Sharp Scratch

Does who you know determine the doctor you become? Do you need a mentor to be a good doctor? How do you form a successful mentoring relationship in medicine?

In this episode, Zaynah sits down with Professor Katherine Woolf, and panellists Judy and Sarah, to discuss the role that mentoring has to play in medicine. They discuss structured mentoring opportunities in medical education and training and to what extent they’re useful. How factors like race, class, and gender shape your relationship with your mentor, and whether that impacts your career trajectory. Together they share their experiences of being mentored and mentoring others, and how to create these networks.

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Is it the job of minority students to teach their peers, or even staff, about race in medicine? If not, then who is the right person to teach us? 

In this episode, Zaynah Khan sits down with expert guests and doctors Mehrunisha Suleman and Zeshan Qureshi, along with panellist and medical student Judy, to discuss how race is taught in medical education. 

They discuss the informal responsibility often placed on people from minority groups to act as a "spokesperson" for their community and the impacts this can have. Together they explore anti-racism as an academic subject and how medical research should be taught in medical school curriculums. 

Anti-Racist Medicine (Upcoming Textbook/E-Book - June 2026)

An Essential Guide to Advancing Equity in Medical Education, Research, Technology, Policy, and Practice

https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Anti_Racist_Medicine_E_Book/Y1YmEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0  

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Are you a "medic-ey medic," or do you feel like a bit of an outsider?

Medical school often comes with a heavy set of unspoken expectations. From how you spend your free time to what you’re "supposed" to be good at, the pressure to fit a specific mold can be exhausting. But what happens when you don't - or won't - conform?

In this episode, Zaynah Khan sits down with panelist George and expert guest Dr. Sabina Dosani, doctor/author/editor, to explore the bittersweet reality of being different in medicine. Together, they dive into:

Whether you’re a"traditional" student or someone who feels like they’re constantly resisting the status quo, this conversation is a reminder that there is no single way to be a doctor.

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Why Medicine?

We’re all familiar with the interview Q on our motivations for entering the field. But what happens when the expectations we had of a medical career melt away into the shocking reality? Is this really what you signed up for?

In this episode, Zaynah Khan sits down with Dr Seema Haider, GP and trainer, to discuss issues of moral distress and moral injury in medicine. They are joined by Steph and Andrew, both doctors too, and together they share clinical anecdotes and lessons, from things that chip away at you over time as a medical student or doctor. They also discuss ways to hold on to hope, and take care of yourself and each other, whilst working in a broken system.

Read Seema’s article on moral injury here:

https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/views/guest-opinion/drexit-moral-injury-is-destroying-the-foundation-of-our-nhs/ 

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Medical school isn't all anatomical dissections and high-stakes exams - sometimes, it’s about satirical sketches, questionable choreography, and finding the "joy and whimsy" in the chaos of clinical training.

In this episode, host Zaynah Khan dives into the long-standing, slightly eccentric tradition of the Medics’ Comedy Revue. Joined by the BMJ’s own Steph and Helen M who share their own expertise and stories of getting involved in their medics’ revues and hear from medical societies who share their experiences too.

Save the Date: The BMJ Revue 2026! Join us on Friday, 15 May 2026, for a night of comedy, talent, and medical whimsy - all for a great cause. Grab a friend and come along for the laughs! More details here: https://www.bmj.com/content/391/bmj.r2619 

Want to get involved? While the official deadline has passed, we’re still open to brilliant scripts and sketches. If you have an idea you’re dying to see on stage, email Zaynah at [email protected] by Sunday, 15 March 2026.

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Is medical school really worth the price?

From juggling part-time jobs to the "funding cliff-edge" in clinical years, we’re asking the big questions: How are students actually surviving right now? Host Zaynah Khan explores the true cost of the medical degree alongside panellists Judy, Maz, and Elgan (co-chair of the BMA Medical Students Committee).

We’re also joined by Dr. Callum Parr, deputy chair of the BMA Resident Doctors Committee, to discuss the "Fix our Funding" campaign and why 40% of students have considered walking away due to costs. If you knew at 17 what you know now, would you still do it?

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Medical student protest is nothing new, yet the spectre of the GMC often leaves the next generation asking: How will my actions today affect my career tomorrow? 

In this episode, Zaynah Khan is joined by Fiona Godlee, former Editor-in-Chief of the BMJ, to discuss her intentional arrest at a ‘Defend Our Juries’ protest. Fiona has also been involved in protests for the environment, throughout the course of her career.

Alongside medical students and panellists George Webster and Elgan Manton-Roseblade, they explore the tension between medical identity and global crisis. Together, they dive into the emotional weight of today’s political landscape and identify safe, comfortable pathways for medics to engage in activism without compromising their professional futures.

Read Fiona Godlee’s BMJ Opinion article about getting arrested, here:  https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj.r1994 

Fiona’s book reccommendation:

Sorry for the inconvenience but this is an emergency – the non-violent struggle for our planet’s future – Book Review by Dr Geraldine Swift – The official blog of BMJ Leader https://blogs.bmj.com/bmjleader/2024/07/15/sorry-for-the-inconvenience-but-this-is-an-emergency-the-non-violent-struggle-for-our-planets-future-book-review-by-dr-geraldine-swift/

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In honour of the 150th episode of the Sharp Scratch podcast, Zaynah Khan invites previous student editors to explore experiences of medical school during different times – from 20, 15, and 5 years ago to discuss whether or not medicine has changed for students. What is it that medical students care about while at uni? Are there new or different challenges? Have new opportunities opened up? Is there a universal experience of medical school? Thank you to Laura Nunez-Mulder, Tiago Villanueva, and Neil Chanchlani for joining this episode! 

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In this Second episode, Zaynah Khan - the host,  Matt Morgan - an NHS Intensive Care Consultant and Writer, and panel member Nikki Nabavi - who is an FY2 Doctor, explore how medicine seeps into their personal lives, through the example of language. Together they discuss examples of medical jargon and work terminology that become inside jokes or are used completely out of context in their personal lives.

Part 2 following the last episode in December - be sure to listen to that if you haven’t, yet! 

Happy New Year :) 

Resources

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In today’s Holiday Special, host Zaynah Khan is joined by Matt Morgan, an NHS Intensive Care Consultant and Writer, and panel member Nikki Nabavi, who is an FY2 Doctor. Together, they explore the unique sensory and emotional experiences that healthcare workers go through, and the limits in medical language being able to encapsulate those to others outside of healthcare. Matt discusses starting the Dictionary of Blood and Silence and the process of coining new words to articulate medical experiences. Part 1 of 2 - stay tuned for Part 2!

Resources

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