Tolu Duckworth

Medicine 2019

One of the qualities of being a good doctor is a passion for helping others, and although only halfway through her Medicine degree, Tolu Duckworth already exemplifies that.

Alongside her studies, through her YouTube channel, Tolu has provided honest insight into being an undergraduate student and the steps she took to get there. Her videos have offered support to those applying to university that may have come from disadvantaged or under-represented backgrounds, and for those who just wanted to know what ‘A Day in the Life of an Oxford Student’ is like. Her videos have amassed over 160,000 views and counting.

“Everything you need to know about anything can be found on YouTube, but there was essentially nothing on what studying at Oxford was like from the perspective of a Black woman—let alone studying Medicine at Oxford. I wanted to fill that gap.”

In 2020, and at a time of educational uncertainty due to the initial COVID-19 outbreak, she also produced videos to give students the option to keep learning new things with a team of other study YouTubers, or ‘StudyTubers’. In that same year she was recognised by YouTube for speaking out about her views on institutionalised racism.

Her contribution to supporting those around her also extends beyond the online world. The former JCR Secretary and Senior Public Relations Officer for the African and Caribbean Society continues to devote time to improving access to higher education through supporting various outreach initiatives—including programmes that she had once attended herself.

“I remember every single wave of emotions that came with applying to university with a background like mine. So, instead of gatekeeping valuable information, why not share it and hopefully inspire someone, or even some people, along the way.”

Currently, Tolu is keen to continue to apply that passion for helping others as she prepares for clinical school.