TEEN FORCED TO PAY £120K TO TRAIN AS A DOCTOR
YOUNGSTER PAYING TO TRAIN AS A DOCTOR AT A CYPRIOT UNIVERSITY
YOU just need to take a look at Toby Newton’s CV to know he has dreamed of being a doctor for years.
The Ruislip teen has volunteered at holiday camps for disabled children, schools for children with learning difficulties, shadowed a surgeon in trauma surgery at Hillingdon hospital and worked as a lifeguard at David Lloyd Northwood.
All this hard work appeared to be about to pay off when he was predicted A* A* A in biology, chemistry and physics and applied to go to Keele University to study medicine – but then coronavirus happened.
During the exam results fiasco, Toby was first given the grades BBC then ABB, given hope with the ‘triple lock’ system that was announced, only to have it swiftly taken away.
The 18-year-old said: “It’s been extremely stressful and confusing because of all the retractions of the statements. It’s been demoralising on my mental health.”
Still, determined to become an NHS doctor, Toby persevered and managed to win a place on a medical course in Cyprus, at the University of Nicosia, something he is incredibly optimistic about.
He said: “I’d like to go to a UK university, but I’m pleased I can still pursue a career in medicine.
“I think looking in the future the course incorporates the best of the UK and US system – it’s a balance of clinical experience as well as theory.
“In the UK they chuck you into clinical situations while the US is basically a biology course.”
The only issue is that there is no financial support for people training to be a doctor outside of the UK – no student loans, no bursaries and no government scheme.
To complete the six-year MD degree will cost £120,000 in tuition fees and the university advises that living costs in the area will total at least £9,000 a year.
In a desperate attempt to pursue his dream career, the aspiring doctor has set up a GoFundMe page to try to raise the money required for the course.
He said: “Getting a medical degree from Cyprus is double the price.
“The Bank of Cyprus offers a student loan of 3% – worst case scenario, my parents will fund the loan and I’ll pay them back. Putting that financial burden on my parents isn’t something I want to do.”
“Because of the whole government scenario the fact there is no system in places for people who go to medical schools internationally need support.
“There’s a shortage of doctors and shortage of university places – we need more doctors then there are university places.”