"If there be any truer measure of a man than by what he does, it must be by what he gives." ― Robert South The Democratic Republic of Congo, noted as the heart of Africa, is situated where the deepest river of the world resides. DRC holds one of the fundamental infrastructures of Africa due to the “Congo Grand Inga Dam project” - the utilisation of the Congo River to potentially light up the entire African Continent. Moreover, the nation has been noted for being a rich reserve of gold, diamonds and cobalt. The land houses The Congo Basin Rainforest which has been noted for bearing the Earth’s lungs as a result of being home to 10,000 species of plants. As a result of such a wealth of resources, the manifestation of human greed has blocked effective democratic progress and facilitated an unjustifiable war for decades. One of the many strategies of war which has been employed has been the use of sexual violence; this has left dire health and psychological consequences upon remote areas within the population. As a result, DRC has set out international community and non-governmental organisations to resolve this - such as the world renowned works of Dr. Denis Mukwege. Dr Denis Mukwege was inspired to pursue the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology upon trying to tackle the issue of maternal mortality. However the continuous increase of sexually abused cases in which he was treating shifted his focus to treat survivors of rape with gynecological complications. Mukwege is the founder of Panzi Hospital in Bukavu (est. 1999), where he specializes in the surgical and medical treatment of women who have been sexually abused. Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. - World Health Organization (WHO). Mukwege recognised that the surgical treatment of cases is not enough to remove the mental and social dysfunction which could still impede upon the ones health. He has reported in an interview that “we have seen people who have stopped living” and was moved to ensure that his patients obtain the full measure of health. Therefore, the basis of his clinic is comprised of four pillars. The first is a medical pillar which ensues treating the gynecological infections and surgery. The second is a psychological pillar which involves providing psychological support in order to rebuild the patient’s mind. The third is a socioeconomic pillar which ensures that his patients are able to mobilise back into society in a sound manner. Finally the fourth is a legal pillar which involves setting out legalistic plans to treat the root causes of rape in order to prevent its incidence. “Peace is costly but it is worth the expense” - African Proverb. Panzi Hospital has had great partnership with Communauté des Eglises de Pentecôte en Afrique Centrale (CEPAC), Swedish and British development funds, PMU and Läkarmissionen and many over donors to continuously strengthen its infrastructure. Nevertheless a number of challenges are still faced such as bed shortages, insufficient water and electricity supply, and unstable security measures. We can change hate by love - Robert Mukwege. Mukwege was awarded the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize alongside Nadia Murad. They have been honoured for their efforts to come against sexual violence. He is also himself a minister in a pentecostal church in Bukavu. Written by Jade Okene

What is Speed Reading? Speed reading can be best defined as the process of quickly identifying and understanding as well as retaining phrases and/or sentences of any given page, all at the same time. It is the fine balance between comprehension and pace. The average rate at which most people read allows them to process 250 words in a minute. Some people, however, have a natural tendency to read much faster than others. Learning to speed read can help double this rate. The volume of information we have access to in this day and age is infinite. And there is tremendous pressure of always staying in the loop, be it at work or on social sites or the books we read. Learning to speed read can help you sift through important information in less time and keeps you well informed at all times. Speed Reading Techniques When you begin to learn speed reading, try to read each line in about one second. Gradually increase your speed with every subsequent page. In the beginning, you may find that you are not able to retain all the information you have read through. Don't let this discourage you. As your brain trains better, your retention and comprehension will improve. Mentioned below are a few techniques that will help you learn to speed read with ease. · Pointer Method · Track and Pace Method · Previewing Method Pointer Method Pointer method involves sweeping a finger underneath the line of text that is being read. It is also called meta guiding or hand pacing. Another way to use the pointer method is by holding a flat object such as a piece of paper or a card under the line that is being read and dragging it down the page as you read further. Track and Pace Method Track and Pace method is quite similar to the Pointer Method. Instead of sweeping the text with a finger, a pen is used. Focus on the text above the pen. This method helps increase the speed at which each line is read and improves focus on words. Whether or not you underline the words with the pen, as you read them is up to you. Previewing Method The previewing method entails rapidly moving eyes down the text on the page. While doing so, identify specific phrases or keywords. The key words or phrases are usually found in the first line or sentence of every paragraph. Keywords can be trigger ideas and words idea or even a name or a number. In the previewing method you don't read each word, but with sufficient training, you will find that your eye lands on important word that will allow you to figure out the key idea. Why should I speed read? What are the benefits? 1. It boosts your confidence Speed reading allows you to go through a lot of information in very little time. This helps you stay updated at all times. Your knowledge base widens and you become more resourceful. You are sure of facts as you have read them. This helps create a great impression in the work environment as well as social situation, leading to a positive impact on your confidence. 2. Creates better employment opportunities If you are looking for a new job or you have your eye set on the promotion, you need to be different than the rest. While formal education of an advanced level can help you with that, having a few other degrees or certification in specialized fields relevant to the opportunity you are seeking, will be feathers in your hat. With the help of speed reading, you can breeze through the syllabus/coursework. 3. Improves memory and creativity Reading at a fast pace helps you grasp, comprehend and retain a lot of information. This improves your understanding. When you understand a concept or a topic, you are more likely to remember it, thus enhancing your memory. Memory is considered an element of creativity. Better memory leads to greater creativity. 4. Reduced stress level In today’s age, we have access to copious amounts of information. Everyone around us is trying to get so much done in so little time. This leads to multi-tasking and by that extension, leads to divided attention causing overall inefficiency and increase in stress levels. Speed reading automatically improves your focus. A keen focus has equivalent benefits of meditation. It calms you and has a therapeutic effect leading to the controlled stress level. 5. Clearer thought process Speed reading positively affects the neuroplasticity of the brain. This helps the brain in mapping new connections resulting in creative thinking and greater problem-solving ability with better analysis. This helps in achieving a clearer thought process thereby helping you combine and connect ideas that are imperative for innovation. Conclusion One of the essential tips to keep in mind when you are a beginner is that it would help a great deal if you create an ambiance with as fewer distractions and interruptions as possible. You can try to cover words you have already read so your eyes aren’t drawn back to those words again. As a beginner, it would serve well to read through a simple and uncomplicated article or novel in order to figure out which speed reading technique you are most comfortable with. Take a moment to gauge what and how much you have remembered or comprehended. You can clock your speed with the help of a timer to keep track of your progress. The only way to get better at speed reading is through a lot of practice. Though the benefits of speed reading are immense, one should be careful not to speed read through legal, technical and other important documents as there is a chance of missing out on vital information in the sifting process. It would also be advisable to slow your pace of reading when going through material that is new or you are unfamiliar with, or if you need to teach/explain the content to someone after reading it. About the Author: Jimmy is an avid reader and is passionate about the skill of speed reading. Jimmy is the founder of My Speed Reading, a blog which is all about tips and strategies to improve your reading speed. You can visit Jimmy at his website https://myspeedreading.com.

