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Student Story - Janani Nishyanthan

Janani is a final-year medical student from North-West London and a recipient of a Queen Mary Annual Fund Bursary. Thanks to this support, she has been able to focus on completing her degree and preparing for her final exams without the financial pressure of taking on part-time work.

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Janani celebrates receiving her final medical school exam results at Barts and The London’s annual results day event.

Janani is the first in her family to attend university and commutes to campus from North-West London. Now in the final year of her medical degree, she receives significantly less funding from Student Finance, making the final stretch of her degree particularly challenging.

She explains how the financial pressure has built over time:

“Financially, things have been very tight. Before starting my degree, I worked hard to save money and budget for my upcoming expenses, but commuting to campus and placements throughout my degree has been an increasing cost that I simply couldn't reduce.” 

Janani chose to study at Queen Mary because of its teaching quality and strong student community within the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry.

“The quality of teaching was the most important factor for me, but I was also impressed by the extracurricular opportunities and the strong community that came with studying here. I’ve made friends for life and feel very grateful for my time at university. I’ve particularly enjoyed my placements in General Practice, where I managed my own patients and saw a wide range of cases.” 

However, rising living costs and reduced student finance in her later years of study made her final year especially difficult financially.

As she entered her final year, support from Queen Mary’s alumni community made a significant difference, allowing her to focus fully on her studies without the need for part-time work during the demanding final year of medical school.

“This bursary has been a lifeline for me. I’ve been able to focus on my final year exams without the pressure of finding part-time work. With placements during the week and weekends needed for revision, I know a job would have affected my academic performance.”  

Now approaching the end of her degree, Janani is preparing for her elective placement in Sri Lanka, where she will be working in dermatology.

“I now have financial security and can look forward to my elective knowing I have additional funding to cover my expenses. This bursary will be vital in helping me transition smoothly to my Foundation Year training as I continue working towards my future career in General Practice.” 

Janani shares a final message of thanks to our donors who supported her:

“Thank you for giving back to students like me. Without this bursary I would have struggled to get through this year and complete my degree. Completing an elective was very important to me and your support has made it possible.” 

 

To support our students or find out more about the Annual Fund, visit: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/alumni/giving/annualfund/

 

 

 

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