There is a funny thing about medical school. Whoever you meet, whatever the background, most of us have had a similar run prior to starting off. We were one of the brightest among our peers, if not the brightest; at primary school, secondary school. We aced our GCSEs. We got the spotless grades we needed to at A-level, and even if we didn’t our grades at A-level were better than the vast majority of the general college population in that year. In medical school, we are all high achievers. Gifted and talented. The best of the best. The cream of the crop… …except there’s now a new realisation. When you get 200, 300, 500 people who have all been ‘the best of the best’ throughout their lives, a new hierarchy must be formed. A new performance table. And this is where the shock comes in…because for a lot of medical students, they’re going to experience something they may not have experienced before. Being less than ideal.  Being ‘mediocre’. Or even for the first time in one’s life, finding yourself pulling up at the rear of the cohort. I’d love to be able to say that I bounced into medical school feeling like a Marvel superhero and thundered through those years like a boss. I did, initially. But I descended quickly into anxiety. I became incredibly self-aware. I was the only black person in my graduate-entry cohort – how could one not be self-aware? Many had a private school education. Many had countless accomplishments. And then the first batch of exams happened. All of a sudden, for the first time in my life, I wasn’t top of the class anymore. It was sobering. It was different. And just like shadows, when that darkness descends your mind can begin to play tricks on you and make you perceive things which are not real or true… I began to question myself. A lot. Do I know anything? Did I deserve to be here in medical school? Why did I decide to do medicine again? Gosh, someone’s made a mistake somewhere. Am I here just to fill an ‘equal opportunities’ quota? All sorts of madness! You begin to feel that if you are thinking those things, then it’s likely that everybody else is thinking them too…  Its difficult to fight past that feeling when you look around your class and don’t see people that look like you, don’t share your background, your formative experiences, your hobbies and interests. It only enhances your feelings that you are an anomaly. Not belonging. Lost. During medical school, as we navigate the copious reams of knowledge we are expected to absorb and begin to develop numerous new clinical skills, we may experience some of the thoughts and feelings I’ve just described, which have been colloquially been called ‘impostor syndrome’. ‘Imposter syndrome’ is the fear of not belonging in a cohort, the fear of being exposed as a fraud as expectations and responsibility increase. It’s important to remember that from the moment we enter medical school, our careers involve making incremental progress toward competence and mastery. We should recognize and celebrate our progress along the way rather than focusing on our perceived shortcomings. However, for medical students of African-Caribbean descent who are already part of the ‘ethnic minority’ in Western society, it can be easy to come to a place where you get that additional sense of not belonging. It is already well-noted that there are low-numbers of African-Caribbean students in medical education, which also presents in medical training. And while we all may have a measure of confidence and self-assuredness, there will come times where we feel isolated and doubt ourselves – and this feeling can be enhanced by our observations. If you are fortunate to have not experienced Impostor Syndrome yet, I doff my hat to you. But pick up any medical school/junior doctor memoir or visit any medical student/junior doctor blog and in most you will find somewhere that the theme of not-belonging is a common trait which can present at any new stage of our careers. It can persist during your studies. It can crop up when you’re struggling to site those cannulas in your first weeks as a FY1, or when you can’t seem to get the hand of that procedure your clinical supervisor made out was ‘easy’. Impostor Syndrome is a deception, a trick of our minds – for when we do have those doubts about ourselves, many of those we see around us in medical school and in training feel exactly the way we do. ‘Imposter Syndrome’ is a common phenomenon. But it should not be confused with humility. It only hinders progress, stunts growth and stops you from becoming the awesome doctor you are supposed to be! It causes many doctors to flail helplessly under perceived glass ceilings which they could easily break if only they believed in themselves more. I definitely struggled with feeling like an imposter for much of my time in medical school, which was hilarious given I had fought so hard to get there. I began to become a self-fulfilling prophecy – my work-ethic dipped, I struggled to retain information. Riddled with doubts and anxiety, exam performance took a dive and assessments even more so. I did begin to believe in myself more heading into my final years. To be honest I didn’t have a choice! But the surge of confidence, and an increased sense of being deserving of my place in medical school translated into a big bounce in performance. I aced my final exams. And I’ve never looked back. I’m regularly rated extremely highly in my clinical assessments and ARCP. I feel great. Five years into working as a doctor, I still feel like I deserve to be in this career. But occasionally, very occasionally now, that little gremlin creeps back into my psyche. It’s important to understand that there are no imposters among us. We all deserve to be where we are because we have fought for the right to take a seat at the table. There wasn’t a mistake at interview, or a mix-up in BMAT/UKCAT scoring! And this is why ventures like Melanin Medics are important – so we can read more stories about real people and their real experiences in the medical school machine. So we can bare ourselves and bring our difficulties to light, to encourage each other that no problem is new and no issue is insurmountable. So we can tap into a resource of mentors and have a safe space where we can explore our insecurities and our doubts. If you’re struggling with impostor syndrome, take a step back and apply some perspective on things. Find someone you trust to talk to about how you feel and how you are thinking about yourself. Talk to a senior in your clinical team or a senior student, someone who may have been in your position once upon a time and could relate. And break the cycle! I’ll end this with my favourite quote from Marianne Williamson. It’s a quote I wish I had come across earlier in my medical school career, and I hope it helps you, the reader, wherever you are in your education and training, to become more confident in your intelligence, your skill: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Remember this quote the next time that little gremlin creeps into your mind and lies to you that you are an impostor and kick it back into oblivion. Don’t allow impostor syndrome to cause you to dim your light. You deserve to be a burgeoning medic – you are definitely not an impostor. So dust yourself down and get back to doing your best! Written by Dr Jermaine Bamfo

