Starting university or medical school can be a daunting experience for anyone, but when you’re the first person in your family to study medicine, it can feel even scarier. In today’s episode, we’re going to be talking all about what it’s like to be a first-generation medical student. We’ll start from the very beginning and talk about when we first realised we wanted to study medicine and what it was like to apply. We’ll then move on to discussing our time at medical school, and whether we experienced any kind of culture shock when we arrived. We’ll finish up by talking about positive changes we’d like to see in medicine, and how our feelings have changed with time. Expert guests: Dr Enam-Ul Haque is a GP Partner in Manchester, as well as a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester. He has a passion for widening participation and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and is the Founder of the National Medical Schools Widening Participation Forum and Co-Chair of the MSC EDI Alliance. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

When we think of being a ‘good enough’ medical student, our thoughts might go straight to exams. Have we passed them all? What about merits, or even distinctions? It’s easy to prioritise exam scores above all else as it is one of the only times we get clear, concrete feedback - or a number that tells us how ‘good’ we really are. But can exam results capture everything or is something missing here when we talk about being a ‘good enough’ medical student or doctor? Can written papers or practical exams like OSCEs ever really sum up whether we’ll be ‘good doctors’? And despite so much pressure to excel, do we really need doctors to be the best or do we need them to be good enough? Expert guests: Abi Rimmer is a news reporter and careers editor at The BMJ. She is responsible for the careers content and reports on workforce-related and NHS policy issues. She was also recently treated as a patient for stage III rectal cancer. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

Given the current working conditions in the UK, we’re hearing more and more stories of doctors moving abroad to practise medicine. However, this isn’t necessarily unusual. Doctors and other healthcare professionals from many different countries do often decide to get a taste for healthcare systems elsewhere either through short, temporary placements, or through a more permanent move! In today’s episode we’re going to be talking all about why students or junior doctors might be considering working abroad. We’ll also talk about the pros and cons of moving to a different country to work, and whether the grass really is greener on the other side. We’ll finish off by talking about the logistics of making such a move, and hear some top tips from our expert guest! Expert guests: Dr Matt Morgan is an intensive care consultant, researcher, and author. He currently works in Perth, Western Australia. He is also a columnist for The BMJ and works with BMJ OnExamination. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

From the moment you start medical school, you’re asked the same question - ‘what kind of doctor are you going to be?’. Whilst some know from the very beginning that they’re going to be a surgeon or a paediatrician or a GP, others have no idea. The reality of choosing a specialty can be really difficult. In this episode, we talk about the common worries that medical students or junior doctors might have when it comes to choosing a specialty. We’ll also discuss some steps we can take to make that process a little easier. Expert guests: Heather Samuel is a professionally qualified careers adviser with over 30 years experience, spending the last 15 years specialising in working with doctors from F1 to CCT and beyond. She now works on a freelance basis for the NHS and with schools. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

From the lingering effects of the pandemic to ongoing industrial action, it is a turbulent time to be working in healthcare. As medical students about to start working in this profession, it can feel really overwhelming and daunting to think about our future careers in the NHS. Today we’re going to be talking about all the things we’re worried about when it comes to the current NHS crisis. Our expert guest, Elisabeth, will pull in evidence from interviews with junior doctors and healthcare leaders to get a broader sense of the current situation. We also reached out to the rest of the panel, and other medical students on social media, to hear more about their concerns too. Expert guests: Elisabeth Mahase is the clinical news reporter for the journalism team at The BMJ. She previously worked at GP magazine Pulse and has a background in Science Communication and Biomedical Science. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

Every consultation we have with a patient reveals something about us - sometimes we do that deliberately, sometimes it's just incidental - but we always bring something of ourselves to the consultation. In a recent episode, we talked all about self disclosure; when it is and isn’t appropriate to share things with your patients. In that episode, we focused on health and illness but today, we’re going to be talking about things that are outside of the sphere of medicine. For example, the way that we consider our identity and other aspects of our personal life. This might be through outright self-disclosure or it might be more linked to all of the nonverbal and visual cues you get and give in a consultation. Expert guests: Dr Brendan J Dunlop is a principal clinical psychologist and clinical lecturer in clinical psychology. He is also the author of The Queer Mental Health Workbook. He delivers training and teaching which covers elements of self-disclosure. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

Maybe you’ve been following BMJ Student for a really long time, or maybe you’re new to following us. Perhaps you only know about Sharp Scratch, or you’ve written and worked with us before. However much you know about BMJ Student, we hope today’s episode will be a look behind the scenes at what it means to work at The BMJ. Today we’ve got four current/former Editorial Scholars ready to talk all about our experiences working at The BMJ, as well as how you can get involved via the Clegg Scholarship, the Editorial Scholarship, Sharp Scratch, and writing articles! We’ll dive into any worries we had before joining, and unpick our experiences to hopefully allow you to get a better insight into the inner workings of a medical journal! With thanks to Marina Politis and Nicholas Phillips (Clegg Scholars, 2022). Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

We’ve talked before about how one's own experience of illness can affect their practice, but does it also influence how much you share with your patients? In today’s episode we’re going to be talking all about physician self-disclosure - that is, all the things we, as future doctors, might share with our patients. We’ll be asking how appropriate it is to share your own stories with a patient and how you know when the timing is right to do this. This week, we’re going to be focusing on stories of illness and health, but we’ll come on to talking about other aspects of our identity in a future episode. Expert guests: Dr John Launer is a medical educator and writer. His background is in general practice and family therapy, and he also has a degree in English literature. He now devotes his time to medical education and he specialises in interactional skills. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

Some supervisors say "call me Bob'' but others insist on "Doctor Jones". In this episode we're reflecting on what types of supervisors fall into each camp and why sometimes using professional titles feels like honouring someone's hard work, but other times it feels like a way of putting you in your place. In today’s episode, we’re thinking all about the title “doctor”. We’ll talk about when and how it should be used and discuss our own experiences with this. We’ll also discuss why some people get called ‘doctor’ far less than others, and how titles can sometimes create strange power dynamics and unhealthy hierarchies in medicine. Expert guests: Dr Anna Baverstock is a paediatric consultant in Somerset. She has a wellbeing role within the trust and is passionate about kindness, civility and inclusion. Miss Evelyn Mensah, otherwise known as Evie, is a consultant ophthalmic surgeon in a large acute trust in north west London. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

From Casualty, Holby City, and Cardiac Arrest to Grey’s Anatomy, Scrubs and House, medical TV dramas are part of the fabric of growing up interested in a career in medicine. So today we’re discussing all things medical TV dramas and talking about whether these shows prepared us for medical school and life as a doctor! Join us for this episode as we play some of our favourite clips from popular medical TV programmes and talk more about how our experiences as medical students and new doctors compare. We’ll be discussing the heartbreak, the friendships, the drama, and the romance, as well as unpicking just how realistic (or unrealistic) these shows really are. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

Medicine is a career unlike almost any other. As medical students and junior doctors, we’ve had a lot of experience with strange, surreal moments. The first time you ask a super invasive question to someone you’ve known for all of five minutes, the first time you make an incision in surgery, the first time you do an intimate examination - all of these things can be really strange as they go against our social norms. Getting used to this is important but no one ever teaches us this in medical school. In everyday life, there are lots of rules that we follow that aren’t written down anywhere. But when we start placements, we have to unlearn years of following those rules and start doing things that conflict with how we would normally act. Join us in this episode as we talk about how strange medicine can be and how best to cope with moments that can sometimes be uncomfortable or awkward. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

