Sharp Scratch

Is passmed really better than med school lectures?

Can you really pass medical school by only doing online question banks and never attending lectures?
In this episode, George and panellist Judy meet with Professor Andy McKeown, Director of Undergraduate Medicine at Keele University, to discuss the different study habits of medical students and whether some techniques are better than others.
Whether you prefer OnExamination, Passmedicine or Anki, medical students are always looking for the most efficient ways to pass exams.
Judy and George ask Andy questions about how the ways we study interact with how we learn medicine, and discuss the pros and cons of the different study techniques medical students commonly use.  
The episode highlights the importance of implementing a good work-life balance, particularly during exam season, as well as the approaches we can use to promote understanding medical school content beyond just passing our exams. The episode considers the role of implementing a number of different study techniques when preparing for exams including the actual reason it might be wise to attend your lectures. 
 

From scrubs to the stage: indie rock and medicine with GULZ

In this episode of Sharp Scratch, the panel made up of Inez and George get together with the band GULZ to chat about balancing a musical career alongside working as doctors.
GULZ talk about their experiences as musicians and forming a band while at medical school, as well as how they are able to balance rehearsals and gigs alongside studying medicine and working as doctors.
The episode touches on how medical training can put pressure on medics to abandon extracurricular activities but emphasises the importance of medical professionals to pursuing creative interests outside of medicine and how this is beneficial for student and doctor wellbeing. 
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Yes, medical school is still racist and misogynistic with Annabel Sowemimo

In this episode of Sharp Scratch, the panel talks about why misogyny and racism exists in medicine and how students and resident doctors can educate themselves to tackle bias in healthcare. 
The panellists for the episode, made up of Sarah, Anna and George chat with expert guest Annabel Sowemimo a community sexual and reproductive health doctor, activist and author of Divided: Racism, Medicine and Why We Need to Decolonise Healthcare. 
Together they discuss the existence and history of medical misogyny and racism, as well as how medical students can learn to address these. Annabel highlights the ingrained gender bias in medicine and how the dismissal of women’s health issues have been normalised, particularly for women of colour. The episode emphasises how medical students and resident doctors can empower themselves through educating themselves on the history of medical misogyny and racism in order to promote anti-racism and inclusive practice throughout our careers. 
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How to navigate the hospital hierarchy as a medical student

In this episode of Sharp Scratch, the panel gets together to talk about hierarchies starting in medical school and continuing through our working lives as doctors.
The panellists, made up of medical students Maz, Sarah and George, chat with expert guest Lorelei Jones, medical anthropologist and senior lecturer in Health Sciences at Bangor University. 
Together they discuss what is meant when we talk about the existence of hierarchical working in medicine, how hierarchies can be problematic, and how we can challenge this. The episode also discusses the importance of collaboration in work environments, the importance of psychological safety, and how we can work to empower medical students and residents to speak up when they have concerns. 
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Medical school and widening participation

In this episode of Sharp Scratch, the panel gets together to talk about widening participation in medical school. 
The panellists, made up of medical students Maira and George, chat with guest Clare Owen, director of policy at the Medical Schools Council. 
Together they discuss what is meant by widening participation, the importance of schemes that have been implemented to widen participation in medicine, and some of the barriers that exist for students from groups that are underrepresented in medical degrees, including students from working class backgrounds. The episode looks at current initiatives that have been implemented in order to support and retain students from widening participation backgrounds once they are at medical school, as well as the challenges of financial barriers. The episode also highlights the need for greater representation among medical school faculty, emphasising the value of diversity in the medical workforce and the role that medical students may be able to play in promoting widening participation.
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Let's talk about sex: how to take a good sexual history as a medical student with Naomi Sutton

In this episode of Sharp Scratch, the panel gets together to discuss the gaps in the medical curriculum when it comes to teaching on sexual health. 
The panellists, made up of Will, Elisabeth and George chat with sexual health doctor Naomi Sutton. 
Together, they highlight how teaching at medical school often has a focus on sexually transmitted infections and contraception, and the importance of considering broader aspects of sexual health and wellbeing including sexual pleasure. The episode emphasises the importance of taking a holistic, non-judgemental approach in sexual history taking.The episode also addresses societal stigma in conversations around sex. Overall, the episode highlights the importance of advocating for a comprehensive and sex-positive approach to sexual healthcare. 
Naomi Sutton is a consultant sexual health doctor, who you may recognise from E4 The Sex Clinic.
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The cult of medicine with Sam Jahara

In this episode of Sharp Scratch, the panel, made up of George and Inez get together to talk about why people sometimes describe medicine as a cult.
The episode discusses the perceived parallels between the medicine and cults, and explores the strong sense of identity and community that often develops from our time at medical school and into our working life as doctors.
The panel is joined by Sam Jahara a UKCP Registered Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor and Tavistock certified Executive Coach with a private practice in Sussex.  Sam specialises in working with the psychological impact of high control groups and cults, offering psychotherapy, supervision, coaching and psychological consultancy to individuals, couples, groups and organisations. She was interviewed about her own experience of growing up in a cult on several podcasts such as ‘Indoctrination', 'Cult Vault', 'Talk Beliefs' and 'Cult Chat'. https://www.brightonandhovepsychotherapy.com
 
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What they won't teach you at medical with Maddy Lucy Dann

In this episode of Sharp Scratch, the panel get together to chat with TikTok sensation and A&E doctor Maddy Lucy Dann.
The panel, made up of George and previous Editorial Scholar Nikki,  ask Maddy questions about why she became a doctor, her career in A&E, as well as her best advice for starting your foundation years.
The panel also touch on other topics, including what drew them to a career in medicine, the ways in which medical students can get the best out of their placements, as well as professionalism and social media use as a medic. 
 
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Are you really listening? How medical students can improve their listening skills with Rageshri Dhairyawan

In this episode, the panel get together to discuss the importance of listening to our patients.
The panel are joined by expert guest Rageshri Dhairyawan to explore how medical students and doctors can improve their listening by increasing their awareness of biases that may lead to some patients being dismissed. They highlight the broader implications of not properly hearing patients, including the impact on health equity. The discussion also covers the challenges of dealing with uncertainty and acknowledging the social factors that can affect healthcare outcomes. The episode emphasises how becoming a better listener helps us to provide more compassionate care.
 
Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan is a Consultant in Sexual Health and HIV Medicine at Barts Health NHS Trust and Deputy Director of the SHARE Collaborative for Health Equity, Queen Mary University of London. She is author of Unheard: The Medical Practice of Silencing, published by Trapeze in 2024.

What is professionalism?

We talk about professionalism from day one of medical school, but what actually is professionalism? In this episode, we take a slightly more philosophical approach to this important question. 
George is joined by previous editorial scholar Laura, as well as expert guest Sabena Jameel. Together, they talk about what professionalism in medicine means, including the ambiguity and evolving nature of the definition, the burden of apparent perfection and the importance of character. We explore ways in which we can learn to nurture our professional identity in the right environments. 
Sabena is an inner city GP in Birmingham, she is also an Associate Clinical Professor in Medical Professionalism at Birmingham University Medical School. She has a PhD that looked at Practical Wisdom in Medicine.
 
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