Plymouth location - too rural or remote? Worried about feeling like an outsider!
Hi all, I'm considering Plymouth as an option for my application this year as I really love the sound of their ethos and curriculum etc. I will be moving to the UK for training but I have very limited knowledge of areas or experiences others have had training, other than the alternative handbook, so just taking the time now to consider.
As much as I was initially drawn to Plymouth - the coastline, nature, sanctuary vibe - I'm worried it might end up being very isolating. Also worried about feeling like an outsider, and wondering if it's a conservative area.. I had a negative experience during my master's in a place that was quite rural which I initially liked but the conservative values on top of that really knocked my confidence, sense of belonging and identity as a developing clinician. I moved to a bigger city and commuted from there which helped massively, but it did make me realise how feeling safe to grow personally and professionally doesn't just happen in the university, and I need to think of the wider experience.
I'm usually ok with discomfort, growing/learning from challenging experiences and even being the outsider or on the periphery socially in general. I just think training will be challenging enough and feeling safe enough to grow is so important to me, and having like-minded people around outside of the course itself will really sustain me.
Let me know what you think or if you've had any similar experiences or thoughts on other programmes! 😊