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 this episode from our archives will be a look behind the scenes at what it means to work at The BMJ.    This episode from 2023 brings together four former editorial scholars, ready to talk all about their experiences of working at The BMJ, as well as how you...

With the rapid unfolding of recent events in medicine, from low pay to staffing crisis’ to the rapid changes to the face of our postgraduate training, it can be easy to lose all hope for the future - but is this really the case? A recent BMJ research paper found that cancer survival has doubled in the last fifty years, and that's one reason to be hopeful.   In this episode, the panel talk all about hope. What does 'hope' really mean? Is there any hope for a better future?   This week, the...

Parenthood and medical school are two very different, each noble, roles. This week, we shed some light on the experiences of those medical students who are parenting at medical school. What is parenthood at medical school like? What challenges do parents encounter at medical school? What can friends and colleagues do to support parents at medical school? Éabha and Judy are joined by Maz, a medical student and mum, and Luke, an FY2 doctor who became a dad while at medical school.  Apply to be...

Perfectionism is medicine’s favourite flaw. It seems that all too often, the very traits that we entered this profession for; wanting to be the best, wanting to do the best by our patients and colleagues, can often lead to burnout, to loneliness, to all those negative consequences we have discussed in previous episodes. In this episode we look a little more at perfectionism; what it is, why we medics are so partial to it, and how we can use it to our advantage rather than falling victim to...

Medical school seems to be synonymous with hard work, from long hours at the library to long shifts at the hospital, with little room to just be and little time for daylight, especially during the long winter we've just lived through. Past episodes of sharp scratch have touched upon elements of burnout that we experience during and beyond our studies, but in this episode, the panel talk all about academic burnout at medical school. This week, we welcome back consultant clinical psychologist...

We spend a lot of time in medical school working as a part of a team, either in class time, or in clinical teams like the MDT. Yet, medical school can be a very lonely place. We get taught a lot about loneliness and how dangerous it can be for patients and as we age, but lots of us are impacted by loneliness, at every age. In this episode, we could talk about some of the drivers of loneliness at medical school, asking why so many of us feel so lonely even when we are so often surrounded by...

This week, the panel explore the dynamics of the multidisciplinary teams that come together to look after patients in hospitals and in the community. Building on previous episodes which have explored the idea of teamwork and multidisciplinary teams from the perspective of medical and nursing students, this episode broadens our horizons and tries to understand a little more about multidisciplinary teamworking. Expert guest Samantha Holmes is a head and neck cancer specialist speech and...

We’ve all had those placements where we’ve felt like a real part of the team, where we’ve felt really valued and included, and that we’ve got to know our colleagues even in our short time in a given area. Even in my experience, I know the opposite can also be true. We sometimes experience friction or conflict within and between teams on placement, and that can really impact on our learning experiences and perceptions of placements and even of entire specialties.   In this episode, we talk...

  Morale has been low in medicine recently. With ongoing industrial action and the recent AIMS study finding that almost ⅓ of us students plan to leave the NHS within two years of graduating, it can sometimes be difficult to remain optimistic about the future in medicine.  But it is a brand new year, and so in this week's episode we start the year reflecting on the things we love about medicine. From patients and colleagues, to the breadth of work we are able to do, there is still so much to...

The festive season is officially here! This time of year is all about spreading peace and goodwill, and if you’re looking for good will, one place you’re almost certain to find it is the NHS.    While working throughout the Christmas period is often an intimidating prospect for new doctors, and often we would rather *not* spend our holidays at the hospital. Yet, the wards are a pretty unique place to spend the holidays, or at least some of them, so in this Christmas special episode we could...

  In medical school, it can all too often feel like everyone knows what they’re doing except you. Some people always seem to have this err of confidence to them. But does anyone really know what they’re doing?    In this episode, we talk all about times when we have felt like everyone has ‘got it’ except us, how and why we might fake it until we make it, and some tips on building this confidence in our clinical and academic lives, with some guidance from expert guest, Órla McGovern.   Órla...

Starting medical school can be a shock to the system. From day 1, there is so much to learn, there’s exams to pass and all these new practical skills to get your head around. This podcast is all about how you can learn best and boss those exams without letting them take over your whole life.    In this episode, we talk all about how to do the best you can do in exams, about learning and the study tips and tricks that have and have not worked for us. Sarah, our expert guest, is an educational...

They say nobody parties harder than medical students, but is that really true? What do our panellists think? Long-time listeners of sharp scratch may remember the fresher’s firsts: socialising episode recorded in the middle of the pandemic, so we are happy to be revisiting this topic now that medical school, and University, feels a little more normal.    In this episode, the panel talk all about socialising at medical school; from freshers' weeks, to sports and societies, to all the friends...

Spooky season is here, and sometimes there is nothing scarier than a medical degree. From broken bones, to early morning buses, we medics are fond of a horror story.   This episode, to celebrate halloween, we are sharing some of our spookiest medical school scaries - the good, the bad and the funny. We talk about some of the things we find scary about medical school, and why we find these things so scary.   In this episode the panel are joined by Dr Megan Brown, a ‘doctor-turned-academic’....

Here at sharp scratch, we are taking a short break, so in the meantime we'd like to highlight some of our favourite episodes from the archive. I thought these episodes might be particularly helpful for those of us starting out at medical school, and I hope you enjoy them.  In this episode, the panel were joined by medical school expert David Brill, as they discuss how to approach practical exams and manage nerves, as well as their OSCE disaster stories.

Here at Sharp Scratch, we’re taking a short summer break, so in the meantime we’d like to highlight some of our favourite episodes from our archive. I thought these episodes might be particularly helpful for those of us starting out at medical school, and I hope you enjoy them. 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 this episode, the panel talk all about what...

We are taking a short summer break from Sharp Scratch, so in the meantime we’d like to highlight some of our favourite episodes from our archive. I thought these episodes might be particularly helpful for those of us starting out at medical school, and I hope you enjoy them.  In this episode, the panel were joined by Richie Oparka, consultant pathologist and head of first year at Dundee medical school. They discussed and reminisce on their own first years, including their first dissections,...

Here at Sharp Scratch, we’re taking a short summer break, so in the meantime we’d like to highlight some of our favourite episodes from our archive. I thought these episodes might be particularly helpful for those of us starting out at medical school, and I hope you enjoy them.   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...

Join all of the previous hosts as we celebrate 100 episodes of Sharp Scratch!   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 can be challenging sometimes, and while there are often formal support structures in place such as welfare teams or occupational health to deal with acute events, or ongoing struggles, what about all the day to day parts of medicine?    Today we’re going to be talking about the support systems available in medical schools and the impacts of having, or not having, these structures in place.    Expert guests: Dr Caroline Walker is a psychiatrist, therapist, speaker, trainer, and coach....

Milestones in medicine are often thought of as getting over the next professional hurdle - we’re always thinking about passing our next exam, advancing to our next year of medical school or training, or finally becoming a consultant. But in reality, are these the moments that truly feel like significant milestones? Instead, what if we shifted our mindset to thinking about all of the things that feel personally important, but not really institutionally important. If the things we placed all of...

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...

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...

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...