The medical elective may be the most anticipated part of any medical student’s university experience and can certainly be one of the best parts of medical school. However, electives don’t just happen overnight, careful planning is needed to ensure everything goes smoothly and that you have the best time possible. What is an elective? An elective is an opportunity for medical students to spend some time observing medicine in another environment, whether this be abroad or in the UK. They are usually undertaken in the penultimate or final year of medical school, and can be up to 8 weeks long. Why go? It is a good opportunity to show commitment to your favourite speciality and to witness how it is practiced in different parts of the world. You can also use it as an opportunity to explore different areas of interest or gain experience in a field you haven’t yet been exposed to. Where? For your elective you’re able to stay in the UK or go anywhere in the world (within reason of course) and some universities even allow you to split your time between the UK and another country, so check with your university about the various options. PLANNING YOUR ELECTIVE Things to consider First you need to think about where you want to go and what type of elective you want. Are you the adventurous type who wants to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in your spare time? Or would you prefer to spend every afternoon lying on a beach in Barbados? Consider what you want to get out of your elective and how much work you want to do. Some hospitals are more lenient than others when it comes to elective students, whilst some are happy for you to take half days, some expect you in from 9-5 every day. As well as what you want, it is important to consider what your university requires from you. Some expect only a reflective essay when you return, whereas others are looking for you to complete a research project. Try and find the best place that will help you achieve your aims, as well as the universities. Online websites such as The Electives Network are extremely helpful when it comes to picking a destination. It provides hospital profiles for a wide range of different countries with contact details and reviews from past students. It’s also a good idea to speak with any older students about their elective experience and where they would recommend you visit. Applications If you’ve been thinking about your elective for a while and know exactly where you want to go contact the hospital as soon as possible to ensure you don’t miss any application deadlines. Some countries e.g. Australia and Canada require applications to be completed 12-18 months in advance, so if you’ve got your eyes set on Bondi beach, make sure you get your application in early. Some hospitals only require an email however some applications can be extensive and require application forms, approval from the Dean and even CV’s. Funding Medical school can be expensive and by your final year, funds might be a little dry. The obvious solution to this would of course to start saving early, but this is not always possible. It is also important to be wary that some hospitals charge a fee for undertaking your elective with them so always read the fine print. Before you go, think about your budget and work out a rough estimation of the total cost of the elective. I find its best to overestimate how much you’ll need so that you won’t come up short in case of an emergency. If your savings account is looking a bit empty, other options include fundraising, bursaries and grants. Find out if your university offers any assistance or contact external organisations. If the idea of going abroad makes your bank account cry with despair, don’t worry. There’s always the option of undertaking your elective in the UK. This will save you a lot of money and is a chance to check out a different hospital in the UK and perhaps give you an idea of where you might like to work after graduation. Who to travel with Another thing to consider is who you want to go with. You could be spending up to 8 weeks with them in a foreign country so choose wisely! Going as a group is always fun and can be a safer option but that’s not to say you can’t go on your own. Travelling alone is always an exciting challenge and can teach you a lot about yourself. It also forces you to step out of your comfort zone and get to know local students. Having been on my elective for 3 weeks, I can definitely say that the locals are the ones to make friends with! Not only are they super friendly, they can recommend the best places for food, entertainment and any other bits and pieces you may need. Boring, but essential The best parts of planning an elective are definitely choosing your destination, planning excursions and buying clothes. However, there’s a lot of boring but important things you need to organise, and its best to do them early so you’re not scrambling around at the last minute – trust me I’ve been there and it’s not fun. Ensure you have travel insurance and medical indemnity. Some universities provide their own elective travel insurance, but it doesn’t cover everything so it’s a good idea to get your own. Websites like Compare the Market are great at helping you choose the perfect package for you at the best price. If you’re a member of the MDU you get free medical indemnity, just ensure you print off the certificate and bring it with you. In addition, make sure you are up to date with all your immunisations and ensure you receive any immunisation you might need. Most students will say that your elective is the best part of medical school and I completely agree! It gives you the opportunity to experience another culture and gain clinical knowledge of unfamiliar conditions, and learn about the management of common conditions in different parts of the world. Wherever you go, just remember that you might never get this opportunity again so make the most of it! Written By Ife Akano-Williams

Melanin Medics is 1 years old! Can you believe it! Time really does fly when you’re doing what you love. I’m incredibly excited to write this blog post as we reach our 1 year mile stone. A year ago, I would never have imagined that we would have reached such amazing heights in the short space of a year. Witnessing the growth of this amazing platform has been such a grateful privilege and we can only hope that the next few years see much more than this. In this post we wanted to share out achievements in the past year; from beginning just as a blog to becoming a fully fledged organisation, we are very grateful for the support we have received and for the opportunity to impact those around us. So sit back and enjoy the read! Rumour has it that there’s an exciting announcement at the end of this post! After running Melanin Medics by myself for 8 months I decided it was time to expand in order to further meet our objectives and establish us as an organisation. Now we have an amazing team of 15 passionate African-Caribbean Medical Students and Doctors from all around the UK. We held our 1st ever event in Manchester on the 23rd of June for prospective African-Caribbean medical students with the University of Manchester African-Caribbean Medics Society. This event was a great success and we are very grateful to whole who came and to the doctors and medical student volunteers. The Melanin Medics blog has become a popular resource and has been viewed almost 20000 times in the past year in over 90 different countries! We now have a team of writers, who all bring their own unique spin on writing and we hope you have enjoyed reading these posts just as much as we have enjoyed writing them. If you are interesting in writing blog posts for the blog, contact us: melaninmedics@gmail.com Our Social Media pages collectively have amassed over a 1500 followers and features things like ‘A Day in the Life Of…’, Medical MCQ’s, Question of the Week, Giveaways, Advice and Motivation. If you’re not following us already then what are you waiting for? Give us a quick follow: @melaninmedics (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & LinkedIn). As the deadline for Medicine Applications drew nearer in the months of September and October, I took a decision in the spur of the moment to review personal statements of prospective African-Caribbean Medicine applicants for free. This was an incredibly daunting decision and we received far more personal statements than pre-anticipated but I am so grateful we did it. It was truly a success as a number of those we have helped have gone onto receive offers from Universities such as Cambridge and Nottingham to study Medicine. We were also incredibly pleased to have received an esteemed recognition from the British Medical Association (BMA). Furthermore, we received an additional mention from the BMA in a “Consultation response: A draft health care workforce strategy” article under section five. which recognised our efforts in widening participation of communities amongst others. We’re thrilled to be represented on the panel at the ‘Creating a turning Point on Race Equality in Medicine‘ BMA Summit this July. We have successfully established a Mentorship Programme for prospective African-Caribbean Medical students which launched in April and we now have over 70 mentees and mentors participating in this programme. We look forward to sharing the progress and success stories with you with regards to their participation of this programme. Since the beginning of March of 2018 we commenced our “Widening access to Medicine” School Outreach initiative. Our team have contacted schools within the community in order to engage with students of African-Caribbean descent and to expand their knowledge on pursuing Medicine. At the start of March 2018, we also launched the Doctor’s Network. We are amazed to announce that we have over 60 African-Caribbean Medical Doctors as part of our Network. We highly appreciate you for your support and hope to continue to expand upon our connections. Through the Doctor’s Network we have been able to facilitate work experience opportunities for prospective Medical Students and connect Medical Students with Doctors according to their speciality of interest. Also we hope to establish a platform where Medical Doctors can easily network and offer methods of support for one another as they please. Which brings us onto our exciting announcement… *Drum Roll* Our Next Event! Click here for more information So if you’ve made it this far to the end of this post, I would just like to say a huge thank you! Thank you for sticking by us and supporting this platform, we are incredibly grateful and wish you all the best in the future. We have some more exciting things on the horizon which we look forward to sharing them with you, so stay tuned! Written by Olamide Dada