STREAMLINE YOUR WORKLOAD USING THE 5 D’S: DO, DELETE, DELAY, DIMINISH, DISTRIBUTE Do: Work that is of high priority and needs to be done immediately or you potentially risk negative effects. Delay: Delay does not mean procrastinate. Procrastination is about indefinite postponement; delaying is about consciously rescheduling something for a time when you can get it done more efficiently. Some tasks are better saved for a time when you have the right resources, information and focus to get the job done right. Distribute: Work that can be done as a shared service  e.g. a group assignment, as some work is best done by someone other than you. Diminish: Work that does not need to be at the “gold” standard. Work that you can afford to reduce the effort required e.g: reducing the frequency, shortening, or consolidating the time you spend on that particular task, without losing the essential elements that are adding value Delete: Work that does not add value and is not constructive therefore you can delete them with no negative effect. “Deciding what not to do is just as important as deciding what to do”. WRITE DOWN ALL OF THE DEADLINES/ KEY DATES IN YOUR CURRENT SEMESTER I believe that this is the best way for you to prioritise, consciously keep in mind what is to come and encourages you to get started early. By doing this it also means that you will no excuse for not being prepared. For example: I have a Clinical Skills Examination coming up at the end of March. Since January, I’ve had the date written down and put it in a place where I can see it and continually be reminded of it; so every week since January I go over 1 clinical examination in detail and gradually increase the intensity as I draw closer to the exam. KNOW WHAT IS EXPECTED One of the most difficult aspects of Medicine that I struggled to come to terms with was the fact that there was so much content to learn but I soon came to realise that there is no such thing as a perfect student and there will be stuff that I do not know. However, It is important to be able to identify what your Medical School or organisation expects you to know and prioritise this. The worst thing is working aimlessly and spending a large amount of time learning about things you aren’t required to know. Recognise what is required and establish whether or not you are meeting those requirements and if you are not meeting them, then how are you not meeting them. This helps you establish a plan of action and makes sure you cover all bases. STAY ORGANISED I can boldly say that organisation changed my life! This year I made being organised a priority and realised how much I struggle without structure. I bought myself a diary which if I’m honest I don’t really use but what I use the most to stay organised is the Calendar on my phone which is synced to my Medical School Timetable and my To Do List Notebook. I also organise my notes using colour coded binders and have very specific folders on my laptop to keep my lecture notes, this makes it easier to access during exam/ stressful periods. It’s so important to find a system that works for you. If you haven’t already, check out our blog post on Note-Taking in Medical School. MAKE GOOD USE OF YOUR WEEKEND I recognise the fact that I do need to rest so I normally try not to schedule work for the weekends but I use the weekends to tie up loose ends on topics I have learnt during the week. It really is the perfect time to catch up on work. If you have caught up with notes and have no plans, spend an hour going over previous topics from earlier during the year or just reading for the topics for next week, then you can ease the amount of work you have to do during the week. I also use the weekend to cover content from throughout the year or do practise questions but I also try not to do work that is too heavy. Weekends are for rejuvenation, so use this time to also give yourself some TLC, putting yourself under less pressure. GO TO LECTURES I know this is a lot easier said than done but it honestly does pay off in the long run and saves a lot of time whilst relieving the workload. Going over lecture notes acts to reinforce previously learned knowledge and therefore takes less time than approaching an unfamiliar topic and attempting to make sense of the lectures slides on your own. And if we are brutally honest with ourselves most times if you stay it home you do not use that missed lecture time effectively. MAKE A REVISION SCHEDULE Try and be specific by stating exactly what you want to cover in that time. For example: I used to just write Cardiology, but because I did not know exactly what I wanted to cover I’d spend half the time deciding what I was going to revise. Be specific by also including normal daily tasks such as: eating, sleeping, breaks, gym, even phone calls with friends & family. It is so important to find a balance between studying enough and resting! Additionally, try and make it early and ideally have a pre-exam revision schedule structure and an exam season revision schedule structure because exam season revision is a lot more intense. The main thing is to be realistic and actually make one that you can stick with this includes making room for the unexpected e.g. assign a catch up day or catch up hour. GET YOUR WORK DONE EARLY/ GIVE YOURSELF YOUR OWN PERSONAL DEADLINES This is a personal favourite of mine, I’ve been doing this for years and it has helped me so much. Maybe it is the African in me that knows that left to my own devices I’d be late for absolutely everything, so I have to make an extra conscious effort to get my work done early to avoid being overly stressed. Try and give yourself early deadlines than is expected e.g. a week earlier or a few days earlier than the deadline set by your university depending on the nature of the task. This instils self-discipline, puts your mind at ease and leaves room in case anything goes wrong so you do not end up panicking. If you haven’t already, check out our blog post on Time Management. TRY NOT TO PROCRASTINATE The worst thing about procrastination is that it is so tempting and you do not feel the impact of procrastinating until it is too late and causes a huge amount of stress. I believe everyone is guilty of procrastinating, it is completely natural. But the panic as a result of procrastination makes you more likely to forget things and has a ripple effect on other aspects of your life. Trying not to procrastinate is all about making the conscious effort to stay up to date with your reading and lectures and recognising that the most difficult task is just ‘getting started’. “Never put off for tomorrow what you can do today.” TAKE A BREAK It is so easy to neglect taking a break but as soon as we realise that taking a break does not necessarily equate to a ‘want’ but rather a ‘need. Medicine is especially hard to switch off from but ‘the only way we can give our best is if we are at our best’. So find time to treat yourself or just do something you enjoy e.g. YouTube, games, sports, gym, going out with friends. If it means scheduling them in then do it, just as long as you are letting your mind rest and giving yourself a break.

My second semester of Medical School has officially begun in full force and has shown no signs of slowing down. For those that don’t know I’m a 2nd year medical student studying in the UK, my course is ‘Case based’ meaning that we are presented with a case scenario at the start of the week and picking out key clinical and social aspects in our small groups. We explain what we know about each factor identified, recognise holes in our knowledge and come up with learning outcomes that each of us must look into and answer over the course of the week. During the two week block assigned to a particular case, we are given a series of lectures related to that case as well as a clinical placement one day a week. My most recent case was specific to Psychiatric Medicine, focusing on Mood disorders and Psychosis,  prior to this, I had no exposure or knowledge regarding mental health. Having grown up in Nigerian household to traditional parents, mental illness was not something we spoke about often and in many African cultures such a topic is viewed as a taboo. I am privileged to have parents that are well informed about mental illness as my Mum works in that particular field and my Dad in education, so they are both aware of the ramifications of mental illness. I remember visiting Nigeria for the first time at the age of 13, as we drove through a noticeably deprived area I saw a man wandering the streets with minimal clothing and appeared detached from reality, the driver quickly described him as ‘Mad’, which is something you hear quite often in Nigeria. I must admit I’ve always had a very naive perspective of Mental Illness, it always seemed so distant to me. I assumed that patients suffering from Mental Illness were dangerous, prone to violence, unpredictable and to some degree responsible for their illness. I had very little idea of what suffering from a Mental Illness actually entailed and never knew just how common Mental Illness is in the 21st century. As part of my placement I spent one day with a Community Mental Health Team, which is comprised of Psychiatric Doctors, Clinical Psychologists, Social Workers, Mental Health Nurses, Occupational Therapists as well as other medical professionals, I guess you can say this a perfect example of a Multidisciplinary team. I sat in on a Depot Clinic, which is the administration of long-acting anti-psychotic injections to mentally ill patients. Initially, I thought this was the most boring thing I could have been tasked with, however looking back I learnt quite a few key things. My supervisor took a very interesting approach and did not inform me of what mental illness the patient was suffering from prior to seeing them but I had to make an educated guess after seeing the patient. This was much harder than I thought it would be as Mental Illness is often described as ‘invisible’, you may not think anything is wrong with the individual as they do not appear physically unwell. For example, Schizophrenia can present with negative symptoms characterised by the person becoming more socially withdrawn, showing loss of motivation and increasingly not caring about his or her appearance and personal hygiene in contrary to what is normally shown by the media (hallucinations and delusions). This completely changed my perspective of mental illness. Psychiatry is viewed as such a dark profession, society often associates mental illness with serial killers and notorious violent criminals due to the media’s portrayal. One thing I really struggled with was hearing the stories of patients suffering from mental illness. I was told of a patient who had a particularly traumatic life, having been sexually abused as a young girl, she struggled with a drug and alcohol addiction and severe depression and on many occasions had tried to take her own life. Hearing of how mental illness has ended lives and destroyed families was heart breaking and challenging to hear. Patients are often reluctant to admit they have been struggling with their mental health and this can be due to prejudice, judgement and the social stigma. Having completed this case, I must say I have so much respect for this speciality in the field of medicine. It is truly one like no other, based on abstract concepts and an intrinsic relationship between multiple factors, it has come such a long way and continues to progress. Gone are the days of Mental asylums, we now have integrated community care available. With Psychiatry you truly have the opportunity to get to know the patients on a deeper level, not only are the presenting symptoms discussed, but the patient’s entire life story from the moment they were born up until the present day is also elicited. Through consultations you are able to gauge how the person may be feeling, for example: if a patient is anxious, you too may feel anxious during the consultation and if a patient is all over the place and you’re confused it is most likely Mania. Although I thoroughly enjoyed this case I can agree that Psychiatry is not the profession for me but has truly been a life changing experience. I have discovered the value of psychology and psychiatry, that their teachings can undo knots in us and permit life to flow again and aid us in becoming more truly human. ~ Jean Vanier

Happy New Year! It’s been a bit of a while but we’re back and here to stay. I would also like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you for all the support we have received last year; your kind words of encouragement do not go unnoticed & without your support MM would not have been able to achieve all we achieved last year. So I hope that 2018 is your best year yet. A huge part of entering the new year is setting the goals you want to achieve. We quite often hear the saying ‘new year, new me’ and to be honest I don’t quite agree with this. I believe it’s more about ‘new year, same me’ and realising that you can work with who you are now and believing that you can achieve all your goals. Setting goals puts you in the driver’s seat, giving you a sense of direction and the power to transform your life.  Goal setting provides you a benchmark for determining whether you are actually succeeding.  To accomplish your goals, you need to know how to set them. It’s never too late or too early to make a change or discover a new goal you want to achieve. So we have decided to share out 7 Tips for Successful Goal Setting: 1. WRITE THEM DOWN & REVIEW THEM REGULARLY What I like to do is remind myself of what I’m working towards by using visual aids. Vision Boards work for some people; posting pictures of things you aspire to attain in life and putting it in a visible place to draw inspiration and motivation for the day. Seeing your goals can constantly reminds you that I need to continuously work hard. Write them down somewhere you can see them make it part of your day to review your goals and take action. This keeps your goals alive and top of mind. People with written goals are approximately 50% more likely to achieve than people without written goals. 2. MAKE THEM SMART 3. CATEGORISE THEM By categorising your goals, you’re more likely to cover most areas of your life and identify your progress as the year proceeds. We came across a great template shared by Ife Adeyemi on Twitter in regarding to organising your goals which we tweaked a little bit (as seen below): Personal How you plan to develop your character Social Interactions e.g. friends, family, colleagues, networking What you intend on contributing to society, building and achieving Physical How you will manage and improve your health What good habits you will implement (e.g. Sleeping at x time and waking up at x time every day) What bad habits you will try and eradicate How will you ensure productivity Educational What you want to learn and input into your brain (non-academic) e.g. learn a new skill Academic Goals Achievements/ Awards Financial What you plan on saving How you plan on managing your money e.g. Vacations, Debts, Emergency Funds, Charity Spiritual/ Well-being How you want to develop in your spirituality How you plan to prioritise your well-being 4. SET GOALS THAT MOTIVATE YOU This means making sure that they are important to you, and that there is value in achieving them. There may be days where you feel down or demotivated but a quick reminder of your goals can act as enough to pick you and give you the desire to push through. The more your goals motivate, the more willing you will be to be to put in the work when you don’t feel like it. 5. HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY When someone knows what your goals are, they hold you accountable by asking you to “give an account” of where you are in the process of achieving that goal. Accountability puts some teeth into the process. If a goal is set and only one person knows it, does it really have any power? Many times, no. A goal isn’t as powerful if you don’t have one or more people who can hold you accountable to it. 6. DEVISE A PLAN OF ACTION If you’re really serious about your goals, you’ve got to set the ball rolling and devise a plan of action in regards to how you plan to achieve this goal. This involves: Knowing your motivations are for the goal What you need to make it work Steps you need to take to achieve it Date you want achieve it by Bigger goals are comprised of minute goals, breaking these goals down into manageable chunks will give you the ability to easily know if you are on the right path. Another option is getting a Goals Journal is really helpful for keeping track. 7. COMMIT TO YOUR GOAL It is extremely important that we set specific goals with a date and time with the intention of following through to the end! You can’t simply say, “I want” and expect it to happen. Goal setting is a process that starts with careful consideration of what you want to achieve, and ends with a lot of hard work to actually do it. Goal achievement requires commitment, so to maximise the likelihood of success, you need to feel a sense of urgency and have an “I must do this” attitude. Remember, goal setting is an ongoing activity not just a means to an end. Build in reminders to keep yourself on track, and make regular time-slots available to review your goals.

