Case study: Elizabeth

While in her final year at Hull York Medical School, Elizabeth was involved in a serious road accident and had to use a wheelchair for three months. Unable to return to her studies in time to sit her final exams, Elizabeth was forced to re-start her final year. The added financial pressure of an extra year at medical school meant that she was finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet.

Elizabeth contacted her medical school welfare team who recommended her for the RMBF's Medical Student Programme. The RMBF helped Elizabeth through her final year at medical school, where she passed her exam and went on to start her F1 year.

'Without the help of RMBF I would have struggled to complete the course due to financial pressure. Thanks to them I was able to focus on exams and not have to worry about finances.'

Distressing things can happen unexpectedly at any time in your life. But if they affect you while you are at medical school and leave you in financial straits, it might mean you have to suspend, or even end, your studies.

Medical students who find themselves in serious financial difficulties resulting from ill health, bereavement or disability can now find help through the Medical Student Programme run by the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund, the UK's leading charity for doctors and their families.

Launched in 2012, the Medical Student Programme supports eligible medical students with repayable loans so that they can continue with their studies and go on to qualify as doctors.

The Programme was a result of research conducted by the RMBF into medical student financial hardship, which discovered that medical students who found themselves in such exceptional and difficult financial situations, through no fault of their own, were unable to continue their studies and could be lost to the profession for good.

The RMBF has helped to make a real difference to the lives of doctors and their families for over 175 years, and the findings from this research presented the RMBF with a unique opportunity to extend its services to help medical students, and in turn support the future of the medical profession.

Students wanting to apply for the Medical Student Programme should contact the RMBF on 020 8540 9194 or help@rmbf.org