Jenni Butler BM4

I’ve loved my time at Southampton. I’ve really enjoyed getting into the clinical side of it and the ability to do the student selected units was really good for me to gain more experience in acute care settings. This is a good place to be a student because you can get a lot of hands on experience.

Southampton and medicine are in Jenni Butler’s blood. Her father, Patrick Butler, is a consultant anaesthetist at University Hospital Southampton and her mother is a nurse turned barrister, who studied Law at the University of Southampton.

So, it was almost inevitable that Jenni would graduate the BM4 course from the University, with flying colours. In fact, she graduated top of her class with the Donald Acheson First Prize – for highest scoring overall performance in the BMBS Programme.

Jenni joined the BM4 course in 2015 after studying a Classics degree at Oxford University. She said: “Medicine was always in the back of my mind and something I wanted to do but I fell in love with classics. I had amazing teachers, who really inspired me. I finished my degree and then thought ‘what am I going to do now’ and remembered Medicine, so I looked into it.

“The design of Southampton’s BM4 course was a great fit for me. The first section of the course was spread out over 18 months instead of a year, and I knew that would help me get into it.

“I’ve loved my time at Southampton. I’ve really enjoyed getting into the clinical side of it and the ability to do the student selected units was really good for me to gain more experience in acute care settings. This is a good place to be a student because you can get a lot of hands on experience.

“All the teachers and lecturers and personal tutors have been great, especially the BM4 staff in the first 18 months. they were very supportive. I feel like they really set us up to succeed. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved with extra-curricular activities too. I was part of the Heart Start committee, which went out to girl guides, brownies and school groups to teach CPR to children. It was extremely rewarding and a lot of fun.

“My advice to anyone starting the course would be to enjoy it and make the most of the opportunities you have. Medicine is such a varied area, you can do so many different things. Don’t be afraid to try things out and try what’s on offer.”

Both Jenni’s parents were at Graduation 2019 to see their daughter collect her diploma and her award.

Patrick said: “We laughed when she said she could go to read classics at Oxford and then do the BM4 course, yet here we are, and we are so very proud of her”