Studying Medicine Across the Pond

Over the summer of 2022, Kyle Wormsbecher ‘23 started to seriously consider pursuing medicine for his postsecondary education. Once school started that September, he and his Adviser worked on narrowing down possible options. “I knew I wanted to do medicine, but most schools in Canada require you first complete an undergraduate degree before studying medicine,” says Kyle. “So my Adviser worked with me to find programs that would allow me to study medicine right after high school.” 

There were many options available in the United Kingdom (UK) so in November, Kyle began to apply to schools across the pond. “It was more challenging to apply to the UK since schools in the UK are usually looking for IB or A levels for entry grades, and Greenwood offers the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD),” Kyle explains. However, the strength of his personal statement and his performance during the multi mini interviews (MMI) led to an offer of acceptance from the University of Central Lancashire. For Kyle, Central Lancashire is a great fit for him as the university’s core values align with Greenwood in terms of student support and community. 

“My Adviser Mr. Haag has some prior experience with helping students get into UK programs so he was instrumental in helping me prepare for the MMI,” says Kyle. “He helped to set up practice MMI for me with staff from Greenwood. Eight staff members would come in to ask me a question and I would have eight minutes to answer. It was a really eye-opening experience for me to know where I needed to prepare more.” 

While the main campus of the university is situated close to Manchester, Kyle’s first year is at the university’s secondary campus in Whitehaven, a small seaside town in the north of England. “There are more sheep than there are people here,” Kyle adds. “I can see sheep right now from my dorm window.” 

Kyle says that being new to the country and to the campus made getting involved very important. “Being more involved with the student council and community-building activities made my experience more enjoyable,” Kyle says. “It also gave me opportunities to get to know people from the main campus even though I am not physically there. This will help me when I move to the main campus next year.” 

In terms of his studies, Kyle wasn’t quite sure what to expect but he can’t imagine doing anything else right now. “They say medicine is a calling and I certainly feel called to it,” Kyle says while reflecting on his choice of program. “I feel that I was very well prepared for my postsecondary studies by my Greenwood biology and chemistry teachers,” adds Kyle. “They offered opportunities for students to take on independent projects which helped develop my interest and knowledge in certain subjects.”

He also appreciates the diversity of the student population at the university, which reminded him of his years at public school before attending Greenwood. “There are many international students here,” he says. “I was just out celebrating Eid with some of my Muslim friends and I have learned about many more customs and celebrations from my peers here.” 

A big part of the growth he’s seen in himself is independence that comes from travelling on his own. “I used to take a 40-minute subway ride every day to get to Greenwood, but now I have to travel six to seven hours by plane then take a four hour train ride to get to campus,” Kyle says. “I’ve done quite a bit of travel within the UK. It’s nice to be able to get to Edinborough easily.” He highly recommends students take a look at attending schools outside of Canada. “It is definitely worth opening your eyes to places outside Canada,” says Kyle. “You’ll grow more than you think.” 

We wish Kyle good luck as he finishes the rest of his school year. Kyle Wormsbecher ‘23 will be back at Greenwood on May 16 to speak at an alumni panel for this year’s Class of 2024! We can’t wait to welcome him and other alumni on that day.