Medicine is occasionally like the reality TV show I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in that some of the things we have to do are just unpleasant, whereas other parts may be phobia-inducing. But how might having a phobia as a medical student affect the ways you are able to work on placement? In today’s episode, we’re going to be talking all about phobias. We’ll discuss what happens when you have a phobic response to something, the ways that this can impact you whilst studying medicine, and how to tell whether something is just dislike or an actual phobia. Expert guests: Dr Digby Quested is a general adult psychiatrist working in Oxford. He works in the community, and has covered many of the GP practices which serve the student population. He self managed blood phobia whilst at medical school Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

Accents and dialects are influenced by so many different things including race, gender, and class. They change frequently depending on where we are, who we are with, and even what we are trying to get out of any given interaction. But why does this happen? Do we gravitate towards a certain accent in order to fit in? In this episode, we'll find out what an accent actually is, we'll discuss how our accents have changed whilst we've been at university, and we'll also examine the judgement that can arise when you speak in a ‘different’ accent to what someone else is used to. Expert guests: Lisa Casey is an Assistant Principal in a secondary school in London with a background in English and literacy. She is one of the hosts of Lexis, a podcast about language and linguistics for A Level students, teachers and anyone else who's interested in language. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

Any medical student knows that medical school can be tough. The hours are long, the work is hard, and stress can build quickly. Throughout all of this, we’re taught about compassion - how to be a compassionate medical student, and eventually a compassionate doctor. But do our own medical schools show compassion towards us? In this episode, the Sharp Scratch team talks about compassionate organisations and the impact that compassion (or a lack of it) can have on students. We also talk more about the struggle that ensues when you have compassionate individuals but not compassionate systems, and what needs to change within our medical schools. Expert guests: Dr Rob Jarvis is a senior lecturer and lead for the gateway programme at the University of Dundee. He is a GP by background. For the last ten years he has been lead for student support at Dundee Medical School and also for the ScotGEM (graduate entry) programme. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

The relationship between our personal and professional identity has always been an important part of the conversations we have here on Sharp Scratch. What doctors and medical students do in their own personal lives is often brought into debates on professionalism. The Student Sex Work Project (2015) reported that around 5% of students have, at some point, been involved in the sex industry. In this episode, the panel talk to Dr Jessica Simpson about the attitudes towards student sex workers, the GMC’s stance on this, and the concept of the personal-professional identity. Expert guests: Dr Jessica Simpson is a lecturer in sociology at the University of Greenwich. Her research area is the sex industry and her doctoral thesis was specifically on the topic of student sex work. She has recently contributed to this book on student sex work: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-07777-7. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

A career in medicine can sometimes mean stepping outside of your comfort zone. No matter what stage of your career you are in, it is likely that you will have to manage uncertainty, and will occasionally feel out of your depth. In this episode, the Sharp Scratch panel talks about the reality of never being able to know everything in medicine, and the benefits of acknowledging your strengths and limitations. We also talk about how to recognise that something is beyond the limit of your capabilities, and the importance of asking for help if you need it. Expert guests: Dr Jennifer Rasanathan is a primary care physician and clinical editor at the BMJ. She is also a podcaster on Deep Breath In, a podcast for GPs. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ Thank you to Louise Griffin, final year med student at the University of Birmingham and Clegg Scholar 2022, who proposed this idea to be a Sharp Scratch episode. This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

Starting university can be a really exciting and really nerve-wracking time. There are so many questions you might have before you start. How do you know what to pack? How do you make friends? How do you study? Is it really going to be the best time of your life?! You might be just about to start university in the next week or two, or simply feel like indulging in the nostalgia of those first few weeks. Either way, join Sharp Scratch panel members new and old as we come together to discuss the sorts of things we were worried about or looking forward to before we started university. Check us out on social media: Twitter: twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

Medicine is a team sport. We work with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver patient care. However, there may be times when you will work with a colleague who worries you professionally. You may find it difficult to address this unprofessional behaviour, especially as a junior member of the team. In this episode, we’ll be talking about when this becomes enough to act and what you can do about it. Expert guests: Prof Charlotte Rees (@charlreessidhu on Twitter) is the Head of School of Health Sciences, College of Health, Medicine & Wellbeing at the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia. Prof Lynn Monrouxe (@LynnMonrouxe on Twitter) is a Professor and Academic Lead of Health Professions Education Research at The University of Sydney. They are the co-authors of the book, Healthcare Professionalism: Improving Practice through Reflections on Workplace Dilemmas. Check us out on social media: Twitter: twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ Thank you to Louise Griffin, final year med student at the University of Birmingham and Clegg Scholar 2022, who proposed this idea to be a Sharp Scratch episode. This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

Have you ever felt like you had to dial up an aspect of your personality in order to fit in on placement? When going on placement, there may be times when you feel like ‘the odd one out’. But do you have to fit in? Are there benefits in being different? Does medical training shape us into doctors with identical tone and manner and does this bode well with patients? In this episode, the Sharp Scratch team recounts experiences of displaying different sides of their personality at work, the positives of working with people of different personalities, and the importance of being your true authentic self. Expert guest: Miss Clara Munro (@ClaraEMunro on Twitter)is a General Surgical Trainee in the North East of England and was the Editorial Registrar at the BMJ. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

This is a special segment from the Sharp Scratch episode - what med school didn’t teach you about money. Have you received your first payslip and not sure whether you have been paid correctly? Listen to this short clip where the doctors behind Medics Money will guide you through the key things to check on your payslip and decipher tax codes in under 10 minutes. If you would like to hear more about how to claim tax rebate, information about income protection and relocation costs, head over to episode 78, titled 'what med school didn’t teach you about money' to find more. Expert guests: Dr Tommy Perkins and Dr Ed Cantello are GPs and co-founders of Medics Money. Useful links that Dr Perkins and Dr Cantelo recommend: •Free Ebook www.medicsmoney.co.uk/ebook/ •10 top tips for junior doctors podcast www.medicsmoney.co.uk/ep-5-10-financ…unior-doctors/ •Tax code guide - www.medicsmoney.co.uk/is-your-doctor…-code-correct/ •Tax rebate guide - www.medicsmoney.co.uk/free-guide/ Check us out on social media: Twitter: twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This episode does not represent any form of financial, legal or accounting advice and tax allowances and rates are subject to change.

At med school, we are trained to interpret blood tests but not much (if at all) on how to interpret your payslip. Financial literacy doesn’t feature much in our medical curriculum but it’s an important life skill to have: from interpreting your payslip to claiming tax rebate on your postgrad exams fees. In this episode, the doctors behind Medics Money share their experiences regarding costs that newly qualified doctors will have to consider after med school, some money saving tips for junior docs and things to look out for when you’re interpreting a payslip. Topics covered: •Things to look out for on your payslip •What should you do when you notice you haven’t been paid correctly •Sick pay •Claiming tax rebate on costs of training •Relocation costs Expert guests: Dr Tommy Perkins and Dr Ed Cantello are GPs and co-founders of Medics Money. Useful links that Dr Perkins and Dr Cantelo recommend: •Free Ebook https://www.medicsmoney.co.uk/ebook/ •10 top tips for junior doctors podcast https://www.medicsmoney.co.uk/ep-5-10-financial-tips-for-junior-doctors/ •Tax code guide - https://www.medicsmoney.co.uk/is-your-doctors-tax-code-correct/ •Tax rebate guide - https://www.medicsmoney.co.uk/free-guide/ Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies. This episode does not represent any form of financial, legal or accounting advice and tax allowances and rates are subject to change.

