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 it.

This week, the panel are joined by expert guest Dr Thomas Curran. Thomas is  a BPS chartered psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics. He is a world-leading expert on perfectionism and in 2023 he published his debut book, 'The Perfection Trap.'

Buy 'The Perfection Trap':  https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/447202/the-perfection-trap-by-curran-thomas/9781847943842

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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 our peers, and challenging these drivers of loneliness in meaningful ways.

Clare Dixon is a clinical tutor at Lancaster Medical School and a clinical psychologist. In her work with medical students, she runs a Clinical Psychology Service for medical students in Lancaster. 

Ian Smith is a Clinical Psychologist and the research director of the DClinPsych programme at Lancaster Medical School. He works clinically with medical students in the Clinical Psychology Service at Lancaster Medical School.

Keep in touch, we'd love to hear your thoughts on the show, especially if you feel comfortable sharing your own experiences of loneliness at medical school and what has helped you!

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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 language therapist, currently working at The BMJ as the Chief Sustainability Officer's clinical fellow. You can find her on Twitter/X at @SHolmes_SLT

Please keep in touch, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the show, let us know about your experiences of working with the multidisciplinary team!

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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 about what makes a good team, how we as medical students can help to integrate ourselves into teams and why this is so important for our patients and colleagues.

Our expert guest, Professor Michael West, has published over 200 articles and written, edited or co-edited 20 books on teamwork, leadership and culture. A professor of Work and Organisational Psychology at Lancaster University, he is an expert in compassionate leadership and in team and organisational innovation and effectiveness, especially in relation to healthcare services

Articles discussed in the podcast:

Tannenbaum SI., & Cerasoli CP. (2013). Do team and individual debriefs enhance performance? A meta-analysis. Hum Factors. 2013 Feb;55(1):231-45. doi: 10.1177/0018720812448394. PMID: 23516804.

West, M., & Coia, D. (2019). Caring for Doctors Caring for Patients. London: General Medical Council. Available online at: https://www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/caring-for-doctors-caring-for-patients_pdf-80706341.pdf

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 love. 

This week, Éabha is joined by panellists Anna, an obstetrics and gynaecology trainee in the North East, and Sarah, a fourth year medical student in Milton Keynes. The panel hear from Jingy Alom BEM, an emergency medicine doctor in North East London, and Mark Williams, a GP.

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 talk to some of our panellists who have already been doctors for a Christmas (or more) about their experiences of being on the wards during the holidays and about any advice they might have for those of us about to have our first holiday season in the hospital.

This week, Éabha is joined by Laura, an internal medicine trainee in Cambridge, and Kayode, a foundation year 2 doctor in London. 

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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 McGovern is a storyteller and actor living in Galway, Ireland. An award-winning storyteller who has told at the Cape Clear Festival, Yarn Festival at Mermaid Arts World Storytelling Café, Electric Picnic, Artists House Cobh, and numerous others, Órla has worked extensively with medical students as both a simulated patient and as a 'clown doctor,' entertaining patients in hospital.

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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 psychologist who works in the South West of England. 

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This podcast is produced and edited by Geoff Marsh and Duncan Jarvies

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 they made along the way. 

Expert guest Christina Aaliyah is a final year medical student at Newcastle University and a content-creator who’s content about studying medicine and university life has amassed a following of over 140,000 on TikTok.

You can find Christina’s social media here:

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christina.aaliyah?lang=en 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrstinna/

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This podcast is produced and edited by Geoff Marsh and Duncan Jarvies.