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Being a volunteer for Melanin Medics and a member of the Medical Students Network has been a privilege. Through social media, events, webinars, blogs, and the incredible community, I've learnt so much about the realities of studying medicine. It's helped me navigate medical school more intentionally by uncovering the hidden aspects of the degree that aren't always discussed in lectures. Here are a few ways it has made a difference: Firstly, Melanin Medics hosted an excellent virtual research conference with nearly 300 attendees titled Building the Pipeline. We heard from clinical academics and researchers who shared invaluable advice on getting involved in research, alongside practical ways to take those first steps. Attendees also had the opportunity to present their own research, highlighting an important aspect of medicine that often isn't spoken about during medical school teaching. Another experience that had a huge impact on me was helping to develop the Building Your Portfolio for Medical Students resource guide. Through creating the guide, I gained a much clearer understanding of every component of specialty applications and why it's important to start building your portfolio early. Speaking with doctors who had already been through the application process also gave me practical insight into what they wished they had known as medical students. The guide brings together practical advice, personal experience, and encouragement to help students get started early, stay consistent, and reflect throughout their journey. It covers everything from SSCs and electives to audits, research, teaching, and overcoming barriers, particularly those experienced by Black medical students. Throughout the academic year, Melanin Medics' Research Team also hosted specialty webinars featuring consultants and registrars from a range of specialties. These sessions offered valuable insights into different career pathways and clarified the requirements for each specialty information that isn't always made clear during medical school. Beyond events, I've also found the Melanin Medics blog incredibly valuable. Reading articles about postgraduate exams such as the MRCS, exploring how medicine can be used as a launchpad into other degrees and career paths, and hearing the experiences of doctors has broadened my understanding of what a career in medicine can look like beyond medical school. Because of everything I've learnt through Melanin Medics, I now actively look for research opportunities within medical school, choose extracurricular activities with future specialty requirements in mind, and keep an ongoing record of my portfolio achievements rather than trying to remember everything at the end of the year. Overall, Melanin Medics has played a pivotal role in helping me navigate the parts of medical school that lectures and seminars don't always cover—and there's so much more I haven't even mentioned. A huge shoutout to the Research Team, Engagement and Programmes Team for organising these incredible events and initiatives, and to the Communications Team for ensuring students know about all the opportunities available. Melanin Medics is an amazing community that supports aspiring healthcare professionals at every stage. Whether you're a volunteer or simply attend events as a member, there's a programme, event, or resource that can help you grow throughout your journey. One of the biggest lessons I've taken away is that succeeding in medicine isn't just about passing exams. It's about being proactive, seeking opportunities, learning from those who've gone before you, and surrounding yourself with a community that equips you with the knowledge, support, and confidence to build the career you want. Medicine can sometimes feel like you're expected to figure everything out on your own, but it doesn't have to be that way. If you're looking for a community that will support, encourage, and equip you throughout your journey, I'd encourage you to become part of Melanin Medics. Your future self will thank you for it. Written by Precious Oluwaniyi, Final Year Medical Student & MM Content Writer

Medicine opens doors that most people don't even know exist. And yet, so many of us walk through the same few. But what if your degree was just the beginning? What if medicine wasn't the destination, but the launchpad? More medics than ever are building enterprises, leading charities, shaping policy, creating content, and driving innovation - all while holding a stethoscope. The question isn't whether it's possible. The question is: how do you do it intentionally? Here are five steps to help you use your medical degree as a launchpad without losing yourself in the process: 1. Find Your Niche Just because everyone around you is pivoting into medical writing or consultancy doesn't mean that's your path. Following the crowd might get you somewhere, but it won't get you somewhere meaningful. This journey works best when it's driven by purpose, not accolades. The awards and the recognition may come but they can't be the reason you start. If they are, you'll find yourself chasing the wrong things and burning out in the busy work. Your niche starts with your why. Think about what genuinely keeps you up at night. Maybe it's the financial illiteracy you've witnessed in certain communities. Maybe it's the educational outcomes gap that shapes who even makes it to medical school. Maybe it's a passion for business, tech, or creative enterprise. Take the time to