At medical school, we learn about the importance of healthy health behaviours and promote them to patients at consultations. But do you always do what you preach? In this episode, we chatted about the importance of self-care, admitting to the inability to be infallible, and whether your health habits would affect the way you counsel your patients. Expert guest: Professor Erica Frank ([email protected]) is a Professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia; she is also the Founder of NextGenU.org. Articles mentioned in the episode: • Alcohol consumption and alcohol counselling behaviour among US medical students: cohort study - https://www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.a2155 • Experiences of belittlement and harassment and their correlates among medical students in the United States: longitudinal survey - https://www.bmj.com/content/333/7570/682 Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

“Do no harm” is a mantra that is drummed into medical students from day 1 of medical school. Most of us have gone into medicine as we believe medicine to be a force of good. However, too much medicine is capable of causing harm to patients and generating unnecessary waste. In this episode, we spoke about overdiagnosis, communicating risks and benefits with patients, and why you shouldn't take that free lunch sponsored by drug companies. Recommended reading: •Preventing overdiagnosis: how to stop harming the healthy. Link: https://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e3502 •Who pays for the pizza? Redefining the relationships between doctors and drug companies. 1: Entanglement. Link: https://www.bmj.com/content/326/7400/1189 Expert guest: Dr Martin Brunet (@docmartin68 on Twitter) is a GP and a GP trainer at Guildford. He is also the author of The GP Consultation Reimagined: A Tale of Two Houses. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

Along with the general public, medical students are feeling the cost-of-living crunch. How are medical students faring with the increasing cost of living? In this episode, medical students from outside of the studio send in their perspectives on how they are making ends meet, balancing medical school and part-time work and navigating the student funding system. Thank you to Michaela Vernon, Elle Gordon, Alex Twist, Trisha Suji, Ruth Carter and Eilidh Garrett who contributed to this episode. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

If you see something that doesn’t look right when going on placement, do you feel comfortable raising a concern? In this episode, we discuss the topic of raising concerns and the considerations that med students and junior doctors may have when it comes to speaking up. Expert guest: Dr Natasha Malik (@1natasha_malik on Twitter) is a portfolio GP who works with Health Education England, UCL medical school and Imperial medical school. Top tip: “In moments of uncertainty, the first thing to do is to find those pillars of support and talk to people about it, because that increases confidence. It also allows you to find out information about where to go next.” Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

As medical students progress through medical school, some students are becoming dissatisfied by the lack of attention to socially relevant healthcare issues in the conventional curriculum, and begin to understand that some of the frustrations we encounter at work arise from political decisions. These issues have prompted medical students to voice their concerns and advocate for change. In this episode, we will be talking about activism, how to get involved and what you can do to push for change. Topics: • What makes an activist? • There is a role for everyone in activism • Things to bear in mind when considering civil disobedience Expert guest: Dr Rita Issa (@DrRitaIssa on Twitter) is a GP, public health academic, and activist. The groups that she’s helped (co)founded or worked with include Doctors for Extinction Rebellion, Docs Not Cops and Medact. Shout out to the following student-activists: Mikaela Loach (@mikaelaloach on Twitter) Rhiannon Osborne (@rhiannon_osborn on Twitter) Amit Singh (@amit_ankhi on Twitter) Marina Politis (@marinadpol on Twitter) Interested in getting involved? Here are some organisations that you can check out: Health for Green New Deal - https://www.medact.org/project/health-for-a-green-new-deal/ Student for Global Health - https://studentsforglobalhealth.org/ Doctors for Extinction Rebellion - https://www.doctorsforxr.com/ Docs not Cops http://www.docsnotcops.co.uk/ Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

As healthcare professionals, we meet people from all walks of life and collect stories along the way — stories of illness and convalescence. When we hear interesting stories, there can be an urge to share them. When something bad happens, you may want to talk and offload it onto your friends and family. As we know, patient confidentiality is a core value in medicine. So what is permissible to share? Is there a way to share these stories while respecting the ethical boundaries? In this episode, the Sharp Scratch team explores the ethical considerations involved in talking and writing about patients, and discusses the popular literature genre of medical memoirs. Expert guest: Dr Matt Phillips is a sexual health consultant and a honorary clinical professor in genitourinary medicine and ethics at the University of Central Lancashire. Recommended reading: The ethics of medical memoirs. Link: https://www.bmj.com/content/367/bmj.l6270 Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

Medical students are taught about and examined a lot on clinical guidelines. What is best for patients overall, as recommended in guidelines, may not be appropriate for individuals. Blanket recommendations, rather than a menu of options or recommendations for shared decision making, ignore patients' preferences. So what do guidelines mean in practice? When do we deviate from them when your clinical acumen is telling you that guidelines may not be the best fit? Expert guest: Dr Liam Loftus is a GP trainee and a National Medical Director’s Clinical Fellow who has worked with the Personalised Care Institute. Recommended reading: How can tomorrow’s doctors be more caring? A phenomenological investigation. Link: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/medu.13684 Potential benefits, limitations, and harms of clinical guidelines. Link: www.bmj.com/content/318/7182/527 Check us out on social media: Twitter: twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

There is often a debate about whether medicine is an art or a science. Our medical curriculum tends to favour the science bit, with pathophysiology of diseases and treatment algorithms dominating our learning agenda. Social determinants of health also have equal importance in influencing one’s health, but are we taught enough to address this? Timestamps: 0:00 - 3:15 Intro 3:16 - 7:19 How much do you get taught about social determinants of health at medical school 7:20 - 12:00 Do we apply what we learn in medical training about social determinants on health in actual clinical practice? 12:01 - 14:29 There is no easy one-size-fits-all managing social determinants of health 14:30 - 18:53 How do you adapt management plans according to the patient’s circumstances? 18:54 - 21:15 A medical student who has experienced homelessness before shares her insight 21:16 - 24:26 Importance of diversifying the demographic of medical students 24:27 - 28:10 The importance of empathy, compassion and being non-judgemental 29:20 - 34:20 Doctors make up the system that patients have to go through, and we can make the experience pleasant for patients 34:21 - 35:18 Vote for Lily as the next prime minister! 35:19 - 36:44 What medical students can do to address social determinants of health outside of medical capacity 36:45- 39:47 What you can do to learn more about social determinants of health in and outside of medical school 39:48 - 43:38 Final remarks Expert guest: Dr Andrew Moscrop (@andrewmoscrop on Twitter) is a GP working in a health centre for people who are homeless in Oxford and a researcher in social determinants of health. Thank you to Maz Sadler who contributed to this episode. Recommended reading: If social determinants of health are so important, shouldn’t we ask patients about them? https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4150 *We’re looking for new panel members!* Are you a: ✅ Medical student ✅ Listener of Sharp Scratch ✅ Keen on representing the voice of medical students? In the past, the panel only consisted of medical students studying in the UK. However, remote recording meant that we can extend this opportunity to medical students in other countries. If you’re interested, please apply via the link below. We look forward to hearing from you! Apply here: https://forms.gle/QocryfkG137cWTb88 Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

Empathy is one of the essential qualities of a good doctor. One way this is assessed at medical school is the use of objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) stations. The use of OSCEs in medical schools is controversial - it can be used to simulate clinical examination and test students’ ability to express empathy while some perceive OSCEs as an artificial and narrow understanding of clinical medicine. Topics: • How do medical students’ experiences of empathy change during their medical education? • What factors do medical students describe as influencing their empathy during medical school? • Should and can empathy be assessed? • Importance of empathy in the patient-doctor relationship Expert guest: Dr David Jeffrey is a retired palliative doctor and former academic mentor at Dundee medical school involved in student support. He also did a PhD exploring empathy in medical students. Recommended reading: • I never asked to be ICE’d - https://www.bmj.com/content/354/bmj.i3729 • Communication skills and the problem with fake patients - https://www.bmj.com/content/357/sbmj.j974?sso= *We’re looking for new panel members!* Are you a: ✅ Medical student ✅ Listener of Sharp Scratch ✅ Keen on representing the voice of medical students? In the past, the panel only consisted of medical students studying in the UK. However, remote recording meant that we can extend this opportunity to medical students in other countries. If you’re interested, please apply via the link below. We look forward to hearing from you! Apply here: https://forms.gle/QocryfkG137cWTb88 Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

