There will be a special delivery to the University of Sunderland in the New Year – a donation to help find the doctors of the future.
The Mini Medics project is the brainchild of the University and will be delivered in their new School of Medicine, with the support of Amazon and the University’s Development Trust, who raise funds for outreach initiatives.
The £2,000 donation was part of the ‘Amazon in the Community’ programme, supporting communities around Amazon’s operating locations across the UK.
Sal Circo, Delivery Station Manager at Amazon in Washington, said: “We are pleased to make this donation to the University of Sunderland Development Trust. The University is important for our community and we hope this donation will help support the wonderful work they do.”
The Mini Medics project allows pupils from Early Years onwards to explore the role of doctors and other healthcare professionals.
By delving inside the doctor’s bag, pupils find out more about the different types of equipment that doctors and other healthcare professionals use. Pupils also look at the uses and implications of science, today and for the future.
Professor Scott Wilkes, Head of the University of Sunderland School of Medicine, added: “On behalf of the University, I would like to thank Sal and the Amazon team for this generous donation.
“Support like this helps us reach the next generation of young people who otherwise may never have considered a career in medicine.
“Our mission is to make medicine accessible to all who have the ability to pursue a demanding degree and career, in a socially responsible medical school, and to create doctors of the future that meet the needs of society.”
Community donations are one of a number of ways in which Amazon is supporting communities across the UK during Covid-19. Amazon is providing disadvantaged students with online STEM courses as well as teaming up with charity partner Magic Breakfast and delivering 1.4 million healthy breakfasts to families around the UK.
Launched in 2018, Sunderland is one of only five new medical schools, established to address the regional imbalance of medical education places across England and to widen access to ensure the profession reflects the communities it serves.
With a track-record of excellence in health education spanning almost 100 years, the University is now well-placed to contribute medical graduates to address the shortage of doctors in the North East.
Our graduates will follow careers in many specialties with a significant proportion focusing on GP and Psychiatry.