Episodes
Thursday Feb 06, 2025
Are you really listening?
Thursday Feb 06, 2025
Thursday Feb 06, 2025
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.
Thursday Jan 23, 2025
What is professionalism?
Thursday Jan 23, 2025
Thursday Jan 23, 2025
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.
Find us on social media:
Twitter/X https://x.com/BMJStudent
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/
Thursday Jan 09, 2025
We all make mistakes
Thursday Jan 09, 2025
Thursday Jan 09, 2025
Fears around making mistakes seem to be common amongst medical students and resident doctors, so why are many of us afraid to talk about these fears?
In this episode, the panel made up of Anna, Inez and George, get together with Dr Vicky Price, president-elect of the Society for Acute Medicine. Together, they discuss why we are afraid of making mistakes, what to do when we do make a mistake, and, how we can become more comfortable talking about mistakes in medicine.
Find us on social media:
Twitter/X https://x.com/BMJStudent
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/
Thursday Dec 19, 2024
Dating dilemmas
Thursday Dec 19, 2024
Thursday Dec 19, 2024
When it comes to dating, does being a medical student or new doctor make it more complicated? When is the best time to tell your Hinge date that you're a doctor? Are break ups during medical school inevitable? And, are doctors more likely to cheat on their partners?
In this episode, the panel, made up of Nikki, Sarah, Judy and George, get together to talk all about the dating lives of medical students and doctors, as well as discuss some common dating dilemmas.
Find us on social media:
Twitter/X https://x.com/BMJStudent
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/
Thursday Dec 05, 2024
What if I don't get my first choice?
Thursday Dec 05, 2024
Thursday Dec 05, 2024
Many medical students are aware that when it comes to foundation allocations, you may not get your first choice. In this episode, we talk about how to cope with the uncertainty surrounding this, the reasons that people may apply for pre-allocation, as well as the importance of social support and building a community in your foundation years.
In this episode, the panel, made up of George, Sarah and Maz, discuss the uncertainty around UKFPO allocations and reflections on how to make the most out your foundation years if you do not get your first choice deanery or job allocation. The Sharp Scratch panel are joined by guest Helen Salisbury, a GP, writer and educator.
Thursday Nov 21, 2024
”It’s giving...CAP”
Thursday Nov 21, 2024
Thursday Nov 21, 2024
Were you born to write "It's giving CAP", but forced to write "patchy lower lobe consolidation, suggestive of a community acquired pneumonia"?
In this episode, the panel learn about the history of popular gen-z slang, how social media, including TikTok trends influence the language we use, and how it may have made it's way into medicine.
This week, George, Nikki, Stan and William are joined by Sharp Scratch guest, Lisa Casey. Lisa is the host of Lexis, a podcast about language and linguistics, aimed at everyone interested in learning more about language and language use.
Find us on social media:
Twitter/X https://x.com/BMJStudent
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/
Thursday Nov 07, 2024
How do we cope when a family member is unwell?
Thursday Nov 07, 2024
Thursday Nov 07, 2024
Medical school is tough for students, with high workloads, exam pressure and uncertainty around placement rotations. So what is the impact on us when a family member or loved one becomes unwell? How do medics cope with this, and how do they find the balance between being both a medic and a loved one?
In this episode, the Sharp Scratch panel explore what it is like when a family member or loved one is unwell, the pressures we face when supporting them, and how we can best support ourselves, through medical school and our future careers.
The panel are joined by guest Hilary Williams, a consultant medical oncologist and Vice President for the Royal College of Physicians.
Find us on social media:
Twitter/X https://x.com/BMJStudent
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/
Thursday Oct 24, 2024
The OSCE Horror Show
Thursday Oct 24, 2024
Thursday Oct 24, 2024
We are embracing spooky season here at Sharp Scratch!
In this weeks special Halloween episode, the panel get together to hear listeners embarrassing OSCE stories, and why these exams can sometimes feel so scary to medical students.
Find BMJ Student on social media Twitter/ X https://x.com/BMJStudent Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/
Thursday Oct 10, 2024
Time out
Thursday Oct 10, 2024
Thursday Oct 10, 2024
Have you ever considered taking time out of medical school?
Whether it is during medical school, or once we have began working as a doctor, there are times when many of us are faced with needing to take a break. This could be for a number of reasons, including health reasons, financial reasons, exploring different areas of our career or maybe when starting a family.
In this episode, George is joined by panel Éabha and Nat, along with expert guest Kate Owen to discuss reasons for taking time out of medical school, burnout, and, why taking time out can be beneficial.
Find BMJ Student on social media
Twitter/ X https://x.com/BMJStudent
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/
Thursday Sep 26, 2024
If you can see it, you can be it
Thursday Sep 26, 2024
Thursday Sep 26, 2024
Have you had a great mentor while at medical school?
Mentors, both formal and informal, are an integral part of medical training, but what makes a good mentor? And how do we find one?
Whether through official mentorship schemes, medic families, or someone you bonded over a book with, mentors have the ability to shape our time at medical school.
This week, Éabha is joined by Anna and George, with expert guest Menaka Paranathala. Menaka has just completed neurosurgery specialty training, and is currently a clinical editor with the BMJ, as well as undertaking research at the National Neurology and Neurosurgery Hospital Queens Square. She has previously completed a masters in medical education, and her project was on mentorship within neurosurgery.
Find BMJ Student on social media
Twitter/ X https://x.com/BMJStudent
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/