When going on placement, you are probably more interested in gaining experience in the clinical environment and less interested in how frequently doctors can take breaks. Doctors’ working conditions may seem irrelevant as a medical student but they are closely associated with work satisfaction and wellbeing. In this episode, the Sharp Scratch panel discussed doctors’ working conditions and how it impacts our day-to-day work. Expert guest: Dr Kevin Teoh (@kevinteohrh on Twitter) is a Chartered Psychologist and the Executive Officer for the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology. Thank you to Dr Saliha Mahmood Ahmed (@salihacooks on Twitter) and Neely Mozawala (@NeelyMozawala on Twitter) who contributed to this episode. *We’re looking for new panel members!* Are you a: ✅ Medical student ✅ Listener of Sharp Scratch ✅ Keen on representing the voice of medical students? In the past, the panel only consisted of medical students studying in the UK. However, remote recording means that we can extend this opportunity to medical students in other countries. If you’re interested, please apply via the link below. We look forward to hearing from you! Apply here: https://forms.gle/QocryfkG137cWTb88 Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

Publications, presentations, citations - these are trophies that you can flash proudly on your CV. However, what medical students may underestimate, is the long hours required reading papers, processing data and revising manuscripts. While academic medicine can be rewarding and intellectually stimulating, it is not the only way to become a successful clinician, and it definitely isn’t the be-all and end-all. Topics: •What do editors look for in manuscripts? •The importance of having a mentor in academia •Navigating author guidelines •Pre-print platforms •How does one get into publishing? •How do I get better at writing? •What do researchers look for when medical students reach out to them? •Predatory journals Expert guest: Dr Joseph Ross (@jsross119 on Twitter) is a Professor of Medicine (General Medicine) and of Public Health (Health Policy and Management) at the Yale School of Medicine. He is also the co-founder of the preprint service for medicine and health sciences - medRxiv. Check out Edward Christopher’s piece on predatory journals: https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2019/10/08/edward-christopher-how-can-medical-students-avoid-predatory-journals/ Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

As healthcare professionals, we work with people from a myriad of culture and countries. At times, some patients may need a little bit of help with English. We may also elicit language skills from our diverse workforce. But is it the right thing to do? Timestamps: 0:00 - 1:17 - introduction 1:18 - 4:50 anecdotes of encountering patients who may need a bit of help with English 4:51 - 7:15 a bilingual medical student shares her experience of interpreting for patients 7:16 - 10:18 - language barrier may compound medical jargon 10:19 - 13:07 why getting help from interpreters is important 13:08 - 18:40 should you be asking your colleagues with language skills to help interpret? 19:50 - 23:07 a medical interpreter gives some insight about her role 23:08 - 31:33 reflecting on misunderstanding that arose from misinterpreting verbal and non-verbal communication 33:27 - 39:17 should you be using Google Translate? 39:18 - 47:00 how about using friends and family of the patient to help with interpreting? According to the Census in 2011, the top three languages other than English spoken in England and Wales are Polish (546,000 people), Punjabi (273,000 people) and Urdu (269,000 people). Link: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/language/articles/languageinenglandandwales/2013-03-04 Expert guest: Professor Jieun Kiaer is a Professor of Korean Language and Linguistics at the University of Oxford. Thank you to Wiktoria Ozarek and Candy Lee who contributed to this podcast. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

‘Tis the season of giving and receiving gifts. In medicine, as demonstrated by the early phase of the pandemic, patients and the public may express gratitude towards healthcare staff by giving tokens of appreciation in the form of gifts. In this episode, we discuss: - the ethics and etiquette of receiving gifts from patients - how thank you cards can be a good addition to your portfolio, and - how you can also show appreciation and gratitude to your colleagues by writing feedback. Thank you for your support this year. If you have any ideas of what we should cover later in the season, please let us know by contacting us via social media. Merry Christmas and happy holidays from the Sharp Scratch team! NHS England provides guidance on managing conflicts of interest in the NHS which can be accessed here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/guidance-managing-conflicts-of-interest-nhs.pdf Expert guest: Dr Gordon Caldwell (@doctorcaldwell on Twitter) is a Consultant Physician and Clinical Lead at Lorn and Islands District General Hospital, part of NHS Highlands. Thank you to Andrew MacFarlane (@andrew_mac94 on Twitter) and Dr Hans van Huellen (@_hvh_ on Twitter) who contributed to this podcast. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

FBC, BIBA, NBM - how many of these do you recognise? The healthcare system speaks an entirely different language. As healthcare professionals, our vocabulary is full of jargon and acronyms, and it’s something that we pick up in training. Communication is key in medicine. So why are we using language that our patients and colleagues may not understand? A sub-specialty of medical jargon is management language. Check out this BMJ Christmas paper on management language: https://www.bmj.com/content/359/bmj.j5661 Expert guest: Dr Ashley Reece (@drashleyreece on Twitter) is a consultant paediatrician and a medical educator. Thank you to Dr Simon Hodes (@DrSimonHodes on Twitter) who contributed to this podcast. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

The climate crisis is a health crisis. In this episode, we explored how climate change will affect how we practise medicine, the importance of sustainable healthcare practice and what you can start doing on a personal, professional and political level towards a greener future. Climate change is a complex and multi-faceted problem. It’s fair to point out that not everything is covered in this podcast. We would encourage you to do further research and empower yourself and others in working towards a greener future. Expert guest: Dr Anna Moore is a registrar in respiratory medicine, the Health Education England Population Health Fellow for NHS Lewisham and Greenwich Trust and the vice chair of Green at Barts Health. Thank you to Rhiannon Osborne who contributed to this podcast. Check out Anna’s editorial in the BMJ on integrating planetary health into the medical curriculum: https://www.bmj.com/content/375/bmj.n2385 Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/ This podcast is produced and edited by Dom Byrne and Duncan Jarvies.

Do you hold any superstitions? We are trained as evidence-based healthcare practitioners, yet there are some superstitions that still persist in medicine. Superstition is an example of confirmation bias, where sometimes we would search for evidence to confirm one's beliefs. Confirmation bias is recognised as an important source of medical error and we discussed what we can do to mitigate this effect. The BMJ Christmas paper that Laura mentioned about the Q word: https://www.bmj.com/content/367/bmj.l6446 Our expert guest: Dr Neil Dagnall is a researcher in applied cognitive psychology and carries out research projects on belief in the paranormal, mental toughness and anomalous thought processes. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/

The government launched a Women's Health Strategy to improve health and wellbeing of women in March 2021 as the UK was found to have the largest female health gap in the G20 countries and the 12th largest globally. In this episode, we discuss whether our medical curriculum is doing enough to equip future healthcare professionals in providing adequate healthcare to women. Link to the government strategy Pat mentioned in the pod: https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/womens-health-outcomes-is-there-a-gender-gap/ Our expert guest: Dr Elinor Cleghorn has a background in feminist culture and history, and the author of Unwell Women, a book that examines the history of medical misdiagnosis of women's illnesses. Check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/

Join our Editorial Scholars, past and present, as we reflect on the hidden curriculum, and discuss its role in cultivating professionalism. While you are here, do check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/

What do med students have in common with Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter? Luke Skywalker had Obi Wan to guide him through Jedi training. Harry Potter had Prof Dumbledore who gave him advice in surviving at Hogwarts and beyond. Whether officially or unofficially, we have all had mentors who guided us through the non-straightforward journey known as medical school. They could come in the form of medic parents or a mentor whom you were matched to through a formal scheme - or anyone who helped you during your medical school journey. In this episode, we address the questions: Why would you want a mentor What are the different types of mentor How to find a mentor How to make the most of a mentoring relationship Our expert guest: Dr Georgia Winnett is a consultant renal physician at Basildon Hospital, senior lecturer at Anglia Ruskin School of Medicine and an associate postgraduate dean for Health Education East of England. While you are here, do check us out on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BMJStudent Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMJStudent/

This week the panel discusses their tips for clinical years. From the logistics of commuting and hospital accommodation to speaking to your first patient - tune in to hear the panel's reflections and advice

This week Nikki and Anna are joined by Professor Doug Corfield from The University of Manchester Medical School to talk all things intercalation. From why to take a year out to all of the logistics involved, listen to find out more about doing an intercalated degree during your medical studies.