Many dream of becoming a Doctor from a young age and some may only have decided recently but that is only the beginning. For those wanting to pursue a career in Medicine, this is a decision not to be taken lightly. The application process in itself is tough let alone the journey to become a Doctor itself, so we want to make sure you are prepared. We’ve listed some key things to consider: KNOW YOUR REASON Medicine is a very challenging and long degree, which does not stop being so challenging after you graduate. You will continuously be stretched intellectually, physically and mentally therefore your reason for entering this profession should be enough to motivate you (the more personal the better). KNOW THE PATHWAYS It is very important to be aware of what the journey pertains and the know the full Medical Training Pathway. There are various routes to medicine (Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Foundation Year and studying Abroad), knowing what is required for each  can help you to formulate a back up plan in case things go as unexpected. We recommend you write do the full Medical Training Pathway and stick it where you can see it to motivate you. For those applying in the next round of applications 2018/2019, write down a timeline of the key dates for your application including A-Level results day, UKCAT dates, BMAT dates, application deadline dates etc. Although it will be up to you to develop this plan, your mentor can review it and help fill in any missing pieces. HAVE A TASTE OF THE PROFESSION Another idea is to volunteer in a medical setting where you can meet someone who will be helpful and also have the benefit of learning even more about medicine first hand. It is necessary to expose yourself to the healthcare profession before you apply so you can see the role of a doctor in action and what it entails and whether the role is suited to you. That’s why we recommend you get some work experience as soon as possible, so that you can gain a realistic perspective of Medicine in practise and determine whether the negatives outweigh the positives for you. GET SOME GUIDANCE There are many aspects to Medicine, some doctors decide to delve into research, medical education or practise as a physician. If you know a doctor or medical student contact him or her to learn more about a career in medicine. Maybe a doctor who has treated you or someone in your family would be willing to spend some time talking with you about a career in medicine. Even if you don’t know a doctor directly, there are many you can reach out to who are willing to help. There is a lot of help available to support prospective Medicine applicants with their application and provide students with mentorship e.g. Black Medical Society & African Caribbean Medical Mentors. We as Melanin Medics are always here to answer any questions or queries you may have or read over your Personal Statement for you, FREE of charge. CHECK YOUR CREDENTIALS A solid academic record is required to study Medicine. You can do this by taking advanced classes/ courses, getting good grades and involving yourself in extracurricular activities. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you feel overwhelmed or concerned about your progress. It is very important to take the right subjects required to study Medicine at GCSE, A-Levels or Degree. Many UK Medical Schools require Chemistry and Biology at A-Levels, however so Foundation Medicine degrees allow students who have taken the wrong subjects, so make sure you do your research. Again, the majority of Medical Schools do not accept A-Level resits not completed within the 2 years of study so don’t forget to check their entry requirements and before choosing to apply a particular medical school make sure predicted grades meet their requirements. RESEARCH Make sure you thoroughly research what is required to study Medicine. Research is a key aspect of Medicine and the sooner you become accustomed to it the better. Here is a list of key things to research/ consider: Open Days/ Workshops/ Day Conferences Interviews Admissions Test: UKCAT, BMAT, GAMSAT Choosing a Medical School Personal Statement Funding Learning Methods We hoped this helped to put things into perspective. If you need any help at all, or have any questions feel free to comment below or send us a message.

Learning content and studying can get very frustrating when it seems as though your trustee method isn’t working as effectively as it once has. Different types of material may require different ways of learning the content in order for you to understand. We’ve listed various techniques commonly used to learn content and that have proven effective for certain individuals in time past. We recommend that you give them a go, and incorporate the ones that work for you in your normal study regime. Reading – Some people can just read a part of the textbook (or notes) and take it all in but for others you may require a bit more time. Reading is a great way to gain exposure to the material. For those that find it more difficult try reading out loud, changing your position or just reading the text again. Re-listening to lectures recordings – The intense note-taking that accompanies some lectures can be draining, and often you can miss out on vital information while trying to note down what was said two minutes ago. By recording your lectures you relieve the pressure off of catching everything the first time around, and allows you to work through it at your own pace. Writing notes – This may seem like the typical study technique but there’s something about writing things by hand that helps you remember it. I’m not just talking about writing notes by hand in class but also writing by hand again and again to help improve your memory of the material. Drawing on a whiteboard – Whiteboards are a great learning tool, they help you to present your information without the fear of wasting paper; mistakes can easily be corrected and the process of creating diagrams and recalling key concepts is helpful when studying. Creating questions – Creating your own questions provokes interest as well as analyses a student’s prior learning. When creating a high quality question, a student must reflect on the learning goals of what they are studying, consider misconceptions when proposing good alternative answers, understand the topic in depth and write a clear explanation for the correct answer. Teaching others – The best way to test if you really understand something is to try to teach it to someone else. As you prepare to teach you tend to study more cosncientiously, organize your knowledge, improving yout own understanding and recall. And as you explain the information to others, you identify knots and gaps in your own thinking. Make up mnemonics –  ‘Mnemonic’ is another word for memory tool; the word usually indicates a rhyme or a phrase, or a string of letters, or something else designed to trigger your memory. As humans we tend to link things in our minds easily hence helping us to remember them. As we think about these things, creatively, we are literally making stronger neural pathways in our brains. And the more we do this the more skilled we become at making memory work. Drawing diagrams – Drawing diagrams will help you to visualise information which could be hard to describe. This creates a visual memory in your mind which can be recalled in an exam. Explaining a concept from a simple diagram demonstrates your level of understanding and ability to piece brief information together. Answering questions – Practising sample answers to past exam questions can help train your brain to retrieve information. They also provide a practical insight into the style and theme of typical questions you will be tested on. Practise is key! Creating flash card – Quickly test your knowledge of key concepts, definitions, quotes and formulas with flashcards. They are quick to refer back to and can be carried whilst on the go, the process of reinforcing key concepts strengthens your neural pathways. Make a song – Take your course content, and try to do turn it into a song. It might sound silly, but it can definitely be effective. Think about how many song lyrics you’ve retained in general, and how quickly you can remember the lyrics to song you have heard years ago. While you’re studying, you can recite your brand new study song in your head, and realise just how much you remember. E.g. Remember the Hannah Montana Bone Dance Song Post it notes – Any concept you are struggling with or key phrases you need to remember, write them down on a post-it notes and the amazing thing about them is that you can stick them just about anywhere. Sometimes, the location of the post-it note can help you to remember something Create Mental Association – This is a great way to constantly remind yourself of what you have learnt whilst on the go. It basically just involves you using everyday tasks and items as ‘triggers’ to get you thinking about a particular concept you have learnt. The ability to make connections is not only an easier way to remember information, but it’s the fuel of creativity and intelligence. Watch YouTube Videos – YouTube Videos tend to explain topics in a concise however detailed manner and utilises visual aids. YouTube videos serve multiple purposes and are always there for you to go back to. Posters/ Mind maps – This technique enables you to channel your inner creativity, condense information and form links connecting different concepts together. Adding some flair to your posters will make the process a bit more relaxed. Colouring will help ease overall tension, so it’ll put you in a good place before getting down to the hard stuff. Apps – We are in a very technological age so why not make the most of it. Here are 2 of our favourite apps that you should check out. We will have a blog post on Study Tools coming out soon so keep your eyes peeled. Coogle Quizlet We do not recommend that you try an untested method of learning new content in the build to your exams, your time is precious and quite frankly there is no time for trial and error. By exam season you should already know what modes of revision work best for you at that point, so stick to it.

