Student doctors aid vaccination roll-out
A group of Sunderland medical students have joined the effort to deliver the Covid-19 vaccine to people in the North East.
Student doctors from the University of Sunderland’s School of Medicine are currently using their skills to help inthenationalvaccinationprogramme.
The second year students have now been trained as junior vaccinators and were involved in offering vaccines at The Parks Sports Centre in North Tyneside last weekend, under the guidance of Professor Scott Wilkes, who heads up the university’s medical school.
Second year medical student Laura Giles was one of those taking part.
Laura, from Sunderland, said: "I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to volunteer as a vaccinator, a role I never thought I would undertake until later in my clinical years. This rewarding opportunity allowed me to not only support the frontline through this pandemic, but also provided me with vital experience and skills in gaining trust with patients.
“All the patients were extremely grateful for our help and it was a privilege to support the vaccination roll-out.”
The university opened its first School of Medicine on September 16, 2019, and since then one of its aims has been toaddresstheregion’sshortage of doctors.
Throughout the pandemic
the university has played a key role in supporting frontline staff, from graduating nurses heading direct into the region’s hospitals, to donating vitalmedicalequipmenttothe North East’s NHS trusts.
Professor Scott Wilkes, headofSchoolofMedicineand Professor of General Practice and Primary Care at Sunderland,said:“I'msoimpressedby thestudents’commitmentand desire to help in the pandemic vaccination effort.
“We have nearly 60% of our pioneer cohort, second year medical students, who have been trained as junior vaccinators which is a phenomenal response.”