This week Nikki and Issy are joined by general surgical registrar Clara Munro, and author and co-founder of the Impostor Syndrome Institute, Valerie Young to talk about imposter syndrome in medicine. Article mentioned: https://hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome Valerie’s website: https://impostorsyndrome.com/

This week the panel are still talking about their hobbies, and what their motivations are for pursuing them. From music to sports, photography to Netflix - do the skills we pick up help us become better doctors, or do they help our general wellbeing? Tune in to hear from some of our listeners about what they get up to in their free time and why…

How many times have you been surprised to find out about a coursemate's hidden talent? Perhaps you've discovered they were Grade 8 Cello when they were 11, or that they were an olympic athlete in a past life? This week the team talk all about their hobbies - particularly what they got up to before med school, and what their motivations were for keeping so busy!

This week the panel are joined by Michael Brady, the national advisor for LGBT Health to discuss why your patient’s queerness might matter to you, and how to practice inclusively, as well as an interview with Lisa Power MBE, a British sexual health and LGBT rights campaigner. Have a listen to hear Michael Brady answering your questions, agony aunt style!

This week the panel are joined by Eli Fitzgerald to discuss what an ally actually is. Find out what makes someone a good (or a bad) ally, as well as how to be an ally for your patients or colleagues. Learning resources: The Genderbread Person | A free online resource for understanding gender identity, gender expression, and anatomical sex. https://www.stonewall.org.uk/system/files/lgbt_in_britain_health.pdf Allies | PFLAG Trans & non-binary services - 56 Dean Street- Sexual Heath Services — If you have been distressed or affected by any of the topics discussed in this programme, you can seek support from : LGBT Foundation Helpline (0900-0900 weekdays) - https://lgbt.foundation/helpline Switchboard.lgbt (phone line 1000-2200) - https://switchboard.lgbt Stonewall What’s in My Area? - https://www.stonewall.org.uk/help-advice/whats-my-area Mindline Trans+ (National Line, Mondays and Fridays from 2000 to 0000.) - https://bristolmind.org.uk/help-and-counselling/mindline-transplus

Episode 51: Queerness in medicine This week the panel are joined by Dr Joseph Hartland, a doctor who works at the University of Bristol Medical School overseeing the teaching of diversity and protected characteristics, to discuss how queerness is seen at medical school. To put the conversation in context, the Sharp Scratch team also had a conversation with Tommy Dickinson, author of the book ‘Curing Queers’, about the history and the legacy of LGBTQ+ issues in the NHS. - If you have been distressed or affected by any of the topics discussed in this programme, you can seek support from : LGBT Foundation Helpline (0900-0900 weekdays) - https://lgbt.foundation/helpline Switchboard.lgbt (phone line 1000-2200) - https://switchboard.lgbt Stonewall What’s in My Area? - https://www.stonewall.org.uk/help-advice/whats-my-area Mindline Trans+ (National Line, Mondays and Fridays from 2000 to 0000.) - https://bristolmind.org.uk/help-and-counselling/mindline-transplus

It's the age old medical school interview question - but why did we initially want to become doctors? Do those reasons still stand, or are they replaced by stronger motives? Listen to the panel discuss their own expectations vs. reality of life at medical school and beyond, with interviews from TV Doctor Zoe Williams and CMO Chris Whitty.

Do you have a healthy work-life balance? Find out what actually counts as work, and whether medicine means sacrificing your social life... This week the team are joined by Sharp Scratch’s old friend Greta McLachlan, Higher General Surgical Trainee and Leadership Fellow at Cleveland Clinic London, to talk about their social lives, maintaining a work life balance, and training less than full time. You can follow Greta on twitter at @GeeMcLachlan

Why is academic failure surrounded by shame and guilt? Find out what support is available for students, and why failing may make you a better doctor in the long term. This week the panel are joined by Rakesh Patel, Clinical Associate Professor in Medical Education, to talk about failing - and why medical students are so embarrassed to fail.

This week the team talk about all the tech you might face working in the NHS - from bleeps and fax machines to slow computers. Find out if you’re allowed to use WhatsApp, what the alternatives are, and why the IT can be so frustrating in the first place... Interviews: Stephen Armstrong, freelance journalist Sarah El-Sheikha and Sarah Blackstock are Clinical Fellows at FMLM. Opinions mentioned in the episode are their own and not that of their employing organisation(s). There are other apps available (for free). You can contact them via twitter: @sarah_sheikha and @sarahblackst0ck

This week the team are joined by Mike Farquhar, Consultant in sleep medicine at Evelina London Children’s Hospital, to talk about sleep and fatigue in medical school and beyond. Morning lark, or night owl, you'll probably need more sleep, or at least a coffee nap. Find out about the science of staying awake. Paper mentioned by Mike in the ep: https://ep.bmj.com/content/102/3/127

This week the team are joined by Lucy Chappell, Professor in Obstetrics at King’s College London and Honorary Consultant Obstetrician at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. The panel reflected on their experiences seeing someone give birth, and how to process the emotions that come with experiencing new life.

The team gathered to respond to our listeners' medical school dilemmas. Some of the med students wanted to be anonymous so some of the dilemmas are voiced by actors and friends! On this episode, Nikki, Kayode, Lily, and Andrew talk about dating at medical school, how to handle a medical emergency if you’ve had a few drinks, and discuss Med Twitter’s stethoscope-gate. For advice on dealing with an emergency as a Good Samaritan, visit https://www.medicalprotection.org/uk/articles/dealing-with-a-public-emergency-as-a-good-samaritan

The team gathered to respond to our listeners' medical school dilemmas. Some of the med students wanted to be anonymous so some of the dilemmas are voiced by actors and friends! On this episode, Nikki, Anna, Laura and Ryhan talk about swearing, clinical partners who are always running late, and competition with your peers.

This week the team explore ideas of professionalism, and whether our concept of this as a society is more ‘masculine’. With our guest Dr Kate Lovett, the panel discussed their own experiences and reflected on the language used when giving feedback. If you want to contact the Sharp Scratch team with your dilemma, please email Nikki at [email protected]

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.

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/

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.

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

*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.

*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.

*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."

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."

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.

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.

Could you just have a look at...? It's a question lots of medical students and junior doctors encounter from friends and family - rashes, moles and sometimes even haemorrhoids all seem to be fair game to ask about! But what are our ethical (and legal) responsibilities when helping our loved ones? And what about "Good Samaritan" treatment in out of hospital emergencies? You can read the GMC's guidance Good Medical Practice here: https://www.gmc-uk.org/ethical-guidance/ethical-guidance-for-doctors/good-medical-practice Our expert guest; Dr John Smyth is a registered doctor and former GP with more than 25 years’ clinical experience. He has worked at the GMC in its Fitness to Practise directorate for 14 years where he is Assistant Director of the Case Examiner Team. His work at the GMC has included helping to adapt the fitness to practise processes to be more supportive to vulnerable doctors.