Burnout can be defined as a state of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion as a result of chronic stress. It is characterised by feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, cynicism and anger. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose interest and motivation, reducing your productivity in the long run as well as depleting your energy. The impact of the burnout is widespread and can infiltrate many aspects of your life e.g. relationships, outcomes, health etc. By recognising the signs of burnout and developing preventative techniques as well as ways to overcome it, we can possibly reduce the incidence of such in the long run. Medical school is an extremely competitive, challenging environment. The constant pressure and high expectations from those around you can quickly become overwhelming. From academic pressures and educational debt, to personal life events, learning environment and exposure to human suffering, contribute to heightened levels of stress and poor mental health in medical students. According to research conducted by Cecil et al, more than half of the participants (undergraduate medical students) (54.8%) reported experiencing high levels of Emotional Exhaustion, 34% reported high levels of Depersonalisation and 46.6% reported low levels of Personal Achievement. Overall, 26.7% of participants met the criteria to be considered ‘burned out’. As doctors and healthcare professionals the constant weight of responsibility, pressure to see a high volume of patients and the vast amount of rules and regulations one is forced to keep up with can negatively impact ones well-being. Being a doctor is certainly a great privilege, but it is also an enormous tax on the emotions and the high stress nature of the job makes doctors particularly susceptible to burnout. Doctors experiencing burnout are reported to be at a higher risk of making poor decisions; display hostile attitude toward patients; make more medical errors; and have difficult relationships with co-workers. Burnout among doctors also increases risk of depression; anxiety; sleep disturbances; fatigue; alcohol and drug misuse; marital dysfunction; premature retirement and perhaps most seriously suicide. RECOGNISING SIGNS OF BURNOUT Burnout has a way of gradually creeping up on you, it’s easy to ignore the subtle initial symptoms however as they progressively worsen, the impact can be detrimental and the sooner they are addressed the better. If you pay attention and act to reduce your stress, you can prevent a major breakdown. Common signs of burnout include: Chronic exhaustion Cynical Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness Loss of motivation Detachment Isolation Avoidance Lethargy Making of mistakes frequently Lack of focus Irritability Loss of interest Depression Low feelings of personal accomplishment CAUSES OF BURNOUT As individuals our responses to stress differ greatly, so particularly stressors vary in their impact on our wellbeing. Quite often feeling overwhelmed is a common cause of burnout. Other causes of burnout include: Unmanageable workload Lack of control Lack of direction Lack of sleep/lack of rest Perfectionist tendencies Monotonous/ unchallenging work Lack of support Big consequences for failure Impossible/ unclear requirements PREVENTING BURNOUT Schedule your rest and incorporate it into your daily routine Regularly talking to someone whether it be a friend, family or support worker Know your capability/ don’t take too much on Exercise/ engage in hobbies regularly Set aside relaxation time e.g. meditation Writing/ Journalling thoughts and feelings Healthy diet e.g. moderate alcohol intake, less refined sugar, more omega 3 fatty acids and avoid nicotine OVERCOMING BURNOUT Take a break/ Rest: This is probably the most important point of all. Separate yourself from your source of stress and take this time to readjust your focus and remember why you started. You need to take the time out to restore yourself to the best version of you and rediscover what really makes you happy so slow down and give yourself time to rest, reflect and heal. Treat yourself: When we give ourselves treats, we feel energized, cared for and contented, which boosts our self-command—and self-command helps us maintain our healthy habits. Sleep: Feeling tired can exacerbate burnout by causing you to think irrationally. Generally speaking, the more burned out you feel, the more sleep you’re probably going to require. You may have to force yourself. For your body’s sake. And your sanity. Change your environment: Sometimes a change space is enough to clear your head and remind you of your motivation. Removing yourself from a stressful environment can give you time to think and regain strength to approach the challenges you may be facing. Talk to someone: This can relieve the burden and you do not have to approach your challenges alone. Talking face to face with a good listener is one of the fastest ways to calm your nervous system and relieve stress. Outsource: Be realistic about how much work you can handle. Relinquish some of your power and hand over some tasks to someone else. Preferably the tasks you don’t feel like doing yourself. Set Goals/ Prioritise: This is about creating a practical approach to deal with your stress. Write down what you need to do in order of priority and separate your tasks into different days when you will address them. The process of writing down pending tasks makes it easier to visualise, more achievable and not a distant concept. Identify the cause of your burnout: This is essential to avoid being in the same rut in the future and will allow you to reframe the way you approach certain tasks or stressors in the future as well as help you to recognise difficulties you are facing in this area earlier on. REFERENCES Cecil, J., C. McHale, J. Hart, and A. Laidlaw, 2014, Behaviour and burnout in medical students: Med Educ Online, v. 19, p. 25209. Kumar S. Burnout and Doctors: Prevalence, Prevention and Intervention. Leggat PA, Smith DR, eds. Healthcare. 2016;4(3):37. doi:10.3390/healthcare4030037. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/burnout-prevention-and-recovery.htm

DISCLAIMER: As Melanin Medics we thought it would be a good idea to have a central source of potential questions which we have gathered questions from several sources on the internet (credited at the end of this post). There are a lot of questions below and we do not expect you to go through every single one and develop in depth answers for each but rather we recommend you derive a strategy to approach unexpected questions in a coherent, clear manner as well as get a feel of potential questions that may be asked. They are organised categorically so if you feel a particular area is your weak point, practise answering several questions in that category. We are more than happy to add to these questions as well as answer any queries you may have and make sure you have checked out our ‘Preparing for Medical School Interviews’ blog post. BACKGROUND & MOTIVATION Tell us about yourself. Take us through your personal statement. Why do you want to be a doctor? What do you want to achieve in medicine? What qualities do you think make a good doctor? What have you read or experienced in order to prepare you for medicine? Why do you believe you have the ability to undertake the study and work involved? Why do you want to be a doctor, rather than another profession that is caring or intellectually challenging? What do you think being a doctor entails, apart from treating patients? What branch of medicine do you think would interest you? Why? When you think about becoming a doctor, what do you look forward to most and least? What qualities do you think patients appreciate in a doctor? What qualities do you think colleagues appreciate in a doctor? What impact do you hope to make in the field of medicine? What one question would you ask if you were interviewing others to study medicine? What would you most like us to ask you in this interview? Why study medicine rather than any other health care profession? How do you think medicine differs from other health professions? What aspect of healthcare attracts you to medicine? Why do you want to be a doctor? If you were to become a doctor, how would you wish your patients to describe you and why? What steps have you taken to try to find out whether you really do want to become a doctor? What things do you think might make people inclined to drop out of medical training? There are many different ways of helping people. Why do you want to study medicine, rather than working in any other health or social care professions? Can you tell us about any particular life experiences that you think may help or hinder you in a career in medicine? How would you dissuade someone from going into Medicine. How old are you when you become a consultant? If you were not offered a place to study Medicine, what would you do? What do you think you will find most difficult about a career in medicine? KNOWLEDGE OF MEDICAL SCHOOL What interests you about the curriculum at [Medical School]? What previous experiences have you had of learning in a small group setting? When you read the [Medical School] prospectus, what appealed to you or interested you in the course here? Tell us what attracts you most and least about [Medical School]. What do you know about the course at [Medical School]? Why do you think it will suit you personally? What do you know about PBL? Why do you want to come to a PBL medical school? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of a PBL course? I expect you have thought about problem-based learning. Why do you think a PBL course will suit you personally? Tell us about 2 other aspects of the programme that will also suit you. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of coming to a new medical school? This course will require a good deal of independent study, how have you managed this approach to learning in the past? Why do you think problem based learning will suit you personally? How does this PBL school differ from the others? What previous experiences have you had of learning in a small group setting? What ways of learning work best for you? How does this fit with this medical school? What will you do if you are not accepted to medical school this year? Have you an alternative career plan? Are you aware of the main method of teaching at this Medical School? What do you think are the advantages of this style of teaching? Do you think cadaveric dissection is important for medical students? This university offers a wide range of extra-curricular societies reflecting the diversity of students and courses we have here. If you were a student here, which societies would you be interested in joining? What would you do if you fell behind on this course? DEPTH & BREADTH OF INTEREST Do you read any medical publications? Can you tell me about a significant recent advance in medicine or science? Why has this interested you? What do you consider to be important advances in medicine over the last 50 / 100 years? Have you heard about any public health campaigns recently? What is your opinion on the role of public health campaigns in medicine? Can you tell us about any significant medical stories in the media at the moment? Tell us about something in the history of medicine that interests you. Have you seen a film or read a book recently that has made you think, and why? What do you think is the most important medical discovery in the last 100 – 200 years, and why? If a benefactor offered you a huge amount of money to set up a Medical Research Institute and invited you to become its director, what research area would you choose to look at, and why? Can you tell us about a book or a film that has influenced you as a person or made you think, and why? Tell me about someone who has been a major influence on you as a person / in your life? What do you think was the greatest public health advance of the twentieth century? Can you describe an interesting place you have been to (not necessarily medical) and explain why it was so? Do you think putting a man on the moon money well spent? If yes – why? If no – how would you have spent that money? Tell me about a non-academic project or piece of organisation that you were involved in. How did it go? If you had to have a gap year, and could go anywhere in the world or do anything, what would you chose to do, and why? How do you think the rise in information technology has influenced / will influence the practice of medicine? If you could invite 3 people, alive or dead, to dinner, who would they be? Do you think/why is research is important? What are the benefits of research? What limitations are there of medical research? Can you give an example of how medical research has been beneficial? Have you thought about what you would like to specialise in? EMPATHY Give an example of a situation where you have supported a friend in a difficult social circumstance. What issues did they face and how dod you help them What does the word empathy mean to you. How do you differentiate empathy from sympathy? Is it right for doctors to ‘feel for their patients’? What thoughts and feelings might face someone offered alcohol to celebrate after receiving a liver transplant? A person with learning disabilities is regularly being teased by their neighbours. How might that affect them? What do you guess an overweight person might feel and think after being told their arthritis is due to their weight? A friend has asked your advice on how to tell her parents that she intends to drop out of university and go off travelling. How you respond? A friend tells you he feels bad because his family has always cheated to obtain extra benefits. How would you respond? TEAMWORK Thinking about your membership of a team (in a work, sport, school or other setting), can you tell us about the most important contributions you made to the team? Can you think of a team situation where your communication skills have been vital? Tell us about the situation and your contribution. Tell us about a group activity you have organised. What went well and what went badly? What did you learn from it? Tell us about a team situation you have experienced. What did you learn about yourself and about successful team-working? When you think about yourself working as a doctor, who do you think will be the most important people in the team you will be working with? Who are the important members of a multi-disciplinary healthcare team? Why? Are you a leader or a follower? What are the advantages and disadvantages of being in a team? Do teams need leaders? Modern day health care is very much a team effort. Please tell us a role that you have played in a team, and what you think you contributed. What do you think of nurses developing extended roles and undertaking tasks previously done by doctors? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of nurses replacing doctors as the first contact person in primary care? When you are a doctor you will be working in a team. Who do you see as the key members of your team, and why? How will you help the team to develop? What do you think is the role of humour in team working. Give an example. PERSONAL INSIGHT What ways of working and studying have you developed that you think will assist you through medical school? What will you need to improve? How do you think you will cope with criticism from colleagues or other health professionals? Is there such a thing as positive criticism? Give us an example of something about which you used to hold strong opinions, but have had to change your mind. What made you change? What do you think now? Have you ever been in a situation where you realise afterwards that what you said or did was wrong? What did you do about it? What should you have done? How do you think you will avoid problems of keeping up to date during a long career? What are your outside interests and hobbies? How do these compliment you as a person? Which do you think you will continue at university? Tell us two personal qualities you have which would make you a good doctor, and two personal shortcomings which you think you would like to overcome as you become doctor? Medical training is long and being a doctor can be stressful. Some doctors who qualify never practice. What makes you think you will stick to it? What do you think will be the most difficult things you might encounter during your training? How will you deal with them? What relevance to medicine are the ‘A’ levels (apart from biology and chemistry) that you have been studying? What skills do you think are needed in order to communicate with your patients; how do you think they are best acquired? Can you learn communication skills? How have you developed your communication skills? What interests do you bring from school/college life that you think will contribute to your studies and practice? What challenges do you think a career in medicine will bring you? What do you think you will be the positive aspects and the negative aspects of being a doctor? How will you handle these? What attributes are necessary in a good doctor? Which do you have, and which do you need to develop further? Can you tell us about an interesting experience, and what you learned from it about yourself? If you are a minority candidate, how do you feel your background uniquely prepares you to be, and will influence your role as, a physician? If you are a woman, how has your gender impacted your decision to pursue a medical career? If you are not a minority, how might you best meet the needs of a multiethnic, multicultural patient population? If you are economically disadvantaged or have limited financial means, how has this adversity shaped you? To what extent do you feel that you owe a debt to your fellow man? To what extent do you owe a debt to those less fortunate than yourself? Please explain. Thinking about yourself: what characteristics do you think you would most need to change in the course of becoming a good doctor? If you could only tell me one thing about yourself, to help me to get a sense of you as a person, what would it be and why? If you could change two things about yourself, what would they be and why? What do you think are your priorities in your own personal development? What qualities do you lack that would be useful for a doctor, and what do you intend to do about this? What qualities do you think other people value in you? How do you think other people would describe you? How will you cope with being criticised or even sued? Tell me about a time that you have been sad or confused. Which of your qualities do other people find frustrating? What might you do about this? You will probably have got high marks throughout school. On this medical course, most marks are awarded  as ‘satisfactory’ or not. How will you feel about seeming ‘average’ in this new situation? How will you cope with the death of a patient as a result of your mistakes? Think of a time when you had to say ‘sorry’ to someone. How did that change your relationship with that person? Some people are always very certain that whay they believe is right. Some people are never certain. What kind of person are you in this regard? What makes a good working relationship? ROLE OF MEDICINE IN SOCIETY What is wrong with the NHS? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the NHS? Should the NHS be privatised? What are your views on euthanasia? Should the NHS fund fertility treatement for people over 40? What are the ethical issues concerned with abortion? What problems are there in the NHS other than the lack if funding? What relevance has the Hippocrates oath to modern-day medicine? What would you prefer in a doctor? Bad communication skills with good clinical skills or good communication skills with bad clinical skills? Why? Would you argue that medicine is a science or an art, and why? How do politics influence health care provision? Is it inevitable? Why do you think we hear so much about doctors and the NHS in the media today? Do you think doctors should set a good example to their patients in their own lives? How or why might this be difficult? In what ways do you think doctors can promote good health, other than direct treatment of illness? Do you think doctors and the NHS get a bad press, and if so, why? From what you have read and found out, where do you see the health service going? What are the arguments for and against non-essential surgery being available on the NHS? What does the current government see as the national priorities in health care? Do you agree with these? How should the health service achieve a balance between promoting good health, and in treating ill health? What do you think are the similarities and differences between being a doctor today and being a doctor 50 years ago? Should doctors have a role in regulating contact sports, such as boxing? Do you think doctors should ever strike? Do you think patient’s treatments should be limited by the NHS budget or do they have the right to new therapies no matter what the cost? What does the term ‘inequalities in health’ mean to you? Do you think medicine should be more about changing behaviour to prevent disease or treating existing disease? What do you think is the purpose of the health service in the 21st century? What do you think are the chief difficulties faced by doctors in their work? Why do you think people in the north of England live, on average, 5 years less than those in the south? Do you think this should be a matter for government intervention? What are the arguments for and against people paying for their own health care as and when they need it? What do you understand by the term ‘holistic’ medicine? Do you think it falls within the remit of the NHS? How accurately do you think the media (particularly television) tend to portray the role of the doctor? Do you think the bulk of medical treatment takes place in hospital or in the community? What makes you think this? What do you think about the way doctors are shown in the media, say in the Simpsons or on the news? How do you think this will affect patients’ views of their own doctors? What do you think is the greatest threat to the health of the British population today? Ten years ago most doctors in hospitals wore white coats; now few do. Why do you think this is? What do you think are the arguments for and against white coats? Animals that are thought to be suffering are ‘put down’. Should human suffering be treated in the same way? Do you think more doctors or more nurses would be of greatest benefit to the nation’s health? What are the arguments for and against banning the sale of tobacco? In the UK at present 60% of medical students are female. Do you think we should have equal quotas for medical school places for males and females? What do you think will be the consequences of having more female doctors than male doctors? What issues should be considered in deciding to terminate or not continue a patient’s life-sustaining treatment? Medicine will bring you into contact with a vast range of different people, with different cultures; what experience have you had of different types of people? What are the consequences of obesity for health services? Why? Can you tell us about a significant recent advance in medicine or science? Why is it significant? Why has this interested you? Tell us about something in the history of medicine that interests you. Why was it important? What do you think was the greatest public health advance in the 20th century? People are living longer and longer. Should doctors take credit for this? What lessons can be learnt from how the swine fly pandemic was handled? What would you have done differently? How do you think the rise of information technology has influenced and will influence the practice of medicine? MMI A close friend in your 1st-year medical school class tells you that his mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. He feels overwhelmed by his studies and is considering dropping out of medical school to spend more time with his mother. How do you counsel your friend? Joe is a pizza delivery worker. The pizza shop he works for has a 30 minutes or less delivery guarantee or else the customer does not have to pay. On Joe’s most recent delivery, he spots a woman bleeding on the street. There is no one else around and the woman seems to be unable to move by herself. However, Joe knows that if he returns empty handed again, he will be fired from this job which he most desperately needs. What do you think Joe should do? Justify your solution in terms of practical and ethical considerations. “Liberation Therapy” (LT), a vascular operation developed to potentially cure multiple sclerosis (MS) in certain patients, has recently come under very serious criticism – delaying its widespread use. Among other experimental flaws, critics cite a small sample size in the original evidence used to support LT. As a healthcare policy maker, your job is to weigh the pros