explore that. Advocacy. Social impact. Investment. Health equity. Content creation. These are all paths that you have the ability to step into. For me, it was educational disparities. That clarity of purpose led to building an award-winning social enterprise and stepping into charity leadership - all during medical school. None of that would have happened if I'd just done what everyone else was doing. Your passion is your compass. Use it. 2. Find People to Run With and Learn From Even as "medexit" becomes more common and pivoting grows in popularity, you will likely still be in the minority among your medical peers. Medicine is consuming. It has a gravitational pull. And without the right people around you, that pull can swallow your ambitions. So be deliberate about forming that community. Find people who are similarly fired up about using medicine as a springboard. People you can exchange ideas with, share resources, and flag opportunities to. But also find people who are already where you want to be. Medic-turned-entrepreneur. Medic-turned-consultant. Medic-turned-content-creator. They exist in abundance, and their journeys are blueprints so you don't have to reinvent from scratch. Don't be shy about reaching out. Follow their stories, drop a DM on LinkedIn, send that email and ask for a virtual coffee. I did all of these things, and the more I learned, the more I grew. One of my earliest content creation ventures expanded significantly because I built a network of like-minded medics who were doing the same. 3. Do Your Research Your medical degree is a credential that carries weight well beyond the hospital. The mistake many of us make is forgetting that when we step outside clinical settings. Spaces like 10K Black Interns, Bright Network, Charity Jobs, Welcome to the Jungle, Jack and Jill and LinkedIn are filled with opportunities where a medical background is genuinely valuable. Research the routes that align with your niche and build toward them with intention. If content creation is your thing, invest time in understanding it properly: take a course, learn the strategy, study graphic design basics, study what works. If you're drawn to the nonprofit sector, read about governance, funding structures, and leadership pathways. If it's health tech, start understanding the landscape like the players, the problems and the gaps. We're busy enough as medics so there's no time to shoot in the dark. Make sur you build your CV according to your actual ambitions. And if you have multiple passions consider maintaining multiple CVs. For example, I have an academia CV, non-profit CV and a tech-focused CV. They tell different stories about the same person, and all are true. 4. Start Where You Are and Don't Be Afraid to Join What Already Exists There's a misconception that to pivot, you have to build something from scratch. Want to work in health tech? Try interning at a health tech company first - I spent my summer after 3rd year of medical school interning at a femtech and building my content creation skills. Want to make an impact through charity? Volunteer with an organisation before starting your own. Want to understand the policy world? Join a committee, apply for a fellowship and essentially try to get in the room. Starting where you are is an underrated strategy. Here you gain knowledge, contacts, credibility, and clarity and all of this builds a stronger portfolio for you to pivot. That said, if you do have an idea don’t be afraid to run with it. You don’t necessarily have to wait for the perfect moment or the perfect qualification. Since Melanin Medics, I have been building great ideas while simultaneously being part of other people's wonderful ideas, and both feed each other in ways I didn't anticipate. You can be a contributor and a creator. 5. Don't Neglect Your Responsibility or Your Calling as a Doctor This one might surprise you coming at the end of a list about looking beyond medicine. But it's perhaps the most important. You have poured years, energy, finances, and immense sacrifice into becoming a doctor so your excellence shouldn't be reserved only for your side projects. Aim to be excellent at the actual medicine too. This is about operating in seasons. When your finals are around the corner, that may not be the time to be deep in a business plan. But when you have a quieter stretch, a lighter rotation, or a planned period of time off, that is the season to pour more time into building. Learn to read your own rhythms and seasons and ultimately find a good balance. The goal is to be more than a medic so use medicine as a foundation. Build on top of it, not away from it. Final Thoughts Your medical degree is a credential, a community, a credibility and in the right hands, an unique launchpad. Find your niche. Build your tribe. Research relentlessly. Start where you are. And never lose sight of the privilege and responsibility of the letters before and after your name. The world needs great doctors. It also needs great doctors who build, lead, create, and change things. Written by Dr Oyinda Adeniyi

