A University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) undergraduate has been named Student Doctor of the Year.

Holly Buck, a fourth-year student on the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme, claimed the top prize from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).

The former Runshaw College student has overcome more than most to get to this stage in her academic life.

Aged 11, Holly was diagnosed with tonsillitis 12 times in a year and that led to her contracting glandular fever leaving her with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Holly, from Southport, said: “I was so poorly and to go from competing in athletic competitions for my county to not being able to wash my own hair was really debilitating. I slowly built up my strength and managed to get A*s and As in my GCSEs.”

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The knock-on effect of the illness on her schooling meant she only attended around 20 per cent of her classes in Years 7 and 8 at Bishop Rawstorne Church of England Academy.

Her mother had to take time off work to collect her school work and teach her at home.

While she was about to undertake her high school exams, her mum was diagnosed with double breast cancer.

“With being under Alder Hey’s care until I was 18 and going to support my mum with her breast cancer appointments, I spent a lot of time around medical professionals,” said Holly. “Seeing the work they did certainly inspired me to want to become a doctor.”

The 23-year-old, who wants to become a GP when she qualifies, said: “I was really amazed and honoured to be even nominated for such an award, so to hear my name read out and to win it was so special, I was ecstatic and on top of the world!”

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As a former Alder Hey patient, Holly’s award serves a dual purpose – recognition that young people can overcome significant adversity and become compassionate and resilient doctors, but also provide an enormous inspirational example for others.

To this day, the hospital refers patients to Holly and she is able to recount her story to them, providing them with hope and courage in taking forward their own aspirations of becoming a doctor.

Holly travelled to the RCGP Inspire Awards ceremony in London with her dad and brother as her mum was recuperating from surgery.

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