Intercalating is a great opportunity for medical students to study a degree in which they are interested in. It’s a chance to pursue another degree that is related to or not related to the medical field. It can open doors into the research world and offer additional FPAS points (Points used to rank all medical students). However during the time taken out, it is important to also take time out to revise the medical knowledge you have learned over your years at medical school. It can be easy for intercalating students to see the year as a “break form medicine” especially if the chosen degree allows you to have much more free time compared to the medical course. However, it is very easy for students to forget what they have learnt during their previous years especially if their revision methods were based solely on memorising what is needed for the exam rather than understanding the topic and therefore without continuous repetition that retained information can be forgotten. Looking back at my intercalated year, I realise now how important it is to keep up with your medical studies at the same time and wish that I would have spent more time going over my medical notes to ensure that I would not be too behind when I joined the medical course again. So, to make sure you don’t make the same mistake, here are 4 tips to help you efficiently revise your medical knowledge while intercalating. Schedule a time for revision Remember your chosen intercalated degree comes first, so plan to revise when you have no exams or stressful periods e.g. during writing your dissertation. Taking time out a few hours one day a week or every other week is a good start. Remember that your aim is to only refresh your memory as you go along. 2. Choose how to best revise An easy revision method would best for example going over previous notes or flashcards you’ve made or simply reading through textbooks or the oxford handbook of clinical medicine. This allows you to quickly and efficiently revise topics. Don’t stress yourself with a heavy workload, small chunks of information every so often will be fine. 3. Test yourself Using sites such a passmedince.com can be really useful in determining what you know and don’t know. You can also make your own questions/flashcards to test yourself with using sites like quizlet.com. PassMed is especially useful because when you get a question wrong, it provides information alongside the right answer. Repeatedly going over this will help you to retain the information. 4. Be organised Having a good standard of organisation is incredibly important and will help you to plan out your work so it does not become stressful. Making lists or creating a timetable can be helpful when checking what topics/modules you’ve covered. If you find your chosen intercalated degree is very demanding, it is more important to focus on achieving your desired results. Revision before you jump back into medicine can always be done over summer as well. My university allows students to intercalate between years 2/3, 3/4 and 4/5 which means all intercalated students will be returning to a clinical based year making it especially important to keep up with our medical knowledge. Going straight onto wards after a year out can be daunting but as long as some preparation has been done beforehand you should be fine. Revising clinical skills is also important because you may be called upon to perform any examination regardless of what ward/rotations you are based in first. Forgetting what to do in front of consultants and colleagues is a situation I’m sure we all want to avoid if we can! The take home point is to enjoy your intercalated year! There are endless opportunities available to you. However, make sure you keep revising over your medical notes, so you have the best start when you return to complete your medical degree! Written by Racheal Osei

As part of our plans to expand this year, we have decided to share the stories of many Melanin Medics (both doctors and medical students). We believe that it is very important to show that our journeys to Medicine may differ greatly but ultimately the destination remains the same. Through out the year we will be interviewing various Melanin Medics at different stages in their training/ careers, giving them the opportunity to share their personal stories of the steps they took to excel in their careers and get to where they are today. Medicine is without a doubt a time consuming career and continues in this way right up until you stop practising. With that being said it is very important to ensure that Medicine isn’t all that defines you. Right from the medical school application stage, being an all rounded person is a quality that is constantly reinforced and making sure that you are able to manage your time effectively and make time to the things you enjoy is equally as important. There are so many opportunities in medical school to pursue your interests alongside your studies! The things you can do to define yourself as being more than just a medical student or doctor are limitless e.g. start or join a society, volunteer for a charity, set up your own social action initiative, take part in courses, be a creative (e.g. youtuber), be a mentor and much more. We had the privilege of being able to interview Kwarteng Sarfo, a medical student at Imperial College London, with dreams of becoming a vascular or GIT surgeon or consultant Endocrinologist in the future. Furthermore he has a great interest in technology and wishes to amalgamate his medical career and love for technology in the future. Social mobility, university access and empowerment of young individuals, is a subject close to home for Kwarteng and in the near future he hopes to set up an organisation that tackles these subjects. MM: WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF YOUR MEDICAL STUDIES? KS: Variety of things. Currently teaching myself video editing. Hoping to learn full stack development at some point and also eventually teach myself guitar. At the moment, I am learning Italian. Previous things include; General officer for logistics and marketing Tutor Amos Bursary Scholar Playwright President of ACS Caterer Peru volunteer Event planner Powerlist foundation Deloitte Leadership programme delegate Social media officer for UGCY Sports officer for ACS IT officer for ACS Target Oxbridge E-mentor Imperial E-mentor Research Analyst intern for NYU MM: HOW DID YOU GET THESE OPPORTUNITIES? WAS IT EASY FOR YOU TO GET THESE OPPORTUNITIES? KS: Getting these opportunities is achievable through the combination of who you know and what is available. Attending a university such as Imperial is extremely advantageous when it comes to opportunities as not only does it have a pool of talented students moreover the university has excess to things like Lynda which is a platform, free of charge to imperial students, that I can use to teach myself full stack web development and video editing for example. In addition to this, I believe networking and building opportunity with other individuals really does help open you up to different aspects of life. This is very important especially when Imperial is a STEM related university as you can meet people from the humanities or graphics department or even those who have a love for music and sports MM: HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE COMMITMENTS OF STUDYING A MEDICAL DEGREE WITH EVERYTHING ELSE? KS: Balancing is very difficult and usually something is sacrificed. When it comes to carrying out extracurricular stuff you really need to be aware of 2 things: 1. Why do you want to do those activities? (is it to build the skill, have another source of income or is it something you enjoy doing?) 