The panel are joined by one of Anna's academic heroes to discuss competition in medicine. Whilst we all agree a little friendly rivalry can help us learn, how can we make sure competitiveness doesn't affect our wellbeing as med students and new doctors? Our expert guest: Dr Heidi Lempp is a Reader in Medical Sociology at King's College London. Her work around medical students includes discussion of the hidden curriculum of medicine and the study of first in family students. Here's the paper Ryhan spoke about: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0194096#:~:text=The%20use%20of%20competitive%20learning,provide%20a%20pleasant%20classroom%20environment. Here's Heidi's 2004 paper on the hidden curriculum: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC520997/

This week the Sharp Scratch panel are joined by BMJ podcast veteran Helen Macdonald, one of the hosts of The BMJ's Talk Evidence. We talk evidence based medicine, including getting your head around the fact a yearly health screen might not be the best thing for you... You can listen to Talk Evidence here: https://www.cebm.net/bmj-talk-evidence-podcast/ To find out more about the Rapid Recommendation series Helen mentions: https://www.bmj.com/content/354/bmj.i5191

This week, the Sharp Scratch team is joined by Dr Fiona Godlee, Editor in Chief of The BMJ to talk about what it's like to leave clinical medicine, and how it can be challenging to lose your medical identity. Our expert guests Fi Godlee is the first ever female Editor in Chief of The BMJ. Mayank Bhandari left medicine at the end of his foundation training to pursue a career in management consultancy.

This week the Sharp Scratch team welcome two brand new panel members to talk about interesting jobs outside of medicine, and what we might be able to learn from a crappy Saturday job. This week's contributors: Alisha Webb is a third year medical student at Newcastle Medical School, who talks to us this week about a variety of interesting jobs she had before she began studying medicine. Dr Patrick Lynch is a new graduate of Queen's University Belfast who tells us how playing the church organ helped him develop skills for medicine.

**This podcast was recorded before the extraordinary circumstances due to the covid-19 outbreak.** Following on from our episode on what to wear on the wards, this week the Sharp Scratch team and expert guest take a closer look at the stereotypes around what doctors look like. This week's expert guest Dr Devina Maru is a GP specialty registrar in London, who has loved fashion from a young age, having grown up with a grandfather who is a tailor and a cousin who is an international fashion designer. You can follow her on Twitter: @Devina_Maru To read the BMA's dress code click here. https://archive.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/contracts/consultant-contracts/dress-codes

We're joined by Professor Colin Melville from the General Medical Council (GMC) on this slightly unusual episode of Sharp Scratch. We talk about the role of the GMC in regulating new doctors and plans for interim FY1 posts and beyond. Our expert guest: Professor Colin Melville is the Medical Director and Director of Education and Standards at the GMC. Colin leads the GMC's regulation of all stages of medical education, having previously worked in senior roles at a number of medical schools. Colin trained as a doctor and worked as a consultant in intensive care medicine before moving into medical education. The GMC have a new online hub for newly qualified doctors moving into interim FY1 posts https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/provisional-registration

This week on Sharp Scratch, we interrupt our scheduled podcasts to bring you a special bumper episode where we discuss the topic on everyone's minds: covid-19. We hear from medical students and junior doctors who have been disrupted by the pandemic. Our guests Chris Smith is a medical student in Southampton and Co-Chair of the BMA's Medical Student's Committee Stephen Naulls is a brand new doctor and Deputy Chair for Welfare on the BMA Medical Student's Committee Tanya Ta is another early-graduated new doctor from Norwich Medical School, who has been working on the wards as senior medical student assistant. Cassandra Baiano is a second year medical student on the ScotGEM graduate entry to medicine programme. Cassandra and her colleague Ronald Macdonald, a first year student on the same programme, have built an app called 'HealthSHIP' that connects up medical students who want to help out with healthcare professionals who need an extra pair of hands.

**This podcast was recorded before the extraordinary circumstances due to the covid-19 outbreak.** Picking out clothes to wear on the wards is less straightforward than you might think. This week, we talk balancing fashion and function, the perils of noisy shoes, and the best colour shirts to wear if you're a nervous sweater... This week's expert guest Dr Devina Maru is a GP specialty registrar in London, who has loved fashion from a young age, having grown up with a grandfather who is a tailor and a cousin who is an international fashion designer. You can follow her on Twitter: @Devina_Maru To read the BMA's dress code click here. (https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/contracts/consultant-contracts/dress-codes)

Anxiety's a natural part of life - under certain circumstances. And we know that med students and junior docs are more likely than other groups to suffer from anxiety disorders and depression. This week, the Sharp Scratch team talk about their anxieties, and hear from some expert guests on how we can manage anxiety day to day, and how to recognise when we might need a little extra help. This week's expert guests and contributors: Dr Stania Kamara is an ST6 Specialist Registrar in Forensic Psychiatry, and current Medical Director's Clinical Fellow at the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges with NHS England and NHS Improvement. She is passionate about trying to improve access to good quality mental health care across the globe and has worked to develop services and build the capacity of the mental health workforce in a number in number of low and middle income countries. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Royal College of Psychiatrists Core Trainee of the Year award and awarded the Queen's medal for service during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Stephen Buckley is Head of Information at Mind, the mental health charity. For the resources Stephen mentions, check out the Mind website. https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/about-anxiety/ If you are struggling with anxiety, you can get help by contacting your GP, university services or local services. If you need someone to talk to, one to one and confidentially, you can call the Samaritans for free at 116 123. Find more information on their website. https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

In this week's special episode of Sharp Scratch, we've got something a little different for you! Last week the panel talked microaggressions, so this week we're hearing from an expert guest who is leading the work the NHS is doing to combat inequality in healthcare. If you like this special edition, let us know on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using #SharpScratch This week's special guest: Yvonne Coghill, CBE is the director of Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) at NHS England and NHS Improvement. Yvonne has over 20 years’ experience in nursing, before taking up operational and strategic leadership posts. During her 40 plus years career, she has held a wide variety of clinical and managerial roles at the Department for Health and NHS Leadership Academy. In 2013 she was voted by colleagues in the NHS as one of the top 50 most inspirational women, one of the top 50 most inspirational nurse leaders and one of the top 50 black and minority ethnic (BME) pioneers, two years in a row. In July 2015 Yvonne joined NHS England as director for WRES Implementation. She was awarded an Order of the British Empire for services to healthcare in 2010 and Commander of the British Empire in 2018. Yvonne was elected deputy president of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in November 2018. Some of the resources Yvonne mentions during the interview: https://www.england.nhs.uk/2020/02/nhs-publishes-new-workforce-race-equality-data-ahead-of-nhs-and-race-summit/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/equality/equality-hub/equality-standard/resources/ https://www.england.nhs.uk/2019/01/race-equality/

In an episode to coincide with The BMJ's themes issue on racism in medicine, this week we talk people getting your name wrong, other microaggressions, and how racism can literally break your heart. We also hear from Professor David Williams on the physiological impact of discrimination and being a person with prejudices. You can hear David's full interview in The BMJ podcast. This week's expert contributor: David Williams is a Professor of Public Health at the Harvard School of Public Health, as well as a Professor of African and African American Studies and of Sociology at Harvard University. His research has focussed on the health effects of racial discrimination, as well as the public health implications of marginalisation.

