This summer the Undergraduate Primary Care Education Team are delighted to welcome students to the third year of our innovative widening access programme, WATCCH (widening access to careers in community healthcare). WATCCH supports young people from diverse and deprived backgrounds who are keen to pursue a career in healthcare. Our WATCCH students are enjoying learning about a diverse range of healthcare careers via campus-based education days and work experience in the primary care setting. This year, we have partnered with the student society Vision who are offering mentoring for our WATCCH students, following bespoke coaching and mentoring training from our in-house coaching lead. We will be running a series of student-led mentoring workshops throughout the year on topics including admissions tips, finances and personal skill development.
This popular programme supported by HEE NWL, has hosted one hundred students over the last three years and has sparked interest in universities nationally. Our evaluation to date shows that WATCCH increased students’ awareness of the range of healthcare careers available and has generated new thinking about career options. The programme also increased participants’ self- confidence in their ability to pursue their career choice, and importantly has given students access to relatable healthcare professional role models increasing their drive and motivation to join the healthcare workforce.
We look forward to expanding WATCCH further in upcoming years and would like to thank all the schools, teachers, Imperial College students, and our WATCCH students for the enthusiasm and dedication they bring to the scheme.
WATCCH sits within the Diversity and Inclusion theme of the newly-established Medical Education and Research Innovation Centre (MEdIC) based within Undergraduate Primary care Education Team in the School of Public Health. MEdIC aims to translate the medical education evidence-base into robust educational innovations and research which strengthen our medical workforce and have a sustainable, equitable and transformational impact on society.
For further information on WATCCH, please contact n.dutta@imperial.ac.uk