Sharp Scratch

Is medical school really worth the price?
From juggling part-time jobs to the "funding cliff-edge" in clinical years, we’re asking the big questions: How are students actually surviving right now? Host Zaynah Khan explores the true cost of the medical degree alongside panellists Judy, Maz, and Elgan (co-chair of the BMA Medical Students Committee).
We’re also joined by Dr. Callum Parr, deputy chair of the BMA Resident Doctors Committee, to discuss the "Fix our Funding" campaign and why 40% of students have considered walking away due to costs. If you knew at 17 what you know now, would you still do it?
 
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Medical student protest is nothing new, yet the spectre of the GMC often leaves the next generation asking: How will my actions today affect my career tomorrow? 
 
In this episode, Zaynah Khan is joined by Fiona Godlee, former Editor-in-Chief of the BMJ, to discuss her intentional arrest at a ‘Defend Our Juries’ protest. Fiona has also been involved in protests for the environment, throughout the course of her career.
 
Alongside medical students and panellists George Webster and Elgan Manton-Roseblade, they explore the tension between medical identity and global crisis. Together, they dive into the emotional weight of today’s political landscape and identify safe, comfortable pathways for medics to engage in activism without compromising their professional futures.
 
Read Fiona Godlee’s BMJ Opinion article about getting arrested, here:  https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1994 
 
Fiona’s book reccommendation:
Sorry for the inconvenience but this is an emergency – the non-violent struggle for our planet’s future – Book Review by Dr Geraldine Swift – The official blog of BMJ Leader https://blogs.bmj.com/bmjleader/2024/07/15/sorry-for-the-inconvenience-but-this-is-an-emergency-the-non-violent-struggle-for-our-planets-future-book-review-by-dr-geraldine-swift/
 
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In honour of the 150th episode of the Sharp Scratch podcast, Zaynah Khan invites previous student editors to explore experiences of medical school during different times – from 20, 15, and 5 years ago to discuss whether or not medicine has changed for students. What is it that medical students care about while at uni? Are there new or different challenges? Have new opportunities opened up? Is there a universal experience of medical school? Thank you to Laura Nunez-Mulder, Tiago Villanueva, and Neil Chanchlani for joining this episode! 
 
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In this Second episode, Zaynah Khan - the host,  Matt Morgan - an NHS Intensive Care Consultant and Writer, and panel member Nikki Nabavi - who is an FY2 Doctor, explore how medicine seeps into their personal lives, through the example of language. Together they discuss examples of medical jargon and work terminology that become inside jokes or are used completely out of context in their personal lives.
Part 2 following the last episode in December - be sure to listen to that if you haven’t, yet! 
Happy New Year :) 
 
Resources
The Dictionary of Blood and Silence
 
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In today’s Holiday Special, host Zaynah Khan is joined by Matt Morgan, an NHS Intensive Care Consultant and Writer, and panel member Nikki Nabavi, who is an FY2 Doctor. Together, they explore the unique sensory and emotional experiences that healthcare workers go through, and the limits in medical language being able to encapsulate those to others outside of healthcare. Matt discusses starting the Dictionary of Blood and Silence and the process of coining new words to articulate medical experiences. Part 1 of 2 - stay tuned for Part 2!
 
Resources
The Dictionary of Blood and Silence
 
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In this episode, host Zaynah Khan is joined by Resident Doctor, Benedict Richards and panel members George Webster and Anna de Beer. Both Benedict and George are hard of hearing, and share their lived experiences of navigating medical school and clinical practice. Together, they also discuss ways of supporting a colleague who may be deaf/hard of hearing.
 
Videos played in the episode:
Examples of mild/moderate/severe/profound hearing loss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbBZjT7nuoA
Example of student using a hearing aid - with teacher speaking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l37lzLIgQU
 
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In this Surgical themed episode, host Zaynah Khan sits down with Ms Samantha Tross, the first black female Orthopedic Surgeon in the UK. They are also joined by previous editorial scholars on the panel - George Webster, Éabha Lynn, and Laura Hope Nunez-Mulder. Together they discuss first or memorable experiences of surgery in medical school / as a doctor, and Samantha shares advice on navigating surgery, especially as a woman of colour. 
 
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In this Halloween episode, host Zaynah Khan sits down with expert guest Dr. Jennifer Wallis, a Senior Teaching Fellow and Lecturer in History of Science and Medicine at Imperial, and medical student Anna de Beer. They'll be sharing real-life dissection horror stories and experiences from current times, while also exploring the dark side of medical history and past influences of cadaveric dissection.
 
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In this episode, new host Zaynah Khan meets with Author, Poet, Creative Writing Lecturer, and Ex-Doctor Gita Ralleigh. They are joined by Khadijah, a medical student taught by Gita, and panellists Elgan and Maira who help explore the role of creativity within medicine and how writing can help enhance clinical practice. 
 
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READING LIST
⁃ ‘Unheard: The Medical Practice of Silencing’ by Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan
⁃ ‘The Undying’ by Anne Boyer
⁃ Arthur Frank’s framing of patient narratives
⁃ ‘The Empathy Exams’ by Leslie Jamison
⁃ ‘When Breath Becomes Air’ by Paul Kalanithi
⁃ Patient made writing and art
⁃ John Clare’s poetry
⁃ ‘Time is a Mother’ by Ocean Vuong
⁃ ‘Giving Up the Ghost’ by Hilary Mantel
⁃ Phil Whitaker’s commentary
⁃ ‘The Story of a Heart’ by Rachel Clarke
⁃ ‘The Prison Doctor’ by Dr Amanda Brown
⁃ ‘The Diving Bell and the Butterfly’ by Jean-Dominique Bauby

In the final instalment from the Sharp Scratch archives, incoming Sharp Scratch host Zaynah Khan is rebroadcasting one of her favourite episodes- on hope. This episode was originally published on April 15, 2024.
With the rapid unfolding of recent events in medicine, it can be easy to lose hope for the future. From low pay and staffing crises to the rapid changes to postgraduate training, it can feel like things are getting worse. But is this really the case? 
In this episode, the panel discusses what 'hope' really means and whether there's any hope for a better future in medicine (spoiler alert: there is!). They're joined by Anna Baverstock, a consultant pediatrician and well-being lead based in Somerset.
 
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