How Dr John Lofting's legacy is supporting the next generation of medics at Queen Mary
The family of Dr John Lofting recently reached out to us after his death as he had intended to leave a legacy to benefit disadvantaged medical students at Queen Mary. Dr Lofting studied at the University of Oxford and The London Hospital qualifying as a doctor in 1956.
When John first began to explore the practicalities of becoming a doctor his family tells us he received a letter from the Dean stating, “I do not advise a student to embark on a medical career unless he has the necessary financial backing.” John did not have the financial backing, but he was not deterred.
As an ex-serviceman John had a small grant but it was not enough to cover his expenses, particularly in London. While he was at Oxford, he’d been a keen member of the university Mountaineering Club which led to work teaching British tourists how to climb in the Tyrol. He’d also worked as a driver delivering motor cars to the continent. At The London, John supported himself by working as a travel courier. During the ski and summer seasons he would chaperone tourists on the boat train from Victoria Station down to the Alps. It was an opportunity for him to travel, and be in the mountains, but it was also something he had to do to fund his education.
John went on to have a long career as a GP. He loved working in the community and looking after his patients at every stage of their lives.
All too often students are required to take on jobs to ensure they can afford to stay in education, but John wanted to make sure that he could make a difference to those coming after him. It was his wish to provide bursaries for medical students at Queen Mary so they wouldn’t have to juggle working and study like he did.
Programmes like the Dr John Lofting Bursary ensure that students with the talent to succeed are provided with the means to help them on their way. His family have ensured that, through his estate, four undergraduate medical students experiencing financial hardship will receive bursaries for the first four years of their studies.
Queen Mary has a reputation for being a special place, a place which at its very foundation was created to provide opportunities for everyone, regardless of background. Education should be accessible to all, and Dr John Lofting has left an enduring legacy which lives those values through the students of today.
We invite you to watch our short film to learn more about Dr Lofting's life, his motivations, and the students who continue to benefit from his legacy.