Sharp Scratch

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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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 - 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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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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We all make mistakes

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. 
 
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Doctors' dating dilemmas

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. 
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”It’s giving...CAP”

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. 
 
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How do we cope when a family member is unwell?

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. 
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