Published: 24 May 2023
A St George’s alumnus, Mr Ravi Ray (pictured), has funded the first Undergraduate Scholarship for St George's. The scholarship, named the Ravi Ray Scholarship in Undergraduate Medicine, will help alleviate financial concerns for those from disadvantaged backgrounds while also helping those demonstrating outstanding potential to make a difference in the world. Each year, the scholarship will provide funding towards one Medicine scholar’s tuition fees or living costs for the final three years of their programme.
Supporting the future generation of healthcare professionals
“It has been wonderful to have the opportunity to work with Ravi, and with colleagues across the University, to build this brand-new scholarship. We are excited to see its impact on our scholars, as well as the patients who will benefit from their care and expertise, for years to come.”
- Professor Hannah Cock, Medicine Course Director -
Medicine Course Director, Professor Hannah Cock, says: “We are delighted to be able to help relieve financial pressure for those most in need of support through this scholarship, while also helping our future generation of healthcare professionals to thrive at St George’s and beyond.
“It has been wonderful to have the opportunity to work with Ravi, and with colleagues across the University, to build this brand-new scholarship. We are excited to see its impact on our scholars, as well as the patients who will benefit from their care and expertise, for years to come.”
Our first scholar
“This scholarship will not only alleviate financial burden, but also serve as a powerful motivation to excel in my academic pursuits.”
- Hanaf Shahid (pictured), recipient of the 2022-23 Ravi Ray Scholarship in Undergraduate Medicine -
The first recipient of the scholarship is Third Year Medicine student Hanaf Shahid, who shares:
“I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for being selected as the first recipient of the Ravi Ray Scholarship in Undergraduate Medicine. This will not only alleviate my financial burden, but also serve as a powerful motivation to excel in my academic pursuits.”
The scholarship was funded by Class of 2001 alumnus Mr Ravi Ray, who works as a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Basildon & Thurrock University Hospitals, Spire Hartswood, Spire Wellesley, Nuffield Brentwood & Harley Street Specialist Hospitals. Mr Ray also provides educational input and pastoral care to junior doctors, nurses & physiotherapists as well as being involved in national recruitment of junior doctors into specialist Orthopaedic training.
“I had a great experience at St George’s. I feel privileged to have had a successful career, so I feel lucky to be able to use this experience to help others and make the lives of those around me better."
- Ravi Ray -
Speaking about what inspired him to fund a scholarship, he says:
“One piece of advice I’ve always remembered a mentor and friend sharing with me is to ‘pass it on’ – If you’ve had the privilege of a medical education, make sure you share that with others by helping the next generation.
“I had a great experience at St George’s. As students, we had clinical exposure from day one, and this makes doctors from St George’s really stand out when they go out into the working world. I feel privileged to have had a successful career, so I feel lucky to be able to use this experience to help others and make the lives of those around me better."
Helping our scholars make the best start in their future careers
"This scholarship was one of those opportunities to make a difference not just by providing funding to students, but hopefully also by sharing my own experience and expertise with those from the scholarship programme to help them make the best start in their careers.”
- Ravi Ray -
“When you start out on your career path, you can absorb so much from your colleagues’ journeys and this helps you to understand what you need to achieve in order to get to where they are. This scholarship was one of those opportunities to make a difference not just by providing funding to students, but hopefully also by sharing my own experience and expertise with those from the scholarship programme to help them make the best start in their careers.”
To help raise money towards the scholarship, Mr Ray chose to climb Mount Kilimanjaro as well as cycling 100 miles in a day. Reflecting on the experiences, he says: “My brother approached me in 2021 to see if I’d like to take part in the climbing challenge with him. We hadn’t seen a lot of each other in recent years, so it was a unique opportunity to take on probably one of the toughest mental and physical challenges I would ever put myself through, and to do this with my brother was too good to miss.”
“I also thought that taking part in these two challenges would set a brilliant example for future scholars and my kids. I knew I could use the experience to show them what they’re all capable of achieving when they put in the work and effort - and to remind them never to stand in the way of their own success.”