Every day hundreds of patients give up their time to help train medical students. Some work closely with medical schools, as expert patients who lead hands on teaching sessions, or helping develop the curriculum. As medics, we rely on the good will of patients for our learning. But what's it really like to be a patient who's used as a learning opportunity? This week, we speak to three patients who have experienced just this - and find out the key things to avoid doing and saying! Our expert guests and contributors: Amy Price is a research scientist at Stanford University and part of The BMJ Patient advisory panel. She has worked closely with medical students in a number of different settings. Mike Scott is a member of the Patient Educator team at King's College London School of Medicine, where he's been examined by many medical students as part of his work. Sarah Markham is a mathematician, a researcher at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience. She's a member of The BMJ Patient advisory panel and has lived experience of inpatient mental health services, throughout which she interacted with many medical students. If you'd like to read Ruth Tapp's piece that Anna mentions, you can find it on BMJ.com

We've spoken before on Sharp Scratch about how med students and junior docs can make friends with more senior doctors (like in episode two, when we talked about referrals). But there's a host of other professionals that work together to make patient care safe and effective - the multidisciplinary team - and we want to be friends with them too. As a medical student you often only get a short amount of time on a new ward, so this week we're talking about how we can make sure we build good relationships with the rest of the team, as quickly as possible. Our expert guests and contributors: Helga Lawrence is a student mental health nurse at Anglia Ruskin University. This week we chat with her about the annoyance of having medical students on the ward, and how a student nurse could be your best friend on placement. Wendy Preston is a Consultant Nurse in respiratory medicine and is Head of Nursing Practice at The Royal College of Nursing. You can find her on Twitter. Carolyn Cairns was previously a manager in the NHS, but is now a second year medical student! She's on Twitter. If you're interested in the work done by Civility Saves Lives, you can find out more at their website.

January is traditionally a time when people make all sorts of promises to themselves - often around food, exercise or work. But sometimes these New Year's Resolutions might put us at risk of putting ourselves under too much pressure. In this episode, we discuss the resolutions you might like to make to protect your physical and mental wellbeing in 2020. Our expert guests and contributors: Abi Rimmer is Careers Editor at The BMJ and has been heavily involved in The BMJ's wellbeing campaign. You can find her on Twitter. Juliet Laycock is a surgical trainee, who provides us with some advice about making the most of a long commute. Abbie Tutt is a graduate entry medical student in Warwick, who has an unusual source of support at university! She's on Twitter and also runs a blog. Isra Husain is a final year medical student in London who loves to sing! You can follow her on Twitter. To read the article Abi mentioned about gardening, take a look at BMJ Careers' 'Why I' series.

Christmas bells are ringing! It's a day that comes for all those who work shifts: your first holiday season at work. How can you bring a little festive cheer to the ward? We hear from some clinicians about their working Christmases and discuss how you can make the most of the holiday period in the hospital, as we try to convince Declan that working Christmas Day might not be as bad as he thinks... Our expert guests and contributors: Jo Talbot Bowen is a consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist with a special interest in stress in clinicians. Sally El-Ghazali is an anaesthetics trainee who has actually chosen to work over Christmas in the past! Rahul Pankhania is a surgical trainee whose Christmas day on the ward was once saved by a gift of a mince pie...

It's happened to every medic: relatives start telling you off for your dinnertime topic choices; non-medical friends probe and then sit in shock as you tell your latest morbid hospital joke. Some people - like Adam Kay - have even made a career of it. How much is too much gallows humour? And in a time of overstretched resources and clinician burnout, is dark humour an important way of bringing together people who have seen the best and worst of the healthcare system? Our expert guests and contributors: Benji Waterstones is a senior psychiatric trainee and stand up comedian. He's performed his comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe in the past, and joins us this week to unpick the art of medical comedy. Brian Goldman is an emergency physician, author and radio host. He wrote a book called 'The Secret Language of Doctors' and hosts show 'White Coat Black Art' on Canadian Broadcasting Company Radio 1 www.bmj.com/sharpscratch

Sharp Scratch is all about bringing the hidden curriculum to light - so it's time to get real about another hidden aspect of medicine: the financial commitments of studying and being a junior doc. Hidden costs are everywhere: so how do you anticipate them and how can you weather financial storms? Join the team as we hear from med students and junior docs about their moey worries, and quiz our expert guest about where we can get help. Our expert guests and contributors: We heard from some medical students and junior docs: Nishita Gadi Instagram: nishitagadix Oliver Arscott Twitter: @OArscott Pedra Rabiee Twitter: @pedrarabiee Lewis Hughes: @LewyHughey Kathryn Runswick is an employment advisor for the BMA and Liverpool Medical School, and the mother of a newly qualified doctor. For advice on managing your money at medical school, the BMA produces gudies which can be found here https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/work-life-support/your-finances-and-protection/medical-student-finance. The Royal Medical Benevolent Fund also provides money advice and signposting to hardship funds https://rmbf.org/.

Med students and doctors of the 21st century often use social media for work and leisure. We all hear the same spiel from our med schools about being safe online - but social media can also be used for good! Join Laura, Anna, Ryhan, and our expert guest Dr Dominique Thompson as we discuss all the 'dos' of social media, rather than the 'don'ts.' Tell us what you think about the episode and your ideas for topics to cover later in the series by leaving a review or by using #SharpScratch on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. For more on the podcast, including how to follow Laura, Anna, Ryhan and Dominique on social media, visit www.bmj.com/sharpscratch.

As med students and junior doctors, we encounter death more than the general population. But what do you actually do when you're called to the ward to see a patient who has died - and what happens after you've confirmed a patient death? Join Laura, Anna, Declan and our special guest, Robert Cast, anatomical pathological technologist, as we take a dive into the world beyond the wards, to find out how we can keep caring for our patients after they die. Tell us what you think about the episode and your ideas for topics to cover later in the series by leaving a review or by using #SharpScratch on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. For more on the podcast, including how to follow Laura, Anna, Declan and Robert on social media, visit www.bmj.com/sharpscratch.

As med students and junior doctors, we'll encounter death more than the general population. So how do we cope with the emotional strain this can bring? How do you support colleagues who are grieving? And is it ever ok to cry in front of a patient? Join medical students Laura and Ryhan, and junior doctor Chidera as they talk about coping with death, and hear from Stephen Barclay, GP and palliative care doctor, and who taught Laura and Chidera about death and dying. Tell us what you think about the episode and your ideas for topics to cover later in the series by leaving a review or by using #SharpScratch on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. For more on the podcast, including how to follow Laura, Chidera, Ryhan and Stephen on social media, visit www.bmj.com/sharpscratch.

Last time we talked about getting ill, and taking some sick days - but what happens when you realise that your illness doesn’t have an end date, and if you’re going to return to work at all, then you’re going to return to work with your illness. What is it like? How to do you talk to colleagues or patients about it. Can you come to terms with yourself as a doctor with a long term illness? And how can you access support to continue working? Join medical students Laura and Anna, and new doctor Declan as they talk about being ill, and quiz Anne de Bono President of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine about adapting your ways of working. Tell us what you think about the episode and your ideas for topics to cover later in the series by leaving a review or by using #SharpScratch on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. For more on the podcast, including how to follow Laura, Anna, Declan, and Anne on social media, visit www.bmj.com/sharpscratch.

Med students and docs face pressure to keeping working when they are poorly - compulsory classes, stretched rotas and knackered colleagues, and pride or stigma masquerading as self discipline or resilience. So against the tide of pressure, how sick is sick enough? And what are the costs of working while poorly? Join medical students Laura and Declan and new panel member Anna Harvey and welcome back Sharp Scratch alumni James Macguire. We also talk to microbiologist Sarah Wylie about why throwing up between patients means you definitely need to go home. Tell us what you think about the episode and your ideas for topics to cover later in the series by leaving a review or by using #SharpScratch on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. For more on the podcast, including how to follow everyone on social media, visit www.bmj.com/sharpscratch.

Who’s off limits when it comes to dating, how renal physiology can ruin your chance of romance, and whether you should put that you’re a doctor on your tindr profile. Dating as a newly qualified doctor brings some challenges that we don’t face as med students: unpredictable hours, exhaustion from night shifts, and professional boundaries with colleagues. And maybe there are some lines we should not cross. How hard is it to find romance while adjusting to life as a doctor? Join medical students Laura and Declan and new doctor Divolka as we discuss how new doctors can join in the fun part of life that is dating. Featuring three doctors - Alyssa, Dipesh, and Amy - who share their awkward moments from their dating lives. Plus, Rob from Medical Protection gives advice on who’s off limits, and our Sharp Scratch regular Ryhan calls in to tell us how his medical elective is going. Tell us what you think about the episode and your ideas for topics to cover later in the series by leaving a review or by using #SharpScratch on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. For more on the podcast, including how to follow Laura, Declan, Ryhan, Alyssa, Dipesh, and Rob on social media, visit www.bmj.com/sharpscratch.