We’re well into 2026 and at this point, many people are reviewing their resolutions and goals for the year to track progress. For medics, some of those goals look vastly different to our peers outside of work. Medicine tends to attract ambitious, high-achieving people, and presents a linear path of achievements. Pass the exams to get into medical school, graduate and get into your chosen specialty, then enjoy your success as a consultant. It sounds simple. Hence being ‘successful’ felt much easier earlier in life, and earlier in this career. Somewhere along the way life becomes complicated by expectations of audits and publications, portfolio building and post-grad exams. The competition for these has grown to unprecedented levels, and as achievements become more difficult to attain, so the check points to track your progress become fewer and further between. I realised that still, we were not all on the same level when it came to opportunity, awareness of expectations and freedom to make bold career choices. Emails go unanswered, study leave gets rejected, the study budget itself is nonexistent. Suddenly the career you aspired to seems much further away and much less attainable. Every career has its own challenges, yes, but when discussing this with non-medic peers, the confusion is almost immediate: ‘Aren’t you already a doctor?.. What else do you need to do?’ It feels silly to complain that you are not where you want to be in life, when you are somewhere in the career you have worked towards for a significant portion of your life. This part of your career is a necessary stepping stone to learn and make progress, but how do you explain that the next stone keeps moving further away. Simultaneously, life goes on. There are relationships to build, finances to organise, homes to buy, and a personality to try not to lose. Medicine has a way of making itself the centre of attention. There is always another career milestone to reach, meaning personal milestones end up taking a backseat. The sunken cost fallacy pushes medics to continue at 100mph because if you slow down or take a break, the path gets that much longer or the opportunity will be lost. The real and imagined pressures of making any sort of progress often lead to burnout. Familiarity with the job can breed disrespect for yourself. Frequent, long, unsociable hours are “just part of the job”, rather than a detriment to your wellbeing. Constantly breaking bad news and managing complex diagnoses is “not a big deal”, rather than an occasionally traumatic aspect of the job. In the race to reach the next part of training, you forget how far you have come since starting work. You may have quite literally saved multiple lives, delivered babies, and talked people through the best and worst days of their lives. The knowledge, experience and self-confidence you gain is only recognised in the ‘Experience’ part of your CV or in that one interview question you spend weeks preparing for. But if the interview never comes, or you haven’t enough points to apply, when do you acknowledge your progress? With specialty applications well underway in this current climate, I’ve found that this is a good checkpoint to review not only my career but my life as a whole. Call it frontal lobe development or just growing up, but my epiphany at 25 was that I need to be a more well rounded person. I may have accidentally made medicine my entire personality and it was coming to my own detriment. I love my job and find it incredibly fascinating, but was finding myself much less so. Becoming a doctor was not my only goal in life but somehow overshadowed the rest. While my chosen specialty is not the most competitive to enter, the potential toll of the job on personal wellbeing over the course of a career is not to be underestimated. The culture of medicine can make it feel as though your worth is measured by how much of yourself you are willing to sacrifice for it, and I cannot allow myself to believe this. I work hard at becoming a good doctor, and I must work at least equally hard at becoming a good person. So I asked myself some questions: What expectations do I hold for others but fall short of, myself? Do I live out my faith as I want to? Am I learning about other important areas of my adult life; relationships, finances, wellbeing; as much as I am my job? I approached my 2026 goal-setting with these questions in mind, considering aspects such as health, finances and personal development (which I like to call ✨enrichment✨) and considering how I can be more intentional about investing in them. Here’s what that looked like in practice: Scheduling time for things outside medicine (not just fitting them in “if there’s time”) Actively learning about finances and long-term stability Having honest conversations with seniors about life beyond medicine I stopped defining success solely by how I felt my career was progressing, and more by my contentment with my life as a whole. Since F1 have often asked registrars to share their thoughts on contentment in life. As with many things, the experiences of those more senior can be invaluable to change perspective and even to avoid mistakes. I know that if I’m not intentional about it, work may easily become the only metric by which I measure my life. My career may last another 40 years, but my life may last much, much longer. I have to be happy with how I live it. Written by Dr Cynthia Sumah

