Sharp Scratch

”Apparently one of the students has already fainted..”

Vasovagal syncope might be a diagnosis on your list of differentials that seems relatively benign, as there are many more sinister causes for a sudden loss of consciousness. But no one wants a sudden loss of consciousness to happen in front of the whole staff of an operating theatre, or in front of all your peers in the dissection lab.
In this episode of Sharp Scratch, we broke down some of the reasons why we might feel faint, strategies we can use to prevent faints, and why there’s no shame in being a frequent fainter - all with the help of expert guest Boon Lim, award winning consultant cardiologist based at Hammersmith Hospital, where he runs one of the busiest syncope service in London.

Specialty Stereotypes

You may be familiar with some common medical speciality stereotypes – the ‘tall, strong orthopaedic surgeon from the medics rugby team’, the psychiatrist who is ‘as mad as their patients’ or the ‘bike-obsessed-coffee-drinking’ anaesthetist, but why and how do these stereotypes exist?
The Sharp Scratch team debunk some of the myths and ask some interesting questions about their own character traits. Are these stereotypes just good fun or are they preventing us from creating diversity within our specialities by labouring under these historic, often inaccurate, pretences?
Link to article Nikki mentioned in the pod: https://blogs.bmj.com/pmj/2016/02/24/did-you-choose-them-or-did-they-choose-you/

Being a patient as a medical student

Have you ever noticed a difference in the way you're treated as a patient? Whether you were quizzed by your consultant or given 'special treatment', you're not alone - but how important is this, and does it affect care?
This week the panel are joined by Anne Stephenson as they discuss their experiences of being patients, and how this changes when your doctor knows you are a medical student.

Medical student syndrome

As you sit in a lecture, listening to the symptoms of a rare medical condition - have you convinced yourself that you have it? You might have medical student syndrome.
This week the panel are joined by Simon Wessely as they discuss health anxieties at medical school, and why so many medical students convince themselves they have the disease they are studying.
Article mentioned by Anna during the episode : https://pmj.bmj.com/content/96/1139/575.full

Fresher’s firsts: Socialising

*This episode was recorded live*
This is a strange time to be starting your first year of medical school - covid-19 is changing the way in which you learn and socialise, and find out what being a medical student is about. For some, they may be the first cohort in a brand new medical school - and have no older year to learn from.
Well, Sharp Scratch has done two live episodes to answer all those nagging questions - firstly about the academic side of being a student, and secondly, on the social side.
In this week's episode the panel discuss and reminisce on their first years, including infamous medic socials, friendships and maintaining a good a work-life balance.

Freshers’ firsts : Academic first times

*This episode was recorded live*
This is a strange time to be starting your first year of medical school - covid-19 is changing the way in which you learn and socialise, and find out what being a medical student is about. For some, they may be the first cohort in a brand new medical school - and have no older year to learn from.
Well, Sharp Scratch has done two live episodes to answer all those nagging questions - firstly about the academic side of being a student, and secondly, on the social side.
In this week's episode the panel are joined by Richie Oparka, consultant pathologist and head of first year at Dundee medical school, as they discuss and reminisce on their first years, including dissection, lectures and exams.

How not to bomb your OSCEs

*This episode was recorded before the extraordinary circumstances caused by covid-19*
On this week's episode the panel are joined again by medical school expert David Brill, as they discuss how to approach practical exams and manage nerves, as well as their OSCE disaster stories
Our expert guest
David Brill is an FY2 doctor in London. He successfully navigated studying medicine as a graduate with young children and wrote a book about how to survive medical school "Making a Medic: The Ultimate Guide to Medical School."

How to smash your med school exams

This episode was recorded before the extraordinary circumstances caused by covid-19*
On this week's episode the panel are joined by medical school expert David Brill to discuss all things written exams - preparation in the weeks and months leading up to the exam, and what not to forget on the day.
Our expert guest:
David Brill is an FY2 doctor in London. He successfully navigated studying medicine as a graduate with young children and wrote a book about how to survive medical school "Making a Medics: The Ultimate Guide to Medical School."

Fighting shame by talking about it

This week we dig into shame in medicine - how students are taught using shame, how shame affects patients, and why the phrase "we ask this question to everyone" might not be the most useful way of signposting in a conversation between a doctor and patient.
You can read Lucia's six-part series for the Wellcome Trust about shame here: https://wellcomecollection.org/series/XnIR1BIAACoAdpbI
Our expert guests:
Lucia Osborne-Crowley is a writer and journalist. Her news reporting and literary work has appeared in Granta, GQ, The Sunday Times, HuffPost UK, the Guardian, ABC News, Meanjin, The Lifted Brow and others. I Choose Elena is her first book. Her second book, My Body Keeps Your Secrets, will be published in February 2021.
Dr Chloe Beale is a consultant liaison psychiatrist and the suicide prevention lead for East London NHS Foundation Trust.

Learning online

So much learning for medical students has moved online - with varying degrees of success for both teachers and learners. This week we hear some of our listeners' top tips for protecting your wellbeing whilst staying somewhat productive, hear from our resident remote learning expert Andrew, and reflect on the challenges of learning at home.
Listen to the episode of Deep Breath In on teleconsulting with patients: https://soundcloud.com/bmjpodcasts/teleconsulting-with-trish-greenhalgh-and-fiona-stevenson?in=bmjpodcasts/sets/deep-breath-in
Our contributors:
Catriona McVey is a third year medical student at the University of St Andrews.
Vinay Mandagere is a fourth year medical student at the University of Bristol.
Seb Casalotti is a recent graduate and honorary clinical teaching fellow at UCL medical school , with interests in peer-led learning and resisting Hostile Environment policies in the NHS as a member of Docs Not Cops.