and cons in approving novel drugs and therapies. Please discuss the issues you would consider during an approval process for LT. Because of federal and provincial subsidy policies and return-of-service agreements, international medical graduates (IMGs) now make up an increasingly large proportion of rural doctors. As a consequence, the shortage of doctors in rural areas has prompted many family medicine residencies to increase their quotas for IMGs in their programs. Effectively, this development is leading to a relative reduction in spots available for Canadian medical graduates. Please discuss the pros and cons of such a development. Discuss one of your pastimes outside of school and how the skills you acquired from this activity will help you in your career. You are a family physician seeing Jane, a 67 year old woman with a recent history of multiple fragility fractures. You diagnose her with osteoporosis and prescribe some bisphosphonate drugs and other pharmacological treatments. Jane tells you that she has heard some good things over the internet about alternative medicine treatments such as Chinese medicine, and she is adamant on trying these as well. You are concerned about the use of these alternative medicine treatments and the possible negative effects they could have on Jane’s health. How would you handle the situation and what would you recommend Jane do? Discuss any ethical considerations that are present. You are on the committee for selecting a new Dean of Science. What characteristics and/or qualities would you look for when selecting an effective dean? In June 2011, the infamous Vancouver riots took place after their hockey team lost in the Stanley Cup Finals. Stores were ransacked and cars were burned. Hundreds of people were injured and sent to overcrowded hospitals. As the police chief in Vancouver, what measures or policies would you put in place to make sure this does not happen again? An actor hands you a card, telling you that, in this role play, you are a close friend of theirs. You have been house-sitting whilst ‘your friend’ has been on holiday and you have to explain to them that you broke their favourite ornament. When informed, the actor becomes hysterical and very angry. You are told that this weekend you’re going on a camping trip. Before you is a table of random objects. You have 20 seconds to pick 5 objects you deem to be of the most importance and value, and explain. You are faced with an actor playing a 65 year old man who has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He is coming to his GP for advice on how to cope with his diagnosis as he has heard a lot of stigma over the years about dementia and its burden on both his family and the healthcare service. Whilst talking to you he breaks down into tears. You are told that you are entering a hospital staff room 10 prior to performing surgery with Dr ‘X’. As you enter, you see Dr ‘X’ take a swig of a clear drink from a bottle and quickly close their locker, which you suspect is alcohol. Over the course of the conversation, the Dr beings to forget things and slur their words. You have 5 minutes to speak to Dr ‘X’. An actor hands you a card which states that you are playing the role of a GP and they are a 16-year-old girl who has come to ask for information about getting tested for STIs but is worried about her parents finding out. You are asked to instruct the interviewer on how to unwrap and open the box, without helping them or using your hands. It’s not straight forward as the examiner will be using no assumed knowledge and will be doing what you tell them only Clostridium Difficile (C. difficile) is a type of bacteria that increases its activity with most antibiotic use, and is therefore very difficult to treat. Research shows that the most effective way to prevent the spread of infection is frequent handwashing. However, many people have flat-out refused to wash their hands in hospitals. The government is contemplating passing a policy to make it mandatory for people entering hospitals to wash their hands or else risk not being seen by doctors and being escorted out of the building against their will. Do you think the government should go ahead with this plan? Consider and discuss the legal, ethical or practical problems that exist for each action option and conclude with a persuasive argument supporting your decision. Discuss an experience that allowed you to learn something important about yourself. How will this lesson help you succeed in your career? WORK EXPERIENCE What experiences have given you insight into the world of medicine? What have you learnt from these? What aspect of your work experience did you find the most challenging, and why? In your work experience, what skills have you learnt that you can apply to medicine? Can you give me an example of how you coped with a conflict with a colleague or friend; what strategy did you use and why? Reflect on what you have seen of hospitals or a health care environment. What would you most like to organise differently, and why? What aspect of your work experience would you recommend to a friend thinking about medicine, and why? What impressed you most about the doctors in your work experience? Can you think of a situation where good communication has saved the day and give a reason why? Thinking of your work experience, can you tell me about a difficult situation you have dealt with and what you learned from it? Have you visited any friends or family in hospital, or had work experience in a hospital? From these experiences, what did you see that you would like to change? Can you tell me the key things you learned from your work experience, in caring or other settings? What have you done on work experience/ in employment previously? What would you change about what you saw, if you could, and how would you set about this? What do you think would be the advantages, and difficulties, for a person with a major physical disability (e.g. blindness) wishing to become a doctor? Tell me about a project, or work experience, that you have organised, and what you learned from it? What did you learn about yourself from your work experience? What did you learn from the doctors and nurses from your work experience Research has shown that “Integrity” is an important quality in a doctor. What do you think is meant by this and can you give an example of a situation in which acting with integrity might be important? ETHICS Is it better to give health care or aid to impoverished countries? Why can’t doctors give a guarantee that a medical or surgical procedure will be successful? Should doctors have a role in contact sports such as boxing? Do you think doctors should ever go on strike? Do you think we should find out more about patients’ views of their doctors, their illness or their treatments? How would you set about this? What do you think are the major sorts of problems facing a person with a long-term health problem, such as difficulty breathing? What are the differences between length of life and quality of life? Is there a moral case against drug companies becoming as large and powerful as the market allows them to be? What are the arguments for and against the decriminalisation of drugs such as cocaine? Should alternative or complimentary medicine be funded by the NHS, and why? Should the NHS be involved in non-essential surgery? Should the NHS fund the treatment of self-inflicted diseases? With the growing problems of overpopulation should the NHS fund IVF treatment? How do you think doctors should treat injury or illness due to self-harm, smoking or excess alcohol consumption? Female infertility treatment is expensive, has a very low success rate and is even less successful in smokers. To whom do you think it should be available? Would you prescribe the oral contraceptive pill to a 14-year old girl who is sleeping with her boyfriend? What is your feeling about euthanasia? Would you perform abortions as a doctor? Is it right that Viagra should only be available to certain groups of men? Some Trusts are refusing to perform some elective operations on obese patients. Why do you think that it? Do you think it’s right? What do you think about the use of animals for testing new drugs? How do you respond and what do you feel when you see a beggar in the street? Do you think that Class A drugs should be legalised? Would being religious, and therefore potentially having a more positive view to death, be detrimental in your role as a doctor? A man refuses treatment for a potentially life-threatening condition. What are the ethical issues involved? A woman who is bleeding heavily refuses to receive a blood transfusion that you are proposing. Why do you think this might be? How would you handle the issue? You have one liver available for transplant, but two patients with equal medical need. One is an ex-alcoholic mother with two young children, the other a 13 year old with an inborn liver abnormality. How would you decide to whom it should be given? You have one dialysis machine to share between three patients with equal medical need. One is a 17-year-old drug addict who has just overdosed, one is a 40-year old woman with terminal breast cancer and only 6 months of life expectancy, the third one is a 70-year old marathon runner. Who gets the machine? Imagine you are on committee able to recommend only one of two new surgical treatments to be made available through the NHS. The treatments are: an artificial heart for babies born with heart defects, or a permanent replacement hip for people with severe arthritis. Both treatments are permanent, i.e. never need repeating, and are of equal cost. On what grounds would you make your arguments? CREATIVITY/INNOVATION Imagine a world in 200 years’ time where doctors no longer exist. In what ways do you think they could be replaced? You are holding a party on a medical theme. How would you make it memorable? Describe as many used as you can for a mobile phone charger. How many different ways can you improve the process of selecting students for this medical school? Imagine you had 6 months with enough money and nothing you had to do. Tell us the most imaginative (and no-medical) way you’d spend the time. Your house catches fire in the night. You are told you can pick only object to take with you when escaping. What would it be and why? Can you think of something fun you’d like to invent? Fashion has changed hugely over the past 400 years. What do you think we’ll be wearing in 200 years from now? EXTRA-CURRICULAR What do you do to relax? How will any hobbies or interests you have help you in a career in medicine? Who do you admire and why? What was the last book you read? Would you recommend it? Describe a situation you have been in which was stressful. How do you deal with stress? Have you taken on any extracurricular projects that demonstrate your interest in Medicine? SOURCES: https://www.medical-interviews.co.uk/topic/interview-questions-medical-school-interviews https://www.themedicportal.com/e-learning/interview/ https://www.princetonreview.com/med-school-advice/medical-school-interview-questions https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=192433&d=1357932026 https://multipleminiinterview.com/mmi-questions/ https://ocs.fas.harvard.edu/medical-interview

