A UNIVERSITY student from Tavistock has graduated from his Medical Science degree with flying colours.

Joe Yates, 22, will graduate from the University of Exeter Medical School course, which develops tomorrow's health and science researchers, with first class honours.

He hopes to become a neurologist after spending a year working at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and now plans to stay on at the medical school to study graduate medicine from September.

Joe said: 'It's definitely a challenging course but the reward is worth it. Through our professional training year, we learned so many skills that will be essential in the workplace.'

Dr Reza Zamani, director of the programme, congratulated the new graduates and said: 'We are incredibly proud of this group of students, who have excelled in their studies since they began.

'Not only are they academically brilliant, they are full of initiative and a pleasure to work with. Every student spent a year working in a science lab or health-related industry, where they showed themselves to be capable, confident and eager to learn.

'­I have every confidence that they will flourish in their careers and will be a huge benefit to the health of the nation.'