2. Don’t stretch yourself thin (don’t take too many things on at one time because they become difficult to maintain all together) All in all it is possible but I will be real with you it is very difficult. I tried various activities outside my degree, I had little time for my actual degree and so that suffered however I was reassured because my original goal isn’t to win all the prizes in medical school and get a 1st (although it will be nice) – I truly want to develop as an individual and I believe these extracurricular activities will teach me that. A few practical tips would be timetabling, so being able to arrange your time effectively and also the skill of prioritising work load. MM: WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO BE MORE THAN JUST A MEDIC? KS: Being a medic to me at times can be boring and honestly keeps you narrow minded. By carrying out different activities you build your character and at times you can even have a more meaningful discussion with your patients because all you know is not medicine. Moreover, it also allows me to bring more to the table in terms of knowledge, understanding and ideas for a problem than a medic would. MM: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE RECENT PUSH FOR MEDICS TO DO MORE OUTSIDE OF MEDICINE? KS: I think it is needed in order for medics to feel they have accomplished more in their lives, however I believe there needs to be a balance between that and medicine itself because the primary role a medic plays in society is that of a doctor so indulge in other activities but remember your first love I would say and make sure you’re up to date with that. MM: WHAT SKILLS HAVE YOU LEARNT THAT COULD BE TRANSFERRED TO MEDICINE/YOUR MEDICAL CAREER? Patience Commitment Being able to delegate Networking Communication Technological knowledge MM: WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO BE MORE THAN JUST A MEDIC? KS: Ask yourself the following questions: Why do you want to do these activities? Do you want to win all the prizes in medical school and get a 1st? Do you have the time management to balance the two? What are we made of? Some would say the very best healthcare professionals. Others would say our excellence and ability to create new treatments and technologies. And while that’s all true, we are more. We are made of a belief that care should never be delivered without compassion. That treating patients is our job but treating people is our difference. That’s what we’re made of. If you enjoyed reading this blog post, please share and follow our blog! Would you like to share your Journey to Medicine on the Melanin Medics blog? We would love to hear from you. Please get in touch – melaninmedics@gmail.com Interviewed by Nadia Ibrahim

July 2017. I graduated from Manchester University. My family were so proud. I had an influx of messages of congratulations. There was an air of achievement amongst me and my colleagues. Finally, I had achieved that which many said I could not. I had that precious piece of paper that confirmed that I now was, Dr McIntosh.  I celebrated, deservingly with my family and loved ones in a bliss air of ignorance of the reality that in a few weeks’ time, I was THE Doctor. The one responsible for the health of many individuals. The person that other medical professionals would look towards for guidance. The first point of call when someone was ill. Everything I had worked for had emerged in one overawing day of reflection. I am now nearing the end of F1, and I am going to share with you my reflections on becoming a doctor and my personal tips to try and help you transition as smoothly as possible. First and foremost, when you do graduate or confirm that you’ve passed all your exams, be sure to celebrate! It has been your main goal and you have dedicated a significant proportion of your valuable time, focus and energy towards it. Enjoy those months where you are not working but you are no longer a student. Whilst it is brief, I believe it serves a significant purpose; to recharge, reflect and to enjoy all you have achieved. Spend time with your family, travel, read (something non-medical!), do something you have never done before. Make good habits! This is the time as all those things become much more difficult once you are working! The weeks leading up to your first day involve the compulsory shadowing and the orientations, meeting your supervisors, induction days, IT support days, important local protocols, presentations on key things to be a safe doctor, prescribing advice, microbiology and biochemistry talks; basically, it is a whistle stop tour of everything you need to know to be a successful F1. I remember clearly my first day. I remember not remembering most of what I had been told in the weeks prior, and anything I did remember I did not trust I had remembered it correctly! I spent the day like a young baby; struggling to stand on my own feet whilst attempting to absorb as much knowledge as I could from those around me to survive this hectic environment. Sick patients clearly took no notice of the fact this was my first day on the job and selfishly expected me to act like a competent doctor. Solve all their problems. Stop their pain, their sickness and make decisions on whether they were well enough to go home. The nurses expected the same. They never broke stride. As far as they were concerned you have done 6 years at university, you have your piece of paper, you are the same as the doctor working here yesterday aren’t you? If you knew me personally, you would know that I am a confident, loud, some would say eccentric type of character who rides boastfully into the face of adversity. Or so I thought. This was a stretch even for me. I looked around confused and with what probably came across as sheer panic the first time I was asked to prescribe medication for a patient. That signature now came with authority and instruction. It is terrifying when you give your advice and ‘make a decision’ and the nurse turns to you and says, “what’s your name sorry”? To my dismay she followed that with “It’s just for my documentation”! How naïve of me to think she was just being friendly! If I could return to my old self I would remind myself of two key things: You are not the primary decision maker for any patient Every other F1 no matter how smart, relaxed they may seem, is just as wide eyed and nervous as you are This process repeats at each stage of advancement in medicine. A new level of responsibility comes with a new fear of failure or inadequacy. So here is my advice for getting through and coping with that new title of Doctor: Be aware of your own character Do not compare yourself to anyone else. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses including yourself. Be aware of your own rather than other peoples and you will achieve far better results ABCDE and SBAR Learn it, practise it. Get good at it. In any situation this is your bread and butter. A patient with a simple fall, to a patient with an unrecordable BP. Structure keeps your mind focused in these stressful times. Go through each section and correct what you can. Escalate – once you have screened a patient and you have done the urgent things, whether these interventions are successful or not. Escalate. Get support. If you cannot leave the patient, ask a nurse or another member of staff to get it for you. You are part of a team! It is not your job to make decisions for patients. Where you are confident, exercise your knowledge and experience but do not be afraid to ask for help or just to check you are doing the right thing. Get your seniors mobile numbers (consultant as well) to discuss your patients regularly! Utilise specialist support – dieticians, physios, occupational therapy, mental health teams. They are all there for support. Use them! Be organised Make a jobs list everyday and manage your time effectively. Scrutinize the urgent against the non-urgent and work accordingly. Take as long as you need The fast and furious nature of a ward round can be daunting. Make sure to document correctly and make a note of jobs you need to do. Even if the consultant is bothering you to hurry up. It is better to be safe than sorry. Being shouted at for being slow is better than missing something of vital importance. Ask and ask again The only silly question is the one never asked! Swallow your pride and ask a question. The more you ask the more you learn. Do not be afraid to say you don’t know. Seniors love to teach and take people under their wing! Even if they get upset, at least you now know the answer! Secondly, if your