keep to stringent deadlines. Pichamon (Pim) Sirilar, who received an offer from Princess Chulabhorn College of Medical Science (PCCMS), explains that these moments can be stressful, and that having the right support is crucial.

“Aside from readying the medical school hopefuls for the difficult task ahead, Mr Markes (Associate Director of Higher Education, Thai Universities) also ensured we were OK mentally. He would keep in touch regularly and provide advice when we were getting stressed out. It really makes a difference when someone cares like that,” Pim expressed.

Another to echo this sentiment is Veerakiat (Kaow Pun) Tungsanga who ultimately chose Chiang Mai as his University for the next academic year. He also sought the advice of Shrewsbury Alumni to help him make his decision. The glowing reports of a strong community feel at Chiang Mai - something that he has enjoyed throughout his time at Shrewsbury - ended up being the decisive factor that confirmed his choice.

This year’s set of medical offers improve yet further on the 13 placements achieved by the Class of 2020, and sit alongside over 300 offers so far for the Class of 2021 to top world universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Stanford, Cornell and UPenn. And with the completion of over 1.1bn THB facilities investment in STEM learning, Higher Education and Sport this August, we can expect that trend to continue for many years to come.

Each of the students express their gratitude to Shrewsbury for the wealth of opportunities and chances they have had to express themselves in any way they choose. Just within the current crop of doctors-to-be, there are excellent sportspeople, musicians, individuals who have started their own charities, prefects, Deputy House Captains, Duke of Edinburgh International Award recipients and much more. Their dedication to academic studies, and willingness to seize every opportunity that Shrewsbury’s holistic approach to learning has to offer has clearly paid dividends. We wish them every success in the future.

Read more about our Class of 2021 offers and book at tour HERE