A STUDENT from Wycombe High School has been crowned regional winner in an NHS careers contest.

Rufaro Chikwanda, aged 13, was the regional winner of the Health Education England’s (HEE) 2018/2019 Step into the NHS secondary school competition.

She shot a video which looked at the role of a dentist, impressing the judges to take first place in the Thames Valley and Wessex regional award.

She beat 103 other entries from the region.

Step into the NHS, which recently marked its tenth anniversary, aims to showcase the breadth of career options in the NHS and combat gender stereotypes, while giving students valuable job-seeking skills for the future.

All entrants were asked to research their dream NHS career and design a creative advert and job description.

A delighted Rufaro said: “Taking part in the competition was great as we got the chance to explore all the different jobs you can do as part of the NHS which we didn’t know about before.

“I worked really hard on my entry, which was a dentist, and had to put a lot of thought into what they do. It was a really fun way to learn more about careers in the NHS.

“I want to be a medical worker in the NHS because I enjoy helping people and would love to see the difference I could make to individuals and their families.”

Penny Chidgey, higher education and careers adviser at Wycombe High School, said: “I have been delighted by the wide variety of roles that have featured in this year’s entries, ranging from drama therapists, to paramedics and nurses, it is a true celebration of the NHS and the numerous careers on offer.

“It is more important than ever that we act now to inspire the next generation of NHS staff. Step into the NHS supports this by showcasing its fantastic careers.

“I would like to congratulate all the pupils who entered this year, and particularly to our regional and national winners.”

The 2018/19 secondary school competition received a record 1,882 entries from 141 schools across the country. Nine other regional winners were selected.