Meet the young student doctors experiencing world medicine

Published on 14, July, 2025

Twelve young student doctors from the University of Sunderland have expanded their experience on the world stage, thanks to the support of the Rothley Trust Medical Elective Awards, and now they are taking that experience out into the NHS to benefit patients throughout the UK.

The Rothley Trust are a charity who supports initiatives in the north-east region focused on community, children and young people, energy saving, education, disability, ex-service people and medical education. Earlier this year, the Trust supported the twelve young MBChB Medicine degree students to experience medicine in New Zealand, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, Qatar, Malaysia and the Philippines. The students also raised funds themselves to supplement their awards.

Anne Galbraith CBE, Chair of the Rothley Trust, said: “The trustees take great satisfaction from being able to contribute to these valuable experiences for the students. The accounts that they have shared with us of their time abroad are inspirational.”

The twelve 2025 Rothley Trust scholars all graduate this summer and will be going on to hospitals and healthcare trusts throughout the region and beyond. They are Aaron Dixon from Darlington; Angela Rollan and Emma Selimovic from Gateshead; Haaris Hassan, Kyle Isidro, Ellen O’Brien and Freddie Sturgess from Newcastle; Syeda Haque from South Shields; Jess Rainbow and Jared Warby from Sunderland; Matthew Walsh from Washington, and Izzie Thompson from Whitley Bay.

Aaron Dixon, 23, has wanted to become a doctor since he was eight years old, influenced by his mam, a nurse, and dad, an ambulance support technician. Aaron was supported by the Rothley Trust to gain experience in Vietnam.

He said: “The whole experience was astonishing, from being able to gain experience in the speciality of neurosurgery, to travelling around the beautiful scenery of Vietnam. I am sure that I will never experience anything like this again, and without the support from the Rothley Trust, this would not have been possible.”

Aaron has now graduated and is spending his Foundation Year working as a doctor at North Tees and Hartlepool Trust, and hopes to become a neurosurgeon in the future.

Angela Rollan, 23, is beginning her Foundation Year at Sunderland Royal Hospital and said she can’t wait “to get stuck in” as a junior doctor. She spent her Rothley Trust Elective studies in Thailand.

“I was able to fund my trip and fully immerse myself in the Thai culture, forming professional relationships but also friendships during my time there. Thailand is a beautiful country with wonderful people, I will definitely be going back!”

Angela studied at Cardinal Hume Catholic School in Gateshead before coming to University, as did Emma Selimovic, 23. Emma will soon begin her professional career at South Tyneside and Sunderland Healthcare Trust, and recently expanded her horizons in New Zealand. She said: “It has been an incredibly enriching experience thanks to the Rothley Fund.”

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Haaris Hassan, 23, is beginning his career in A&E at the Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington.

He said: “The skills and insight I gained from my placement are invaluable, which can only make me a better doctor for my career.”

Kyle Isidro’s trip was an opportunity to reconnect with his culture. Kyle, 23, moved to Newcastle from the Philippines when he was nine years-old, and this year returned with the support of the Rothley Trust. 

He said: “This was particularly special to me as I got a chance to reconnect with my culture and practice my clinical skills in my native language.” Kyle will soon be starting work as a doctor in Chester.

Ellen O’Brien, 23, is staying local after graduation, working at Northumbria Healthcare Trust, but took the opportunity to go further than most thanks to the Rothley award, to Australia and New Zealand. 

Ellen said: "Without the Rothley Fund, I never would have experienced medicine in the southern hemisphere, and made so many amazing memories along the way.”

Freddie Sturgess, 26, from Newcastle, added: “I'm incredibly grateful for the experience and opportunity I have had to immerse myself in a different culture and healthcare system. As a mature student, this elective simply would not have been possible without the money I kindly received.”

“I’ve always wanted a career where I could make a meaningful impact on people’s lives, and Medicine gives me the opportunity to do exactly that,” said Syeda Haque, 23, who is just about to start her career as a doctor at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

“Thanks to the support of the Rothley Trust, I had the incredible opportunity to complete a medical elective in both Qatar and Malaysia over eight weeks. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

"I was able to immerse myself in two unique cultures, encounter rare and fascinating medical cases in different hospital settings, and explore each country’s beauty. It was both an educational and personally enriching journey that I’ll never forget.”

Jess Rainbow, 23, is also beginning her career at Sunderland Royal Hospital – the same hospital in which she was born – and spent her elective in both Scotland and Vietnam. “The elective helped me explore contrasting sides of medicine—both pediatric and adult, community-based and hospital-based, local and global.

"It’s given me deeper insight into the value of compassion, communication, and adaptability in healthcare, and I know the experiences will shape the kind of doctor I hope to become. I’m so grateful to the Rothley Trust for making this possible.”

Jared Warby, 23, from Sunderland, used his elective award to travel to Bali. “This opportunity has been truly transformative both personally and professionally. This elective has not only affirmed my passion for paediatrics but has also equipped me with new perspectives and experiences that will enrich my future practice.”

Matthew Walsh, 22, is another recruit to Sunderland Royal Hospital, focusing on supporting people from the region. He believes his time in Vietnam will have a huge impact on his practice going forward.

Matthew said: "Being a Rothley scholar has meant I have been able to travel to a continent I’ve never been before to experience medicine in a completely different healthcare system and immerse myself in a different culture. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being able to do this as well as improve my clinical skills and knowledge in the process.”

Izzie Thompson, 24, is heading north to work in surgical practice in Edinburgh, she said, “It’s always better being in the north!” Izzie spent her Rothley elective in Australia, “I would not have been able to complete this placement without the additional financial support through The Rothley Trust.”

This summer sees 77 new doctors graduate from the University of Sunderland’s MBChB Medicine degree and 100% of graduates are going into immediate employment, with 58% of those graduates staying in the region.

Professor Scott Wilkes, Head of the University’s School of Medicine, said: “I’m immensely grateful to the Rothley Trust for giving the opportunity to this incredibly talented group of medics at the start of their careers. Their experience will stay with them forever and no doubt shape their future lives. This completes the final part of the undergraduate journey, meeting our School’s philosophy of ‘making medicine accessible to talented students who may not have otherwise had the opportunity’.”

The University’s School of Medicine was one of five new medical schools to be given Government backing in 2018.

Since then, it has grown in size and reputation, opening an Anatomy Centre in early 2022 and moving into the Murray Health building in 2024.

2024 also saw the School granted official status by the General Medical Council (GMC), adding the University of Sunderland to the list of bodies able to award UK primary medical qualifications.

The University of Sunderland is now the only university in the north-east which offers a full suite of health-related courses, including pharmacy, paramedic science, nursing and midwifery, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and other health-related sciences.