unsure something is being done in the right way question your colleagues, even senior ones and remind them of important facts. They are also human and rely on you for key parts of information. It is a good learning opportunity too! Put Yourself first After finish time, if no-one is acutely ill – GO HOME! Handover jobs that need to be handed over and go home. Your rest is important. Your life away from hospital is more important than that in it. Without that being maintained, your hospital life will suffer! If there are concerns raise them early with your supervisors. They get paid to help you so use them! In every aspect of life, there are different kinds of people including the kind that rub you the wrong way. The hospital is no different. Do not take things to heart. When people are horrible, it’s usually a reflection of themselves. There are ways to give feedback. Do not be afraid to speak to someone if you are being unfairly treated. Exception report – report the missed breaks, the late hours as that’s what the contract states. You will be liable if you work unsafe hours and do not report them! Push Yourself Whatever your passions/interests are get involved. Take on new roles. Volunteer to have difficult discussions. Do procedures. In the end you will have to do them so get an early start. Watch first then try! Enjoy it!! Medicine despite its negatives is a fun and rewarding profession! Make friends, smile and arrive at work with a positive attitude!! Medicine is an art. Its not a science as we were taught it. We make decisions based on best evidence, weighing the odds, and most importantly the patient before you, their wishes, their life now and what it could be like after any intervention. See the patient and not the numbers or results. As such, everyone will make mistakes. When that time comes, and you ask yourself could you have done more? Was it your fault? Remember you are part of a team and you make decisions together. There is support there. We do all we can based on the information we have. Inevitably we all must be wrong sometimes. You are human. There will be emotional moments both happy and sad. Honesty and emotion are key parts to a patient’s happiness. Be genuine. Your title does not change these things. Even a Doctor can be human. Written By Dr Jerome McIntosh

As part of our plans to expand this year, we have decided to share the stories of many Melanin Medics (both doctors and medical students). We believe that it is very important to show that our journeys to Medicine may differ greatly but ultimately the destination remains the same. Through out the year we will be interviewing various Melanin Medics at different stages in their training/ careers, giving them the opportunity to share their personal stories of the steps they took to excel in their careers and get to where they are today. We had the privilege of being able to interview not one but two doctors. Dr Dearie Okwu and Dr Sarah Sonde, who have recently graduated with honors from Medical University Pleven in Bulgaria, shared their stories and personal experiences of their time in medical school with us. MM: I AM SURE YOU BOTH MUST HAVE ANSWERED THIS QUESTION A FEW TIMES, BUT WHY DID YOU WANT TO STUDY MEDICINE? DO:  I felt like (and still feel like) it’s one of the only professions where you have a chance to change lives intimately. Another factor was the fact that my parents wanted me to study medicine too. SS: I have just always wanted to study medicine, but I suppose it just got closer to home with my mum being a nurse and watching her. When we were growing up she was the only nurse in the neighbourhood, and people who weren’t feeling well would always come to our house, and she would treat them. It was amazing because someone’s child would be sick and would come to her, and then the next day we would be playing together! So at that time it felt like she had super powers, and I wanted one too. We also cared for my granddad, so I think that also played a role. MM: I KNOW THAT YOU BOTH COMPLETED DEGREES PRIOR TO STUDYING MEDICINE, SO COULD YOU TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY TO STUDYING MEDICINE IN BULGARIA? SS: I was interested in medicine as a young person as we mentioned before, so right off the bat I knew that I had to well in the sciences. I pursued them and did Physics, Chemistry and Biology as well as Maths for A Levels. But I didn’t get the grades that I needed, so decided to do Clinical Sciences at University. At that time, this was a course that had the option of transferring to Medicine after the first year; which I tried to do but wasn’t able to either, so I finished the degree. Even after this I still wanted to study medicine because the passion was still there. Many people told me to consider alternatives, and I did – I went to accounting and economics classes, but it just didn’t fit for me. So I decided to apply for postgraduate medicine in the UK, and at this point I had the required grades as I re did my GCSEs, and I also did the required activities again like volunteering. So I felt like I had everything that I needed, however I still didn’t get into medicine. After all of this I started to consider studying abroad, so I applied to study in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Spain. Bulgaria seemed like it was the quickest and cheapest option and also it was part of the EU, so here I am! DO: So for me, I was actually interested in Law at one point! But after my first year of secondary school, my teachers felt like I was excelling more in the sciences rather than in other art and commercial courses, so I changed my route and focused on science. After high school I applied to study medicine and received an offer to study at Igbinedion University, Okada in Nigeria. However after the first year I didn’t pass chemistry, so it was either I dropped out or changed my course. The course options I had were Pharmacy, Biochemistry or Microbiology. Due the fact that I don’t like chemistry, I decided to study Microbiology and did it for four years. After I graduated I could either do my masters in Public Health because I wanted to stay in the medical sector, or apply to study medicine. My parents were the ones who were funding me and would only agree to fund my education if I was studying medicine, and I actually got an offer to study medicine in the Philippines. It would be a four-year course, which appealed to me, as I didn’t want to spend an additional six years studying. I was supposed to study there, however I couldn’t get a Visa. The admissions team offered to defer my admission for one year, but that would be another year that I wasn’t studying, so I decided to look at other places. I applied to Bulgaria and Romania as well as other places outside of Nigeria, as I wanted exposure to other health systems. I received admission to Bulgaria and here I am! MM: WHAT EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED IN OVER THE YEARS? SS: I think it was mostly travelling for the both of us! Some of our travels also included medical related trips too. I did a professional exchange in Brazil and was also able to do a bit a sightseeing in Rio which was fun. Also a lot of our activities outside of our studies were to do with our Christian Union, which started in 2015. It was one our main commitments as I was president of our CU for two years, which involved a lot of managerial and administrative activities. I also competed in 2 basketball tournaments which I enjoyed a lot. During my time I’ve also learnt how to sew which I really love. I really do feel like you have to have something else apart from studying. DO: I’ve been to Mexico twice. Both of us have been to different medical conferences in countries like Romania and Hungary. We’ve also visited places like Croatia, Rome, Vienna and Istanbul. I was the treasurer and secretary of our Christian Union. I also learnt how to do nails whilst I’ve been here and enjoy giving my friends manicures, and I enjoy painting too. I do agree with Sarah, as I feel like studying can take its toll on you at times. So I feel like you should find things to do that help you destress and decompress. MM: WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS? DO: So in order to keep things exciting and because I enjoy them, I plan on doing a double speciality as I want to both cardiology and pulmonology. Where I’m from we have a lot of heart issues in the population, so I have this in mind as I plan on going back and  working to help my community and country as a whole. At the moment I don’t know exactly where I will specialise, but I’m in the process of