Guide to Gloucester Academy

Out placement can be a daunting prospect, so knowing a little bit about the academy you are headed to is always helpful. Here are some key instructions for making the most of the Gloucester experience.

First, work out how you are going to get to Gloucester. Pick a friend with a car - preferably with a questionable MOT - and switch on the iPhone sat nav. When you get to Gloucester, you will locate the random side street where the Whitfield House accommodation is situated, and subsequently fight with the 10 other cars of students for a space. Be prepared to listen to a vital 5-minute lecture from the academy staff on how to use a key - essential learning in your early 20s. Those lockdown home workouts will now come in handy as you lug your suitcases up two flights of stairs (apparently the lift is a risk for COVID transmission, but the narrow flight of stairs is not).

Whilst we are discussing luggage, you must remember to bring all the essentials. These include your newly purchased placement clothes – which you won’t actually need because Gloucester is making all students wear scrubs but failed to tell you – uncomfortable smart shoes, stethoscope, textbooks, flares to remind you of Bristol. Do be sure to refer to the useful email about kitchen equipment which clearly states “there may be some pots and pans”, allowing you to buy a whole new kitchen set to make sure you are covered!

The flats and rooms are lovely. Spacious, modern, warm, with strong Premier Inn vibes, it is a place you will be very comfortable for the next four months. Recycling bins are not available, so the Bristol climate-conscious vegan mindset should be forgotten about for the duration of your stay. Whitfield House is situated in a colourful part of Gloucester and you will be regularly woken by fighting in the middle of the night, along with the occasional police car.

Make sure you know your way to the Redwood Education Centre. It is only a 10-minute walk from the accommodation, but this does not consider the fact that the Gloucester Royal Hospital site is a maze. The walk is a lovely way to start the day, taking you through a tunnel under the train station, although you must learn to master the skill of avoiding the faeces on the ground - good practice for hospital! Once you have found Redwood, you will be greeted by some truly lovely clinical fellows and the very kind lady from the café who gives out free coffee. However, do be aware that you may actually end up based in Cheltenham Hospital, which allows you to enjoy a 50-minute bus ride in peak rush hour traffic.

Within a 5-minute walking distance of the accommodation, there is a Tesco Express, Wilko, and a Kaspa’s Desert Parlour for when you want to channel your inner 13-year-old girl. Gloucester nightlife consists of drinking in the streets or attending a few dodgy bars, so you are very much spoilt for choice. You will be required to follow the trend and purchase a membership at the popular ‘The Gym’ chain. Each evening, you can join all the classic Bristol medics rugby lads there and worry you are being followed on the way back home.

Overall, Gloucester is a great academy to be in and living in such a weird town is an experience you will never forget.

Written by Niamh Roberts