Anastasia Georgiou expresses her gratitude for receiving a Gladstone Memorial Trust grant and tells us how she applied for it
I am in my second year of graduate medicine here at Lucy Cavendish. I always considered studying medicine but never felt certain until I was a bit older with more experience. I originally studied Law at Oxford and during my time there became very interested in medical law and ethics, as well as in clinical practice.
I was delighted to receive a travel grant from the Gladstone Memorial Trust.
The application process involved submission of a detailed itinerary and budget, followed by a panel interview in London. The grant is given on the condition that I write a post-trip report of my experience explaining my route and what I learn along the way.
My application was titled ‘Learn to Cook like an Italian’ and included detailed plans to visit olive oil-producing factories in Liguria, vineyards in Tuscany and pizzerias in Rome. I was very surprised to have been successful given that northern Italy was locked down the day I interviewed, with the rest of Europe following suit soon after!
For obvious reasons I haven’t been able to use the award just yet, but I hope to do so in the near future. It might be that my trip itinerary will have to change; the trustees have been very accommodating in allowing flexibility this year. I am very grateful for the award because it will allow me to do something exciting and rewarding during my short holiday period which I otherwise would not be able to consider.
My tutor Dr Isabel Clare was very supportive of my application and wrote me a reference, which I really appreciate. I enjoy my time at Lucy and am lucky to have very supportive tutors and colleagues. I am particularly grateful for the library elevenses and threesies which have seen us through several exam periods and stressful terms.