applying. My ultimate goal is to specialise in Australia, as I want to gain as much knowledge as I can and be able to have more to offer when I go back to Nigeria. SS: So my plan is to go back to the UK and specialise there. Obviously because I’m from the UK and have studied in the EU, it’s one of the easier routes possible. I’m aiming to go through the foundation programme and eventually specialise. My interest lies mainly in surgery, I’m not exactly sure what type of surgery as of now though and I think that’s okay! We don’t always need to have everything figured out all the time. MM: WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF STUDYING ABROAD? SO: So I think one of the pros would be meeting different kinds of people. Although you do meet international students in the UK too, I do think that the interactions you have here are a lot more diverse. I also definitely think experiencing the culture here in itself, opens your eyes to see how the world works in other places. I think another pro is that it’s one of the quicker options, if you decide to go abroad the moment you don’t get into medical school in your own country. I feel like this is especially important since medicine takes a while, so every moment counts. However I think differences in the economic standards of some countries abroad could be a con. For example certain medical procedures, which are routine in the UK (such as an arterial blood gas test) may not be so in the country you’re in. Therefore they will be more theoretical than practical for you. Another con would be that if you’re planning on going back to an English speaking country, most of your own patient contact will be in a completely different language. So in as much as you speak English, having to rewire your brain to have patient contact in English may take a lot of effort from your side. I found that the first time I had to communicate with a patient in English was quite different for me as I wasn’t too sure what to ask or how to start, as certain colloquialisms are lost for me in the hospital. A way to fix this con, would be to try to get clinical placements in your home country whenever you’re back, even if it’s as little as a week. In this way you won’t be at a disadvantage. I also feel like another con could be feeling less than psychologically. It seems as though a lot of countries outside of the Western world are seen as underdeveloped, this can lead people to assume that you may not know as much or may not be as exposed because you’ve studied there. Again this would be something you can work on, by exposing yourself more to other places if given the opportunity. The first time I did an internship in the UK, I really did feel intimidated by it all, since I was coming from Pleven. However I came to realise that when I was asked questions by the doctors I could answer them or demonstrate what was necessary, which made me feel better and much more confident. DO:  I think exposure is a big pro. So getting to see how medicine works in different parts of the world. I feel like this can make you more competent when attending to people later in life, like if you meet a patient from a different country, and doesn’t speak English very well,  you know how to approach them and can handle the situation more appropriately. I think it also teaches you patience. Another pro would be that I feel like you have a lot of patient contact here, and you’re given room to grow and practise in clinical settings maybe more than your home country. For example in my professional exchange in Mexico I was given the opportunity to stitch a patient after a procedure, whereas in my rotation in Nigeria I was the secondary help as I wasn’t qualified, so I wasn’t able to do anything like this. A con would be that I feel like what I learn here about certain diseases may not be as relevant back in Nigeria. So for example, common diseases we would see here about once a week in the hospitals, we may not see in a hospital in Nigeria for months. One would combat this by reading up on the specific demographic you’ll be working with. MM: WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR FUTURE AND CURRENT MEDICAL STUDENTS? BOTH: In our case we were able to find a family of Christians over here which made living and studying here easier. So you should try and find a group of like minded people, so you can have a support system outside of your family as it isn’t easy being far away from them, so if you do have this then it can make being away from home easier. Also you will definitely benefit from learning how to manage your time efficiently. For us – up until about fourth year every bit of our time was accounted for. Our timetables have varied over the years, so our first year and second year timetables had actual times on them, for example 9 am – 10 am we would be doing something. Gradually we got better at using our time effectively so we would have goals for the day and have a certain amount of work to have completed by the end of the day. But before it becomes natural to it would be a good idea to map your days and even your weeks out so you have an idea of what you’re doing. Another point would be, don’t be afraid to ask questions! Speak up when do you don’t understand something and try and have a cordial relationship with your lecturers and teachers so that they can be confident in the things you do know. Alternately, you should also be humble in learning, because when you’re too confident you end up not asking the questions that you should be asking. Finally, you should always be trying to eat and sleep properly when possible. Study hard, and realise that you’re also here to grow in every aspect of your life not just your knowledge, so try and do that and grow! Don’t just pass through the experience, let the experience pass through you. If you enjoyed reading this blog post, please share and follow our blog! Would you like to share your Journey to Medicine on the Melanin Medics blog? We would love to hear from you. Please get in touch – melaninmedics@gmail.com Interviewed by Jemima Soladoye

With 4 weeks left until my exams, I thought it would be relevant to talk about exam period, exam stress and how to cope with it all at medical school. Now, there may be tears but this is normal! I think sometimes we can be so harsh on ourselves, expecting to get every single thing done when in reality we are human beings not robots. Thinking like this meant that I had a “is this going to be in my exam” attitude towards learning rather than actually wanting to learn and understand the content to make me a better doctor in the future. Medicine and exams soon became a checklist rather than an actual degree that I was enjoying due to the pressure of deciles and doing well. This is normal because we genuinely do want to thrive but don’t let this be your main motivation. This is one way I began to minimise my exam stress and something I have to remind myself about on a daily basis. I tell myself I’m not studying for exams but I am studying to be a doctor, and an AMAZING doctor that is! This meant that I would be more willing to do that extra bit of reading, going into that little bit more depth to make sure I really had a good understanding of the topics. I changed my mind-set from what am I going to need to know for my exam to what am I going to need to know to treat this patient? This meant that I actually started enjoying revision, I started to see each lecture as a new opportunity to increase my learning so I started taking my time with revision rather than rushing it to get my to do list ticked off quicker. I would also say that organisation is incredibly important. I like to plan my weeks on a Sunday night using Microsoft Excel. I start by writing a list of all the lectures I need to do and then slotting them into different days. I’ll then add things like Anatomy revision, OSCE practice and recap sessions of topics I have already done around those slots. Finally, I will add time for me to go to the gym and church. The good thing about Excel is that you can move boxes around and edit the timetable as the week goes along because your week may not always go as you plan! It also allows me to visually see how much work I have for that week/day and this acts as motivation. Revising with/teaching people is also a good way to study, especially when the exams are getting closer and you should be at your consolidating stage of revision. I like to go through topics with friends (ensure this is actually studying and not just having a chat!) using whiteboards and making mind maps. I have also started giving revision