Former Haberdashers’ pupil wins £1,000 award for outstanding academic achievement

A former Haberdashers’ Girls School pupil, now an aspiring surgeon, has earned a prestigious £1,000 scholarship in recognition of her outstanding academic achievements at medical school.

Lucy Blyth, 22, from London, who is studying Medicine at the University of Worcester, was awarded the Academic Scholarship for her consistently high performance throughout her studies.

“I’m really pleased to have received this award and to have my academic achievements recognised,” she said. “I was proud of the results I achieved in my exams and written assignments during my first year of graduate-entry medicine, so it means a lot to have that acknowledged.”

Lucy plans to use the money to help with living costs while studying and hopes to put some of it towards celebrating with friends.

She paid tribute to her former teachers at Haberdashers’ Girls School.

Lucy said: “They gave me a strong academic foundation and encouraged me to aim high. The teaching and support I received helped me develop the skills and confidence to apply myself academically, which has been really valuable as I’ve progressed to medicine.”

She said she was drawn to Worcester because of the way Medicine is taught at the University’s Three Counties Medical School.

“I chose to study at Worcester because the graduate-entry Medicine course offered the opportunity to build on my previous physiotherapy degree while working towards a career in medicine,” she said. “I liked the course structure and the emphasis on practical clinical experience, as this was important to me.”

Lucy is keeping an open mind about her career after medical school but says she is particularly interested in breast surgery.

She said: “During my first year, I had an amazing clinical placement with breast surgeon Tahera Arif, whose teaching inspired me to learn more about the speciality. I’m looking forward to gaining more experience throughout the course and seeing where it takes me.

Lucy is studying at the University of the Year for Graduate Jobs 2027 in the Daily Mail University Guide, with judges describing a performance that ‘leaves many of the Russell Group in the shade’.

The University of Worcester is also this year shortlisted for the Outstanding Support for Students in the Times Higher Education Awards for the efforts of staff to raise money for student scholarships and hardship funds.

Professor David Green CBE, DL, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University, said: “Every year, thanks to the generosity of alumni, philanthropists and friends of the University, we are able to award academic scholarships to students who perform outstandingly well – typically gaining straight As across their studies. Achieving such excellent results consistently requires dedication, ability and sheer hard work.”

“All of us at the University are very proud of all our scholarship winners who come from across the range of our courses and from many backgrounds,” he added. “Every year this includes scholarship winners who are students who did not particularly excel at school but find that the intellectual and professional challenge of university combined with the expert education provided at Worcester brings out the very best in them.”