Receiving interviews is a very daunting yet exciting time, you’re one step closer to your dream. Interviews are part of the process of selecting the right students, they enable to demonstrate your interpersonal skills and other essential skills for Medicine and expand upon your application so preparation is essential to success!  Interviews generally take place from November to late April. When you’re invited for an interview bears no relation to how favourably your application is being considered. So we’ve decided to explain the different types of interviews, our top tips, key questions and what to do on the Big Day! TYPES OF INTERVIEWS MMI series of short structured interview stations used to assess non-cognitive qualities including cultural sensitivity, maturity, teamwork, empathy, reliability and communication skills candidates receive a question/scenario and have a short period of time (typically two minutes) to prepare an answer prior to start of station either short exchange between candidate and interviewer or interviewer observes while the interaction takes place between an actor and the candidate candidate evaluated at each station Panel multiple interviewers, usually a clinician, academic or medical student more personalised questions asked conversational interactions each individual interviewer determining the mood and structure of the interview Some schools may have set goals for each interview; for example, each interview is given a certain set of character traits to evaluate and comment on, or may have a structured interview format where interviewers are given standardised questions with sample answers. Our Top Tips Be yourself The medical school have already shown that they are interested in you by inviting you to the interview; they would like your personality to shine through. By not being yourself you’re likely to mask what should you be your strongest selling point: you! Be honest, authentic and most of all be yourself; no one can ever tell you you’re doing it wrong. Be prepare to discuss your: academic background extracurricular activities work experience & voluntary work views on medical problems or ethical issues why you want to be a doctor/ study medicine Be prepared To give yourself the best possible chance of getting an offer, it is very important to prepare in advance. This doesn’t mean you should prepare answers, learn them off by heart and be rigid in your responses.  Be careful not to memorise answers to the point where they sound rehearsed and no longer genuine. However, you should have a clear idea of what you want to say in answer to the classic interview questions so that you are confident, ready and prepared when they are inevitably asked and an appropriate strategy for answering unfamiliar questions. Stay up to date with Health News For interviews, knowledge really is power. As you read more, you will become smarter which not only makes you more confident, but also makes you better prepared to answer any question. When you do read, read books and articles that provide relevant information in an efficient way. Here are the categories you should focus on: NHS Hot Topics: Stay in touch with current events, especially politics that may pertain to health care. Examples of useful sources include: British Medical Journal (BMJ), Student BMJ, New Scientist, The Guardian. Topics include:Staffing, Junior Doctor Crisis, 7 Day NHS, Organ Donation, Social Media use and Brexit. Scientific advances: Reading about medical topics will probably be the most directly relevant to your interview process. Read to learn about ethics, new research and technologies, policies, life as a doctor, and medical/scientific thinking. Healthcare bodies: It is important to understand that Healthcare bodies differ around the UK, e.g. NHS Wales differs to NHS England and NHS Scotland and so certain issues pertain to certain healthcare bodies while some remain unaffected. Personal Interest: Read any books or articles that you find interesting. It can be about anything as long as you find joy in reading them and you will be more passionate when speaking about them. Think ethically Four Pillars of Medical Ethics: Autonomy — Does it show respect for the patient and their right to make decisions? Non-maleficence — Does it harm the patient? Justice — Are there consequences in the wider community? Beneficence — Does it benefit the patient? Structure your answers STARR: It is necessary to use a clear structure when articulating your answers efficiently. This prevents you from rambling and ensures you cover the most important points. Situation: One brief line outlining the example Task: What was involved? Action: How you approached and performed the task Result: What was the outcome/achievement? Reflection: What did you learn and how will you apply it? Rule of 3: When asked open ended questions, make three clear, decisive points and conclude if necessary. These points should act as cues that you can expand upon providing sufficient examples in your answers. Use personal examples/ experiences Write out 3-5 “most significant” attributes that qualify you for medical school. These are the words, sentences, or impressions that you want the interviewer to remember. Write out the stories that support each of these ideas and anticipate the questions that will allow you to discuss them. Your experiences are what make you unique. Read GMC Tomorrows Doctors This will help give you a clearer understanding of a doctors role in different capacities as a scholar, practitioner and professional. Yes this a lot to read but it is worth it in the long run, this will also help you identify key buzzwords when identifying the different characteristics of a doctor; try and find examples to back up how you possess these attributes.  Do you meet other competencies as stipulated by the GMC in “Tomorrow’ Doctors”?  Are you empathetic, do you have initiative and resilience, can you communicate, are you able to problem solve, can you work in a team, do you have integrity and have you got an effective learning style? Consider both arguments & draw balanced conclusion When presented with multiple arguments, think about different perspectives and do not be narrow minded in your approach. Differential diagnosis forms a large part of Medicine so think about this when answering and consider several influencing factors. There is no correct answer as long as you can back up your point of view. Be mindful of your Body Language Your body language can impact the way the interviewer perceives you. It can go a long way in reflecting confidence. Stand up straight, have a firm handshake, and make eye contact when introducing yourself – it can make a big difference. Smiling goes hand in hand with good body language, but remember that medicine is in essence a service industry; people want a  friendly doctor. Similarly an interviewer will come away with a better impression if you can smile and make eye contact while talking to them. Just don’t force a fake smile and stare at the interviewer for 30 minutes straight, find a nice balance! Answer the actual question Some candidates are so keen to say something, that they’re determined to say it, whether or not it’s anything to do with the question they were asked. Not answering your medical school interview questions won’t score particularly highly. The best way to ensure you answer the question is by concluded your answer with the question as the ending statement. E.g. Why do you want to become a doctor? – I’d like to be a doctor because… Research the prospective university, course and city Don’t think just about the academic course, consider university life as well as the city itself. Try to get inside information that you cannot find on the school’s website. Talking to a current medical student who attends that school would be a good idea.  It’s a good idea to look over the course structure, content and teaching style of the medical schools you applied to. Appearance Look the part and you will be the part! It is important to be smartly dressed and well-presented. Doctors are in constant contact with members of the public and appearance is important. For girls, a knee length dress or skirt with a blazer/ cardigan, tights and smart shoes or a smart shirt and trousers and loafers are suitable choices of outfits. For guys, a full dark suit, shirt, tie and smart shoes (e.g. brogues) is an ideal choice. We have a Medical Interview Look-book coming soon, so keep an eye out. Others: trimmed facial hair, minimal body piercings visible (stud earrings). Know your Personal Statement You must know your personal statement extremely well before you attend your interview. Remember what you said and why you said it as your interview is the final part of your application story. Therefore, if you cannot recall the previous parts of your story, your interview may be disconnected from the rest of your application. For example, if you give a reason why you want to be a doctor in your personal statement but give a completely different reason on your interview, that might be a red flag. Work on time management Limit your answers to about 2 minutes. Check it out on a stopwatch. Your answers are giving the interviewer a feel for who you are, so you want to engage them, help them see the interesting things that have gotten you to this interview for medical school and that takes some time. Also assess the interviewers body language. Are they right there with you, leaning forward, looking for more? Listen carefully and Take your time Prompts are often given in the question so make sure you listen to the question thoroughly as this can guide the direction of your answer. Never dive straight into a question you’re not sure about. Take a moment to come up with a well thought out answer rather than to waffle for a while. To show you’re actually thinking and not just panicking, look up above the interviewer’s head and pause for a while. When you have your answer re-establish eye contact and shoot. Know your interview format Know what to expect from each school before you interview. You should know what type of interview you are walking into and also learn more about each school so that you could tailor your answers to be more appropriate for each school. A great way to learn more about a school is to talk to actual medical students who attend that school. Practise! Practise! Practise! (Mock Interviews) Ask friends, relatives, colleagues, doctors, research supervisors, professors, or anyone else you trust to help you do a mock interview. Try to simulate the real thing as well as you can and do at least 2 or 3 mock interviews before you go into your first interview & work on the feedback given. Additionally, make sure you are comfortable talking about yourself. You should be well aware of your personality, tendencies, accomplishments and experiences. Strangely enough, sometimes talking about yourself can be the hardest part about the interview, so practise! Take care of logistics You should be in your best mental and physical condition during your interview, so be conscious of your health. Consider necessary expenses and arrangements that need to be made e.g. transport, journey time, accommodation, school notification etc. This also means you should get enough rest before the interview, schedule travel that gives you sufficient time to mentally and physically prepare, and eat and drink properly. Prepare possible questions to ask the interviewer This is the final impression you will make on your interviewer. Take the opportunity to learn more about faculty, research opportunities, access to internships, or anything that else that is important to you when considering a medical school program. Avoid asking questions that you can answer yourself  if you research. Don’t ask questions for the sake of it. If you can’t think of any questions just say that everything’s been covered in the open day. Possible Questions: 1. What is your favourite or least favourite thing about this school? 2. Why did you choose to work at this school? 3. Can you tell me more about … program? 4. How do you think I should decide on which medical school I should attend? 5. Do you have any advice for me? 6. What is your favourite or least favourite thing about being a doctor? (if your interviewer is a doctor) 7. What are your thoughts about … issue? (You could ask this question if … issue was already discussed during the interview) KEY QUESTIONS TO DERIVE (ROUGH) ANSWERS FOR! Why do you want to be a doctor? What are the pros and cons of a career in medicine? Why do you want to be a doctor and not a nurse, they both help people? Should the NHS be free? What would you do to improve the NHS? What is the current structure of the NHS? What is a doctors training pathway?  . Read through your personal statement and be clear in your mind how your various experiences equip you to study medicine. Examples of leadership, examples of teamwork, Why should they pick you? What are your strengths and weaknesses?. What will you contribute to the university? Read around the history of the university, the structure of the medicine course- why do you want to attend that University specifically? We have several more questions in our Question Bank. Check them out! THE BIG DAY Arrive early Take the opportunity to talk to other other applicants and current students around Re-read your personal statement before Make a good first impression – smile, be confident, sit up straight and relax Take some time to think about your answer first before responding If you have struggled to understand a particular question, be calm and ask the interviewer to rephrase it for you Thank the interviewers for their time

