Friday October 30th 2026
Back L-R: Callum Cruickshank (founder of YCBAD) Alsadeg Bilal (MD-PhD Candidate, UofE) and Luc Cummings (Doctor and YCBAD). Front Castlebrae students with Paula Glancy
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
A new project bringing medical professionals into classrooms is aiming to inspire more young people to consider a career in medicine, including those who may not previously have seen it as an option.
The University of Edinburgh’s Medical School has teamed up with charity You Can Be A Doctor for a year-long programme which will visit all 23 state secondary schools in Edinburgh.
Launched on Thursday, October 29, at Castlebrae Community Campus in Craigmillar, the initiative will deliver sessions to S1 pupils, giving them an insight into working in medicine and the different routes into the profession.
Organisers hope the programme will help broaden aspirations and make a career in medicine feel more accessible to pupils from less advantaged backgrounds.
Medicine is one of the most competitive university courses, and research suggests that a lack of access to information about the profession can affect the chances of pupils from lower socio-economic backgrounds gaining a place at medical school.
You Can Be A Doctor was founded by Callum Cruickshank while he was studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh. The charity aims to break down barriers facing young people from underprivileged backgrounds and help create a more inclusive healthcare workforce.
Run by doctors and medical students, it provides early outreach to primary and secondary schools, raising awareness of medical careers and offering support with the application process.
During the new sessions, pupils will meet medical professionals and hear first-hand about what it is like to practise medicine in Scotland.
At the launch event, Castlebrae pupils spoke with charity founder Callum Cruickshank, Paula Glancy from You Can Be A Doctor, student Alsadeg Bilall and Professor Lorna Marson, Dean of Clinical Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.
Alsadeg, a sixth-year MB-PhD student now undertaking a PhD in cancer biology, spoke about his own route into medicine.
Growing up in Edinburgh, he was inspired by You Can Be A Doctor and received support through the University’s Reach programme, which helps local secondary school pupils access higher education.
The S1 project forms part of a series of events marking 300 years of medical education at the University of Edinburgh, with widening access to the profession a key focus of the anniversary programme.
Professor Marson said: “Entry into medicine should be based on potential and ability rather than advantages or challenges someone has faced due to their background.
“By providing early exposure and guidance through programmes like this, we are helping young people make informed decisions about their future and explore opportunities they may not have previously considered.”
Mr Cruickshank said the charity wanted to ensure pupils from every background could see medicine as a career open to them.
He added: “Our aim is to visit every secondary school in Edinburgh within a year, giving S1 pupils the chance to meet a real doctor, ask anything they like and keep that door open.
“This is about making sure everyone has the support they need to succeed, and building an NHS workforce that truly reflects the population it serves.”
Castlebrae head teacher Rob Greenaway said the workshops connected pupils with people working in medicine and opened their eyes to future possibilities.
The University said more than 80 per cent of its Scottish entrants now come from state schools, while the proportion of students from Scotland’s most disadvantaged areas has almost doubled since 2015.
More information about the S1 programme is available at You Can Be A Doctor.
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