A Suffolk One student has secured a place at Queen Mary University of London after receiving an A* in her chemistry A-level having narrowly missed out last year.

Nudursha Jeyakanthan, 19, from Ipswich hoped to study medicine at Queen Mary University last year, but her B grade in chemistry let her down. She needed to secure three As in order to be accepted.

Last year, Nudursha had to make the difficult decision to halt her university aspirations and retake chemistry, but now the soon-to-be med student is back on track.

But today as the A-level results were published she got the grade she had hoped for.

“I’ve been waiting for results to come through on my UCAS and I’ve found out that I got in. I’m over the moon!" she said.

"It was a difficult decision because I had to take a year out and do my chemistry again. I got a deferred offer which usually wouldn’t happen, but because of Covid I got the chance to retake. I had to get the A in chemistry in order to study at my university of choice.”

Ipswich Star: Nudursha was inspired by the doctors who care for her autistic brotherNudursha was inspired by the doctors who care for her autistic brother (Image: Nudursha Jeyakanthan)

Nudursha had initially wanted to be an accountant, but changed career plans when she started her final year of A-levels. After seeing how the doctors and nurses cared for her autistic 14-year-old brother, she became interested in medicine. She eventually wants to study psychiatry.

“I’d say my brother is my inspiration. I saw the doctors around him and I thought, ‘that could be me one day.’ I started to get interested in mental health and different disorders.

"The pandemic has shown me the impact doctors and anyone in the health care profession has on the general public. They play such a vital role and that has inspired me even more.”

Nudursha is now looking forward to starting her university journey, and even if there is still some online study, it has not put her off.

“It’s not the option I would hope for, but I wouldn’t mind. I’m just happy that I’m going to university and that I’ll be there.”

Studying in London will be a new experience for Nudursha and she is most looking forward to being able to study and meet new people.

GCSE results day will be taking place on August 12.