So I’ll admit, I had a bit of writers block this week and struggled to decide what to write about but having posted consistently since the launch of this blog I wasn’t ready to end that streak just yet. So I decided to share what I’d been up to this past week in Medical School as a 2nd year medical student studying in the UK. It hasn’t been that interesting and truth be told I’ve been quite stressed due to my upcoming exams but I’ve managed to push through and I’m all smiles right now. If you have any questions feel free to comment below or email us and we’ll respond straight away! Anyway, enjoy the read! MONDAY: Live Venipuncture Having practised venipuncture on prosthetic arms in last weeks clinical skills session and actually carrying out a real venipuncture on one of my closest (needle-phobic) friends, we were given another opportunity to carry it out on another person. I cannot lie and say this was not an extremely nerve-wracking experience but I can say it was such an amazing learning opportunity. For those who don’t know what exactly venipuncture is, it is the process of obtaining intravenous access for the purpose of intravenous therapy or for blood sampling of venous blood; so basically collecting blood for a blood test. As a second year medical student this is a big thing for us, you’re  piercing another persons vein with the real life risk of something going wrong. When I carried it out on my needle-phobic friend, I was surprised by my ability to stay calm and collected and go ahead smoothly with the procedure whilst she was squirming, almost in tears and holding the hand of our supervisor. Although I’m not sure what I would like to specialise in, I now know that A&E can potentially be added to my list. Case Based Learning Every Monday and second Friday 10 of us gather in a room to discuss a particular case; let me quickly explain the entire process to you. So we are first presented with a case scenario which is read aloud and we identify any unfamiliar terminology and define it, we then go through the case line by line picking out key clinical and social aspects (it is important to think holistically when thinking about patient decisions etc). We put this all on a whiteboard, linking them together and explaining what we know about each. During this process we are able to identify holes in our knowledge and come up with learning outcomes that each of us must look into and answer over the course of the week. These CBL sessions usually last 3 hours and each particular case lasts for 2 weeks. In the first session we are given the scenario and come up with learning outcomes. In the second session we share our findings and knowledge from the previous LO’s and are also given a reveal from which we establish another set of LO’s. In the final session, we share our knowledge from the previous LO’s and that’s it! TUESDAY Tutorial Tuesdays will either be great, or terrible, depending on your timetable. Unfortunately for me I was in the group that started at 8:30am, yes 8:30am! I had a 2 hour tutorial about Immunology which consisted of us researching and answering the questions we were given and presenting our answers to the rest of the group. Prior to the tutorial you are given a series of hard questions which you will be answering in the tutorial. You’re supposed to look over these questions in your own time and do the pre-reading they assign, this makes the actual tutorial session a lot easier. When the tutorial facilitator goes over the answers during the session it is at this stage you will realise that the questions were in fact very easy and you completely overthought all of them. Make sure you do the work beforehand. Debate We then had a debate about ‘The Use of Paracetamol as an anti-pyretic in children’ and also about ‘Whether vaccinations should be compulsory’. It was a very heated debate but we managed to reach a conclusion eventually. Initially, I questioned the usefulness of such a session as it was almost 2 hours long but I soon began to realise the importance of understanding possible arguments patients might present to you in the future and how necessary it is for you to be fully aware of this. WEDNESDAY Lectures I had three lectures in the morning, 9-12. Nothing special but it was a half day giving me time to go to the library and study for my upcoming exams. THURSDAY Violence & Aggression Workshop As medical students we are potentially at risk of violence just as much as other medical professionals. This was a session where we were taught manoeuvres to help us in violent situations. We learnt how to recognise warning signs, to calm potentially violent patients and manage difficult situations as well as to intervene safely when violence happens. The number of reported assaults against NHS staff has increased by 8 per cent from 63,199 in 2012/13 to 68,683 in 2013/14.  The majority of these – 69% – occurred in mental health or learning disability settings. Genetic Counselling Tutorial This session was incredibly emotional, we watched videos about the impact of genetic disorders on children and discussed the difficulties of genetic counselling. As medical students it is so important to consider what families and patients go through when faced with tough decisions and it is vital to always be empathetic. FRIDAY CBL As it was the final session for this particular case we shared our findings and knowledge and that concluded the case. We also always have cake in our case sessions, to be honest that’s what most of us look forward to the most. Case Wrap Up In the case wrap up the whole year gathers in the lecture theatre, during this time we are given the opportunity to ask any questions we may have and also we are presented with Single Best Answer questions on that particular case so that we get a taste of the type of questions we will receive in our exams. Our case was on ‘Infectious Diseases’ and ironically 2 people in my year group came down with Mumps, so we got the opportunity to ask them questions. P.S. I hope you’ve had your MMR vaccines! SATURDAY ACMA Launch I attended the African Caribbean Medical Association UK Launch Conference in Cardiff and it was amazing to say the least. Upon our arrival we were greeted with refreshments and the opportunity to mingle with various medical students and medical professionals. The welcome address explained what lead to the creation of such an association, as the founders shared how they bonded over trials they faced half way through medical school and the desire to prevent such challenging times from arising again. We were then spoken to by Yvonne Coghill. Ms Yvonne Coghill is a qualified nurse who has played a key role in promoting race equality in the NHS. Yvonne is currently the Director – WRES Implementation in NHS England, and is a member of the equality and diversity council at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in the United States where she has helped develop their inclusion strategy, delivered workshops and was co-chair at their national forum in Orlando 2015. In 2013 Yvonne 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 BME pioneers, two years in a row. Yvonne was awarded an OBE for services to healthcare in 2010. She spoke on the topic of Race Equality in the NHS and it was incredibly enlightening. Yvonne presented some very astonishing statistics, particularly about the contribution of BME staff to the NHS. With 40% of hospital doctors from BME backgrounds, why are so few attaining the top jobs? Healthcare professionals from BME backgrounds are more likely to be performance managed and over their careers will be paid less and afforded fewer opportunities than their white counterparts. Alot of organisations are resitant to recognising that there is a problem with Institutional Racism and so we need Senior Leaders to get it and understand the possible consequences and implications if there isn’t a resolution. It’s about equity, not equality – Yvonne Coghill OBE BME healthcare professionals are subject to micro assaults and stressors, e.g: being the only BME person in the room not being able to readily get the products for your hair and skin not seeing many people that look like you in high places feeling ‘other’ as your cultural norms are different receiving a reduced service in healthcare and in society generally knowing that you have to be twice as good to go half as far your children are more likely to be stopped by police people not believing your lived experience Our shared experiences are the reasons why it is incredibly important to have a support network with your best interests at heart. In the workshops we discussed barriers to success that we face as black people such as: lack of confidence and support, institutional racism, negativity and the fear of other people’s perceptions of you. Through this we established how important it is to read, understand and know our history as black people; what lead to the position we are in today and why we are where we are as a people. It doesn’t matter the mud that you stand in now so long you are walking to the top of the hill – African Proverb The entire event was great from start to finish and so I urge you to get involved! The change will not be immediate – it’s a marathon not a sprint. ACMA The African Caribbean Medics Association (ACMA) is a newly founded organisation that aims to inspire and equip Afro-Caribbean students to pursue careers in the field of medicine and healthcare as well as to provide a platform that facilitates networking and encourages medical students and doctors to accomplish their career aspirations. ACMA also aims to achieve an increased presence of Afro-Caribbean’s at every level in medical schools within the health profession. The objective of the Afro-Caribbean Medics Association are to promote good race relations and equality of opportunity within medical schools and the health profession in England and Wales as well as the wider community. INSPIRE – To inspire and equip Afro-Caribbean students to pursue careers in the field of medicine and healthcare. ASPIRE – To provide a platform that facilitates networking and encourages medical students and doctors to accomplish their career aspirations ACHIEVE – To achieve an increased presence of Afro-Caribbean’s at every level in medical schools and within the heath profession Check out a blog post written by one of their founders here: Duty of Care: the network supporting black medics and doctors Follow ACMA on their Instagram: @acma_uk or email them: acmassociation@outlook.com

So we’ve recently been asked about our tips for learning anatomy and we’re more than happy to share. Anatomy relies on memory so it is important to find techniques that make learning a bit easier. Physically perform the actions as you study. This gives you a sense of how they feel in person and you’re likely to remember it. Use flash cards – Greys Anatomy or Netter’s flashcard Make your own cue cards detailing the origins, insertions, blood supply and innervation’s with your own drawings and diagrams. The process of making our own helps to consolidate your knowledge. Think clinically about how damage to nerves or blood supply will affect actions and other clinical scenarios (Moore’s blue boxes). Medicine is basically the application of science to humanity, so thinking clinically helps you understand how anatomy fits into practise. Test yourself regularly. Find various ways of testing yourself because a lot of the time it’s easy to just memorise answers from flash cards. There are so many online free quizzes so check them For useful Resources check out: Ken Hub, Aclands, TeachMeAnatomy & AnatomyZone Watch videos! YouTube videos are short and sweet and straight to the point. Get creative. For example use one of your friends as a mannequin and use post it notes to label muscles (actions, innervations and blood supply). Start early and learn as you go.  It’s never too late to catch up if you feel behind, starting from somewhere is better than nothing. Repetition is a form of consolidation so repeat, repeat, repeat! Make clear notes to refer back to easily.  Instead of looking through pages of numerous textbooks, create a set of revision notes that are easy to refer to. Study with friends. Sometimes recieving information from your friends is easier to take in than receiving information from your lecturer. Also you can test each other and find cool ways of remembering things together. For example: me and my friends learnt a cranial nerves song on YouTube and till this day we can never forget. Feel free to comment below useful ways of how you learn anatomy.