lectures to the year below me which has massively aided them in their revision but also myself. As my exams are synoptic, material from last year can be tested in my exam this year, hence it was relevant to my learning. This Tuesday I gave a lecture on Kidneys and can still remember where all the different diuretics work at the tubule even though I have not looked at the material again since then. The stuff is ingrained in my memory! Finally, I want to explain the importance of maintaining a social life and taking care of yourself. Its so easy to lock yourself away and think you have no time for anyone or anything else than revision but there are 24 hours in a day! This is why I make time for gym everyday and church twice a week because I genuinely enjoy these things and we all need that break away from studying. It also reminds me that I have a whole life outside of Medical School. Yes, it is one of my biggest passions and I love the degree but it is not where my life starts and stops and I think finding this balance mentally is important as exams begin to stress you less. Find that little break every day, even if its just watching Netflix for an hour then do it – we all need time away from the books to just breathe and be human. Don’t feel guilty for going to watch a movie with your friends or having a lie in once in a while rather than shooting off to the library at 7am. Don’t neglect your own health, make sure you are eating nutritious food, I know it can be tempting to just get take away everyday which 1) will hurt your bank account but also 2) make you feel more sluggish thus making revision harder, SO EAT YOUR 5 A DAY, STAY HYDRATED, LOVE LIFE AND STUDY! MY GOLDEN RULE FOR EXAMS. Wishing everyone with upcoming exams the best. Written by Lizkerry Odeh

At the start of my journey to medical school, I felt like I had the whole world ahead of me – I had overcome all the difficult stages to finally earn my place in medical school. I was scared and excited, but I had a plan. Get in, complete those five years of university, two years of foundation training and then the world would literally be my oyster. I knew it would be difficult but it all felt so straightforward. So many people had done it before me, so of course I could do it too. Right? I was wrong. Everyone always tell you that medical school isn’t easy, no matter who you are, and they definitely do not lie. Some days the workload and demands of the course can seem overwhelming, but we as students always find a way to push through using the drive and motivation that got us here in the first place. But one day, I just couldn’t. Something didn’t feel right. There was something about the way I was feeling that felt different. They say to never forget why you chose to pursue medicine as a career, but for some reason, I could no longer remember. And this scared me. My drive vanished. My academics suffered. I no longer knew why I was doing what I was doing, and this made it even harder to keep going. Despite this, I kept it to myself. As medical students (and doctors), we often feel that we are not allowed to have problems because we are supposed to be treating the problems of others. I could relate to this way of thinking – how was I meant to support others in their difficulties if I could not even keep myself together. So I hid how I felt and watched what I felt was my life’s work disintegrate around me. One day, I couldn’t take it anymore. It was the beginning of my second term in my third year and I had had enough. I remember sitting on a bench outside the hospital, crying my eyes out while making difficult phone call to my university’s Wellbeing services that I had never wanted to make. This started me on a long path of appointments, difficult decision making and self-discovery. But I had asked for help, which is often the hardest part of the whole process. The feelings of loneliness and failure were no longer as frequently isolating. Despite all my struggles, a key lesson I have learned is to be able to recognise when something is not right. Burnout in students is so real and can have serious consequences if not spotted. Remember this – just because you want to help people does not mean you do not deserve to also receive help. You know yourself best, and it is not a sign of weakness to find things difficult. My journey in medicine has been so much more complex than I could share and has not followed the plan I made in the beginning. I am still coming to terms with the fact that things are so different. I am nowhere 100% back to my usual self, but I am making moves to get there. So my take home message is, be kind to yourself, get to know yourself and please try and recognise when things do not feel right. You deserve the life you have envisioned for yourself. While the road is not always easy, there will always be people along the way to make it a little easier. You just have to find them. Written by Ewaola Apooyin

With AS and A level exams approaching, the time has come to focus on revision and ace these upcoming exams! Having completed my A levels last year I understand how stressful this time can be so I have compiled the most useful tips that helped me in the weeks before my exams. 1. Grab a hold of the specification for each of your subjects The specification tells you exactly what you will be tested on and what examiners are looking for so be sure to use it! Always have it around whilst you revise and use it to clarify what you need and don’t need to know and use it as a checklist to tick off concepts that you understand and/or have memorise. 2. Understand the concepts Understanding is so crucial. Ensure to take the time out to understand the material within every topic that you must learn for your exams. With understanding, memorising becomes much more easier. You can be confident that have understood a concept or topic when you can explain it to someone and do so with ease. Try this out with friends or someone in your family! To go about understanding a concept I would start with a single topic for one subject and use multiple resources such as my exam boards endorsed textbook, the specification, my revision guide and other online resources to make my own short and concise notes. 3. Memorise definitions As tedious as this may seem, make a glossary for the key definitions for each subject. These are such easy marks to pick up in the exam so do not overlook this! 4. Memorise your notes by frequently testing your memory Continuously test yourself on what you have learned. Don’t fall into the habit of just reading your notes. You often find that after, you may not remember half of what you had just read. Instead use active recall to strengthen your memory on a particular topic. Active recall involves retrieving information that you have previously learned from your brain. There are a number of active recall strategies and you must find the one that is best for you. What worked for me was creating mind maps/spider diagrams with my textbook closed and my revision notes away after I had reviewed them for a particular topic. This would force me to retrieve facts from my memory. After, I compare what I wrote on the mind map to my notes and see what I had missing (what I had forgotten) and take extra time to memorise that specific section. I would continue this process until I was certain that I could recall all the concepts in that topic with ease! I would suggest after you finish revising a topic, do topic past paper questions on it to consolidate what you have learnt. A good website I used was http://www.physicsandmathstutor.com/past-papers/ This is a great way to find out the topics that you are weakest on. This means that you must take more time and effort to understand and then memorise the concepts. Continue to revisit the notes you have made or talk to your teachers. Repeat this process of memorising your notes and then using topic past papers until you have covered every topic for that subject. Once you are confident in your ability to recall the material and have completed topic past paper questions, the next step is to use full past papers. 