I am aware that it's a cliché to say ‘medicine has been a dream of mine’, but it genuinely has been. I unfortunately did not meet the grades to enter medicine from school, so I applied as a graduate and was successful in securing a place at The University of Aberdeen. However, there were financial implications for taking this route but funding from The Cross Trust removed the pressure on me and my family to fund tuition fees, as well as the cost of moving away from home. In my first year, I have demonstrated my aptitude for a career in medicine by excelling both academically and clinically, guided by the variety of healthcare professionals who teach us and the patients who volunteer their time so we can learn. I am immensely grateful for The Cross Trust’s generosity and will forever remember its support throughout my career.