JADE SCOTT-BLAGROVE
Founder of Widening Participation Medics Network
CEO AND DEPUTY CEO:
CRAIG AND NICOLE
Our CEO and Deputy CEO oversee all of WPMN's day-to-day activity and represent WPMN at external meetings. You can find out more about Craig and Nicolle, and how to contact them, below.
Craig
CEO
he/him and they/them
​
Hi, my name is Craig, and I am delighted to have been appointed as the new CEO of WPMN. I have just completed my final year as a student at The University of Edinburgh and I am excited (and a bit nervous!) to be starting FY1 in Glasgow next month. I am a first-generation university student who was raised in an area of high deprivation. I attended my local state school before being unsuccessful in my first attempt to study medicine. I studied a BSc in Biological Sciences (Immunology) at Edinburgh instead, before reapplying for medicine as a graduate and obtaining four offers. I am also a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and live with a chronic illness (type 1 diabetes), so although not strictly WP, inclusivity in a broader sense is very important to me as we make the medical workforce truly more representative of the society we serve. WP to me means giving every individual, regardless of their background and specific circumstances, the opportunities to reach their full potential and to be their best self, when compared to others not facing these additional barriers. Medicine should be for those with ability and desire, not solely the elite and privileged. I have been privileged, both as a prospective WP student myself and through working for many WP initiatives whilst at university, to experience first-hand the true value of WP initiatives and how much students appreciate the support and the difference it makes as they overcome personal obstacles, tackle imposter syndrome, and manoeuvre the rigorous application process. Having been the Regional Representative for Scotland since October 2020, I have relished seeing how WPMN has grown and made local, regional, and national impacts via its many hardworking teams. I cannot wait to see what is next for WPMN and I am excited to both further develop what is ongoing and explore new and exciting other avenues.
Nicolle
Deputy CEO
she/her
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Hi all, glad to introduce myself as the new deputy CEO of WPMN. I have just finished my iBSc year at UCL in Primary Care. I am a first - generation student from a low income background. My family migrated to the UK from Colombia when I was a child and ever since I've been very grateful for all the WP events and opportunities I've been able to attend. The start of med school presented me with a significant culture shock. Having only met aspiring medics at WP events in London, I didn't know WP students made up such as small percentage and I struggled to find my place within the medical school cohort, subsequently leading to an interruption of studies. Here is where I learnt that there should be WP to support aspiring medical students, current medical students and doctors from underrepresented backgrounds as the barriers WP students face continue to exist after admission. WP to me means identifying inequalities and tackling them to create a more level playing field for all medics in order to make the medical workforce more representative of the population. Although there is still a way to go, believe WPMN has made great strides towards this goal. Being part of the WPMN national taskforce for two years has introduced me to very supportive people with whom I've been able to accomplish things I never knew I could do at my current stage in my medical career, such as start research projects and present their results at conferences. I am very excited to see how WPMN grows in the next couple of years and very proud and grateful of everyone in it.