​​A programme designed for year 12 students of Black African and Caribbean heritage, including students of mixed race heritage who have aspirations to study Medicine in the UK. PROGRAMMES The Envision Med Programme A programme designed for year 12 students of Black African and Caribbean heritage, including students of mixed race heritage who have aspirations to study Medicine in the UK. SIGN UP NOW Become a well-rounded, competitive Medicine applicant Experience: Receive intensive support with your medicine application Learn: Develop an appreciation and understanding of the wider scientific context of medicine Grow: Improve your transferable interpersonal skills About the programme The programme has been developed to ensure that there is a good balance between excelling academically and participating in activities that will enrich students both personally and professionally while gaining insight into the medical field. The students are paired with a mentor who is a current medical student and they will receive one-one virtual mentoring sessions over the course of the year. APPLICATIONS OPEN - APPLY NOW ! APPLICATIONS CLOSE: 16th January 2026 ACTIVE PHASE: Febuary to July 2026 Passive phase continues with mentors into Q4 2026 What the programme includes Mentoring: Receive 1-1 support from your medical student or doctor mentor and form long-lasting relationships. Medicine Insight Workshops: Learn about life as a medical student and doctor from inspiring speakers and mentors. Academic Masterclasses: Build your medical knowledge beyond your curriculum and learn from leading institutions. Group Research Projects: Take part in an immersive research project and engage with Masters/PhD students and leading academics. Application Support: Receive personal statement, entrance exam (BMAT & UCAT) and interview preparation support and resources. Work Experience: Learn the best ways to secure medical work experience, virtually or in-person. Top of page Aims Overview Features Join the programme Testimonials Become a mentor Join the programme Strong desire to study Medicine at university and become a Doctor Black African or Caribbean descent or students of mixed race heritage Currently in Year 12 at the time of application Studied at a non-selective state secondary school Currently attending a non-fee paying sixth form or college Currently attending a non-fee paying sixth form or college Minimum of 5 grades at 9-6 at GCSE or at least 37 points in IB MYP (Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English) SIGN UP NOW What participants say "This programme has been extremely helpful, the online sessions taught me a lot and helped me build a competitive medicine application. So much help was offered thoughout the timeline of my application, from getting support to develop my personal statement to helping me develop my interview skills, from my mentor as well as the wider Melanin Medics team. Thanks to this programme I was able to get 3/4 of my medicine offers at Russel group universities !" Become a mentor on the programme Medical student or doctor studying or practicising in the UK Must have successfully applied to and studied at a UK Medical School Commit to meeting your mentee on at least 8 occasions throughout the programme via our mentorship platform Undergo initial training and receive ongoing support Attend on-boarding sessions, meetings and events that are relevant to your role Submit a log of short reflections on the Envision Med Programme Receive a certificate at the end of the programme for you contribution SIGN UP NOW

A career development programme designed to support aspiring and current surgeons in training of Black African and Caribbean or mixed race heritage practising in the UK. PROGRAMMES SurgIn: The Lewin Programme A career development programme designed to support aspiring and current surgeons in training of Black African and Caribbean or mixed race heritage practising in the UK. SIGN UP NOW Confidently navigate the pathway needed towards a successful surgical career Community: Expand your network and connect with your peers and seniors Access: Receive the tools and resources to access various roles in surgery Advancement: To support career advancement and leadership development in surgery Retention: To address the challenges pertaining to the black surgical experience About the programme SurgIn: The Lewin Programme is a 10 month career development programme designed to support aspiring and current surgeons in training of Black African and Caribbean or mixed race heritage practising in the UK. The programme takes a unique approach to establish a community of like-minded individuals who share an interest in surgery and support their career development through a series of curated sessions. We aim to provide programme participants with the insight needed to achieve successful careers in surgery. This programme is supported by the Royal College of Surgeons of England. APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN Applications will close on the 30th of June What the programme includes 'SurgIn' stands for Surgical Insights. Our participants will confidently navigate the pathway needed towards a successful surgical career. A 'safe' space will be created for participants while you gain unique insights over the course of the programme. 