Makeen’s drive to become a surgeon was born through his experiences of civil war in his home country of Syria.
He arrived in the UK with his family as a refugee in 2015, hoping to escape the violence.
“I was a frightened 14-year-old when we arrived in England,” said Makeen. “I didn’t speak much English. I felt nervous about starting a new school the year before my GCSEs all while having to adapt to a new culture, new language and new surroundings.”
Thanks to his hard work and support from his parents, his teachers and the local community, Makeen achieved straight As at A Level. He was awarded a scholarship to study medicine at Leeds.
“I’ll never forget the day that I was awarded a scholarship. It was life-changing and put me a step closer to my dream of being a doctor.”
The support helped Makeen pay for extra courses, leading to high grades and adding to his CV. Studying during COVID-19 restricted contact time with patients, but Makeen was able to pay for books and resources which helped him to learn remotely.
Outside of academia, the scholarship meant Makeen didn’t have to work alongside his studies, allowing him to become more involved with societies and extracurricular activities related to his course.
It also helped him to feel safer at Leeds: “In Syria we never went out after dark because it wasn’t safe – and it’s still something that I don’t really like to do. My scholarship meant I could afford to rent a house close to the campus so I didn't have to walk far from lectures which can finish after dark in winter. It also meant I had spare money to get a taxi if I needed to leave the house when it was late.”
Makeen had the opportunity to spend seven weeks at a state-of-the-art spinal research lab in Rhode Island, as well as one week shadowing one of the world’s most renown orthopaedic surgeons in Florida. The scholarship covered travel, accommodation and living costs. “Those eight weeks will provide the kind of experience I need to become a spinal surgeon in future.
“Donor support extends far beyond the day, month or year they provide it. Thank you for everything you’ve helped me accomplish so far and everything I might go on to do.”
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