The secrets of true love, how being a new doctor affects your sex life, and whether it’s a good idea to date a medic in the first place. Becoming a doctor brings new challenges to romantic relationships: shift work, commutes, and emotional burdens from work. How can we prepare to carry relationships through this transition? Are linked job applications wise? Is it tougher (as a junior doctor) to date someone who is a junior doctor too than someone in another career? Join medical student Laura, new doctor Chidera, and Julia Bland from DocHealth which offers medical psychotherapy for doctors. We discuss how to keep a romantic relationship alive in the transition between medical school and your first job as a doctor. Featuring three medical students - Michael, Catriona, and Richard - who bare themselves and reveal what they’re worried about as they consider the future of their relationships. Tell us what you think about the episode and your ideas for topics to cover later in the series by leaving a review or by using #SharpScratch on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. For more on the podcast, including how to follow Laura, Chidera, Michael, Catriona, and Richard on social media, visit www.bmj.com/sharpscratch.

Your first day of being a doctor is very different to anything in medical school. What can we learn from those who have just finished their first year? What do they wish they had known? Join medical students Laura and Declan, and surgical registrar Greta as we discuss the tips for new doctors sent in by eight Sharp Scratch listeners who have just finished their first or second year of being a doctor. Looking for more tips? Read nine pieces of advice for new doctors from Abraar Karan, an internal medicine resident at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital/ Harvard Medical School: https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2019/07/09/abraar-karan-advice-to-new-doctors/. Plus, more tips from doctors who have just finished their first year of being a doctor: https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2018/07/20/tips-for-new-doctors-advice-for-trainees-starting-in-fy1/ Tell us what you think about the episode and your ideas for topics to cover later in the series by leaving a review or by using #SharpScratch on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. For more on the podcast, including how to follow Laura, Declan, Greta, and our eight listeners who gave us their tips on social media, visit www.bmj.com/sharpscratch

You've made a mistake. What goes through your mind? How do you share this with your team? Why is it important to recognise the role of systems and human factors in making mistakes? And how do you move on to become a better clinician? Join medical student Laura, new doctor Chidera, and consultant obstetrician / chief operating officer / quality and safety geek Andy Heeps as we figure out exactly what to expect after making your first mistake. Featuring an interview with Jenny Vaughan, a neurologist and leading medical law campaigner, and Rob Hendry, medical director at Medical Protection. Tell us what you think about the episode and your ideas for topics to cover later in the series by leaving a review or by using #SharpScratch on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. For more on the podcast, including how to follow Laura, Chidera, Andy, Jenny, and Rob on social media, visit www.bmj.com/sharpscratch

What happens when you’re treating a patient, and they say something offensive - do you have a duty to continue treating them? Is it OK to walk away? And whatever you choose, will there be consequences on your colleagues or your organisation? Join medical students Laura and Ryhan, newly qualified doctor Chidera, and Nadeem Moghul, nephrologist and Senior Clinical Fellow at The Nuffield Trust - who changed the way in which his hospital dealt with a racist patient. Tell us what you think about the episode and your ideas for topics to cover later in the series by leaving a review or by using #SharpScratch on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. For more on the podcast, including how to follow Laura, Ryhan, and Chidera on social media, visit www.bmj.com/sharpscratch

You’re on the ward round. Doctor shouts at med student. What happens next? Join medical students Laura and Ryhan, newly qualified doctor Chidera, and Simon Fleming, orthopod reg and founder of #HammerItOut - which is a campaign to stop bullying in the NHS. We also have an interview with Anne Stephenson - GP, who teaches undergraduate medical students professionalism at Kings College London.. We’ve all met doctors and med students on placement who we just can’t stand - or who make us feel >thisFor more on the podcast, including how to follow Laura, Ryhan, Declan, Cat and Sophie on social media, visit www.bmj.com/sharpscratch

Join medical students Laura and Declan, newly qualified doctor Chidera, and CEO of Resuscitation Council UK Sue as we figure out what to expect the first time that we observe or take part in a CPR event—and why it’s not like what we see on TV. Featuring an interview with newly qualified doctor and Youtuber Ali Abdaal, who faced CPR events on his very first day of being a doctor. It feels inappropriate to observe a CPR event as a medical student, especially as we may not be able to help the team within our competency. But as a new doctor, we will be expected to be competent, whether we’re the first on the scene or joining a team already in action. How do we prepare for the real thing? Tell us what you think about the episode and your ideas for topics to cover later in the series by leaving a review or by using #SharpScratch on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. For more on the podcast, including how to follow Laura, Ryhan, Declan, Cat and Sophie on social media, visit www.bmj.com/sharpscratch

Why projects fail, how one med student transformed her local emergency department, and why you should go looking for the people in the hospital basement. Join medical students Laura, Ryhan, Declan, and quality improvement editor Cat as we figure out how to start a project that could actually change something. Featuring an interview with Dundee med student Sophie, who completed a successful project that led to change. It seems like loads of med students are rushing to get a publication out before they apply for foundation posts, and sometimes audits or small local projects seem like easy pickings. But such projects have the potential to change the environment—right? If you want to learn more after this episode, check out Cat’s recommendation, How to get started in quality improvement, at https://www.bmj.com/content/364/bmj.k5437. Tell us what you think about the episode and your ideas for topics to cover later in the series by leaving a review or by using #SharpScratch on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. For more on the podcast, including how to follow Laura, Ryhan, Declan, Cat and Sophie on social media, visit www.bmj.com/sharpscratch

Why the hospital switchboard is the friend you never knew you had, how using emotions can help you refer a patient, and what it takes to make a med reg hang up the phone on you. We learn management for many of the cases will see - but often our algorithms end with ‘refer to seniors’ or ‘refer to specialists’. How do we refer our patients to other doctors? What must we include, what could we include, how are we most likely to make a successful referral? Follow the guests on social media James Maguire on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamesma9uire LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dr-james-maguire-84717a170 Charlotte Durand on Twitter: https://twitter.com/char_durand Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chardurand/

Why nights shifts mess with your brain, how astronauts will cope with the time difference on Mars, and the power of frozen grapes when you need a boost. Join medical students Laura, Ryhan, Declan, and newly qualified doctor Chidera as we figure out how to survive the night shift. Featuring a guest interview with NASA researcher Erin, leader of the Fatigue Countermeasures Group. As a student, you may work late but (in the UK) it is unlikely you stay in hospital overnight unless you expressly seek out to do so. So how do you adjust and prepare for night shifts as a new doc? Tell us what you think about the episode and your ideas for topics to cover later in the series using #SharpScratch on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram Leave a review and let us know on social media by tagging BMJ Student and including your reviewer username to be in with a chance to win a free subscription to OnExamination - BMJ’s question bank for medical exams. For more on the podcast, including how to follow Laura, Declan, Ryhan and Chidera on social media, visit https://www.bmj.com/sharpscratch

What is Sharp Scratch. Laura Nunez-Mulder is here to introduce Sharp Scratch, the new podcast from The BMJ. We're here to talk about the "hidden curriculum" all of those things that new medics are supposed to just pick up on the job - but that no-one actually explains. In the coming months we'll talk about how to survive your first night shift, how to not piss off your med-reg, why CPR isn't like it is on TV, and what it can be like to be moved far from friends, family and partners.