1: LAUNCH: Career Speed Dating and Networking (In-person) - Saturday 19th July 2025 2: Portfolio Review - (Virtual) - September 2025 3: Leadership Session (In-person) - November 2025 4: Interview Prep Session (Virtual) - January 2026 5: FINALE: Surgeon’s Sit Down (In-person) - April 2026 Peer-to-peer support groups Session delivery by senior surgical colleagues Receive a certificate at the end of the programme, demonstrating commitment to Surgery Top of page Aims Overview Features Join the programme Testimonials Become a mentor Join the programme WHO SHOULD ENROL? Aspiring surgeons in foundation training, core surgical training, non-training programmes and junior registrar grades up to ST5 of Black African and Caribbean or mixed race heritage. You will be interact with surgical seniors and peers during the in-person sessions. As a SurgIn Programme participant, you will be required to do the following: Commit to attending at least 4 sessions over the course of the year Participate in career development session activities Submit feedback on the programme Applying to the SurgIn Programme does not guarantee you a place as spaces are limited. Applications are assessed based on the quality (not on professional or academic accomplishments). SIGN UP NOW What participants say "Seeing likeminded people at different stages of their career and surgical journey was inspiring. It was very good to get exposure to senior docs and receive their advice, very nice to meet other junior docs on the course also, was very fun and informative course to be a part of." Become a mentor on the programme We are not currently recruiting mentors for the SurgIn Programme. SIGN UP NOW

An 8-month development programme for an aspiring research leader within the Melanin Medics community. Supported by: Do it Now Now (DiNN) and Wellcome PROGRAMMES Research Fellowship An 8-month development programme for an aspiring research leader within the Melanin Medics community. Supported by: Do it Now Now (DiNN) and Wellcome SIGN UP NOW Building capacity, confidence and research ability for medical students and doctors Build Research Skills and Confidence Guide fellows through protocol design, data collection, and analysis to build a strong foundation in research methodology. Create Pathways to Publication Support fellows from conference abstract to manuscript, with mentorship and authorship opportunities along the way. Develop Research Leaders Grow the next generation of mentors and research leads through structured training and hands-on project ownership. Strengthen Community and Belonging Connect aspiring researchers with mentors and peers, tackling inequalities in access to research within medicine. About the programme The Melanin Medics Research Fellowship is an eight-month programme from November to July 2026, designed for aspiring research leaders within the Melanin Medics community. It equips fellows with the practical skills, mentorship, and confidence needed to progress across the full research lifecycle, from protocol design through to publication. Through one-to-one mentorship, a guided research curriculum, a dedicated bootcamp, and exposure to the MMRN Research Committee, the fellowship builds both technical competence and leadership capability. By pairing structured training with real project ownership and community support, the fellowship prepares participants to become confident researchers, mentors, and future leaders within Melanin Medics' research network. APPLICATIONS OPEN: APPLY NOW! APPLICATIONS CLOSE: 9th October 2026 APPLICANTS SELECTED: 23rd October 2026 FELLOWSHIP COMMENCEMENT: 2nd November 2026 FELLOWSHIP END: 2 July 2027 What the programme includes Research Mentorship – Monthly one-to-one sessions with an allocated research mentor to guide progress, troubleshoot challenges, and support skill development. Guided Research Curriculum – A self-directed learning pathway covering methodology, data analysis, and academic writing, paced across the fellowship. Research Bootcamp – An intensive session equipping fellows with the practical tools to get their project underway. Research Committee Exposure – Opportunities to observe and engage with MMRN Research Committee meetings, gaining insight into how research initiatives are led and developed. Publication and Presentation Support – Structured support to prepare conference abstracts and manuscripts, with the possibility of first-author publication. National Conference Attendance – A culminating opportunity to present, network, and connect with the wider Melanin Medics research community. Monthly Stipend – £1,200 total support (£150 per month across the eight-month fellowship) to help fellows commit fully to the programme. Top of page Aims Overview Features Join the programme Testimonials Become a mentor Join the programme Essential Applicants must: Be a UK-based medical student or doctor of African or Caribbean heritage with a strong interest in research. Demonstrate research potential, motivation and academic curiosity. Demonstrate strong communication, teamwork and leadership potential. Be committed to developing their research skills and progressing towards research leadership. Support the mission and development of MMRN's research community. Be able to commit to the fellowship, including research, training and mentorship activities. Desirable Previous research experience. Experience with research methods, data collection or analysis. Conference presentation or academic writing experience. Previous leadership or mentoring experience. Previous research experience is desirable but not essential. We are particularly interested in applicants who demonstrate potential, motivation and a commitment to developing as research leaders. SIGN UP NOW What participants say "It has benefited me massively. From not knowing anything about research, it introduced me to the value of the research process, acquiring ethics approval, the peer review process, abstract presentation, and publication. I am now able to independently lead my own research projects as a result of this and have been doing so as part of the melanin medics team (as an academia officer)." Become a mentor on the programme We are always looking for experienced medical researchers to volunteer as session speakers. Please contact the Research Team at academia@melaninmedics.org SIGN UP NOW