My Account
Please meet Niamh, who is starting work as a foundation doctor after being funded through five years of medical studies and placements at the University of Manchester by the Postal Family Fund University bursary.
Why did you decide to study medicine?
I have always known that I wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember. I grew up watching shows like Casualty, Holby City and 24 Hours in A&E and was always fascinated by them and knew that is what I wanted to do. I have seen the impact that healthcare professionals can have on a person and their family when going through a vulnerable time and I am so proud that I now get to have that same impact on people.
What impact has the Postal Family Fund university bursary had?
This bursary has helped me in ways I cannot even describe. Living in a city such as Manchester was financially difficult at times especially with the cost of living. My student loan was being used to pay my rent, and often did not fully cover it. This then left me struggling with my day-to-day finances. This bursary allowed me to be able to support myself and gave me money for food shops, travel home and to placements etc. This took a tremendous amount of stress off both me and my family. I have an older brother who was also studying at University of Manchester along with a younger brother still living at home. This meant that there was only so much financial help my family could provide.
With Medicine being a 5-year degree, the Postal Family Fund were kind enough to grant me an extra 2 years of funding. I am so grateful for this as this money helped me even more in my final 2 years as my placements got further away, rent was more expensive, and cost of living was increasing. My laptop unexpectedly broke and without this fund I would not have been able to replace it as quickly as I did.
5th year Medicine students do not qualify for the same student finance as those in 1st-4th year, and so my student loan was reduced to a 1/3 of what it had been in previous years. Without this Postal Family Fund bursary, I would not have been able to pay my rent, afford my bills or pay for transport to placements. Once again, the stress this took off me and my family was huge and I will always be grateful. This allowed me to put full focus into my studies without worrying about finances.
This fund made my university experience one I loved and will miss. This money allowed me to still have a social life and experiences outside of university as it eased the worry of not having enough money for ‘important things’ and made me more reassured. Without this fund, I know my family would have found ways to support me, but this fund took that amount of stress off them and put them more at ease also.
What are your plans for the future?
I went through 5 years of long placement days, library days, gruelling exams, but I am so happy I am now at the end of it and this fund helped me to do so. I graduated in July 2026 with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery. I got my top choice of job and will spend the next 2 years working as a Foundation Doctor in Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry helping those in the most vulnerable stage of their lives.
Would you recommend the Postal Family Fund university bursary scheme to others?
I would recommend the Postal Family Fund to anyone who is eligible to apply. This helped so much throughout my time at university especially as everyday things are getting more and more expensive. It is so easy to apply and all it required from my end was a letter from my university twice a year saying I was still enrolled, it was as simple as that. It will have a huge impact on those who are lucky enough to be granted it.
