Celyn Rose

Celyn Rose from Caerphilly, who has been inspired by her medical condition to pursue a career as a doctor, is one step closer to achieving her dream after receiving A, A, B, in maths, chemistry and biology, securing her spot at Liverpool University to study medicine.

As someone born with the cystic fibrosis carrier gene, 20-year-old Coleg y Cymoedd learner Celyn Rose has been interested in medicine from a young age and was motivated by her own health experiences to study the subject.

While she does not suffer from the condition herself, the gene does mean that if she ever had any children, they could be at risk of developing it. Celyn hopes a future medical career will enable her to play a role in discovering and developing new treatments for conditions like cystic fibrosis.

The determined learner narrowly missed out on a university place last summer but, far from being put off from pursuing her goals, the experience only made her more determined to succeed.

Having previously received an A in her maths A level and Welsh Baccalaureate, Celyn returned to college to re-sit her exams in biology and chemistry and has now achieved AB grades.

Celyn said: “Although being a carrier of cystic fibrosis doesn’t mean I have the condition, it does mean that if I ever had a partner who had the same gene, our child could suffer from it. This sparked an interest for me regarding how genetics and the human body work and inspired me to base my Welsh Baccalaureate on the condition.

“The medical field is constantly evolving; there are always new discoveries to be made and there’s still so much we don’t know about the human body, which really excites me”.

Celyn has chosen to study at the University of Liverpool due to its flexible course structure and hands-on approach. She will also get the opportunity to study abroad across Europe, America and Canada, either through a 12-week elective or for a full year.

She added: “The course structure at Liverpool is very case based, which means I will get to work with others on mock medical cases and figure out the causes and treatments, which is very suited to my learning style. I definitely want to study abroad. I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am and have overcome so many obstacles, I’m going to make the most of it now.

“My confidence was knocked when I didn’t get into university last year and I found it hard to watch my friends head off to study their courses while I had to re-sit my A levels. Choosing to stay at college was a difficult decision but I was adamant I wanted to study medicine, so it was the right choice for me. I couldn’t have got through it without the help of my tutors at Coleg y Cymoedd.

 “Coleg y Cymoedd has been through this whole experience with me every step of the way. My tutors honestly couldn’t have done enough for me and I’m so grateful for their support. During a time that was really difficult for me, when my self-belief took a massive hit, my tutors supported and reassured me that I would get to where I wanted to, and they were right.”