I first heard about Leeds through researching the top universities to study Medicine in the UK and found that Leeds was one of the best in the world! Upon further research, I discovered that Leeds is a Russell Group University, an honourable accreditation for only a few selected Universities in the UK, highlighting how renowned the University is for the quality of their research and it is something I considered specialising in the future. The University is also affiliated with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS trust, internationally known to be the largest teaching hospital in Europe! Thus, I felt that it would be a great place where I can learn about a wide array of specialities and work closely with a variety of health professionals in the essential multi-disciplinary field of medicine.
Furthermore, my father’s colleague who is a Leeds alumnus was telling me about how much he enjoyed studying and working in Leeds. He mentioned how brilliant the teaching staff was in supporting him throughout his PhD studies. He also explained how he found Leeds was such a great vibrant city with always so much to do! There is also a large Malaysian community based in Leeds and several restaurants that sell Malaysian food – so if I were to ever feel home sick and missing the food back home – I was covered!
Being a huge fan of gigs, I discovered how infamous the music scene was as many touring artists and bands often come to Leeds to deliver shows. There is also the annual Reading and Leeds and Slamdunk festival which I very much looked forward to attending.
I also discovered how the Leeds University Union was one of the best in the country with a notable number of societies (over 300 of them)! Where I figured Leeds will be a great place for me to continue practicing the sport I love – basketball and also allow me to safely go out of my comfort zone and explore something new!