5. Past papers Past papers are amazing because they give you an idea of what the real exam will be like. Please note that you CAN use past papers from the old specification to revise, although be sure to only answer questions suited to the new specification. Once you have learnt the material, doing past papers allow you to practice applying your knowledge and truly test your memory. Do as many as you can. You will often find a pattern over the years with the question style as examiners tend to repeat questions. The mark scheme is  so crucial – use it to find out how to phrase your answers to questions. I found many questions crop up again and again over the years so I made a small booklet of these questions and I used the mark scheme to create the “model answer” that they were looking for. Also, when you mark your paper, spend time reviewing your mistakes. Know why you were wrong and what you can do next time to avoid the same mistake. Lastly, do read the examiners report! These are very helpful as it tells you exactly what the examiners were looking for in the answer for a specific question. It also gives an insight into the common mistakes made by students which once you know, you can avoid! New specification My biggest advice for the new specification (A level/year 13 students) would be to revise both AS and A2 topics simultaneously. This is so key, especially for A-level chemistry. You find that many topics overlap and interweave. For example, when I would revise chemistry, I would focus a few days on physical chemistry and make sure I focus on topics from AS and A2 physical chemistry. I would do the same for inorganic and organic chemistry. With biology, you find that a number of AS concepts form the foundation of concepts seen at A2. Practical questions Paper 3 of biology and chemistry are heavily based on required practicals that have been done over the two years of your a-levels. The practicals are dependent on your exam board so be sure to check their website! With practicals, understand and memorise the technique you used and the process involved in carrying out that practical. Understand WHY you must carry it out in that particular way. Be familiar with the names of the equipment and what they look like. I found that watching youtube videos on the practicals really helped with this. In the exam I would picture the video I had watched or remember the practical from class. Youtube videos for practicals that I found very useful (AQA): Biology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dl_L6mPytI&list=PLsEnAD-2IndpSDiIPscoCNnfuj1ZXgDgN Chemistry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ck5JJwxXC4&list=PLayB-FDU4NRRbdUJJwcXcAqSZSbrPilK2 https://chemrevise.org/2017/04/21/aqa-paper-3/ To test yourself, do the old specification ISA questions (AQA unit 3 and unit 6 questions) Lastly, with the new spec, there is a huger emphasis placed on maths skills so do take the time out to brush up on your maths, especially if you do not do A level maths. Good luck! Resources Chemistry Phsyicsandmathstutor – http://www.physicsandmathstutor.com/past-papers/ Chemrevise – https://chemrevise.org/revision-guides/ A-level chemistry – http://www.a-levelchemistry.co.uk/ Biology VBiology – http://vbio.weebly.com/ Written By Sarah O’Connell

So I thought I’d share what I’ve found to be the key differences between studying in the UK vs studying abroad. Although I am a 2nd year medical student in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, I also studied in the UK for a year. OPEN DAYS/TASTER DAYS: Do your research for open days/taster days for your potential universities. These usually take place around April/May/June time period. These days are great opportunities for you to get an insight of what medicine is like, speak with current medical students and have a quick brief tour around the university campus or if you have spare time. In contrast, universities’ abroad do not to tend to offer open days to international (UK) students. However, you can always visit the country a year ahead or few months before applying. THE APPLICATION PROCESS: The method for applying for UK medical includes writing a personal statement through UCAS. In addition, you will need to sit an entrance test: BMAT or UKCAT depending on the medical school you are applying to. Similarly, in Bulgaria you need to sit an entrance but it is not an amplitude test, rather it based solemnly on Chemistry and Biology. In order to be accepted to study medicine you will need to pass with at least a 60% score (which is the standard pass rate for all medical exams in Plovdiv). ACCOMMODATION: In terms of accommodation, if you are accepted into a medical school that is different to your home town you can generally find recommended accommodation on the student room/the official university website or through researching it on google. This method is different in Bulgaria, the majority of accommodations are privately owned (1 or 2-bedroom apartments or studio flats). Therefore, you will have to arrange your accommodation through estate agents and landlords. This can be arranged through your agency or on Facebook. FINANCE: In regards to finance for studying in the UK you can apply for Student Finance to help fund your degree which the majority of university students do. However, in Plovdiv (as from 2016) you can no longer apply to banks for loans, so unfortunately you have to fund the degree independently, which is to be paid in 2 instalments over the academic year  (September and January). With that being said, studying medicine abroad is generally cheaper than studying in the UK. THE UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE: Many medical schools in the UK adapt the learning styles through case- based scenarios or PBL (Problem Based Learning) whereby you are presented with a case or topic in a small group and you have to research it, then present your findings. In contrast, in Bulgaria they adapt to a more traditional learning method which is based on lectures and practical laboratory sessions. In the UK the examination methods can be based on research projects, written assigned essays, coursework, presentations in addition to exams (which include OSCE’s). These all contribute towards to the final mark for the year. However, in Bulgaria, the examination methods are 100% based on exams sat in January and May/ June. Theses exams are usually divided into 3 parts: written MCQ’s, randomly selected essays titles from the syllabus and oral. The 1st and 2nd year in Bulgaria are more theoretically based which covers the following subjects: Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Medical physics, Biophysics, Histology, Physiology, Anatomy and Social sciences (such as Ethics and Psychology). In addition to these subjects you have compulsory language (Bulgarian) lessons at least 4 hours a week to help you prepare for the Clinical placements in the hospitals. These clinical placements are only introduced from 3rd year and above. Fortunately for me, whilst I was studying at university in the UK the library facilities operated on a 24/7 opening time. Contrastingly, my current university in Bulgaria is opened for a limited time during the weekdays (from 9am-8pm) and closes on the weekends. However, they are public library that open on the weekends. THE STUDENTS LIFE/SOCIAL LIFE: There are many societies that you can join at your university as part of the Student’s Union. At every university in the UK there is a Fresher’s fair where you will have an opportunity to sign up to these societies/clubs. These societies vary from university to university but this is the best way to socialise by meeting new friends, eventually allowing you to create a work-life balance. These societies are limited when studying abroad. Currently at my university in Bulgaria there are societies such as: International student’s association society, African-Caribbean Society (ACS), Somalian society, Nepalese society,  ISOC, Christian Union, Gospel Choir, Paintballing society, MSOM (medical students on a mission) and Eramsus. There are also opportunities’ to learn additional languages such as French and Spanish.  In addition, sport is a compulsory module in 1st year, which is scheduled in the timetable for 2 hours per week. This includes choosing one of the following sport activities: tennis, badminton, football, basketball, aerobics and swimming and the gym. MY TOP TIPS IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING TO STUDY ABROAD ARE: Do your research on the university: entry requirements, deadlines for application and entrance test etc Find an (reasonably priced) agency that can help you with the application process Join Facebook pages, in doing so you can form friendships online before you start university. This will therefore be one less problem that you won’t have to worry about when you arrive. Learn a few basic words/ phrases in advance from the country that you are planning to study in. This will help you settle in more easily. Good luck to all those who are currently preparing for the medicine application process! Written by Shona Manning, For any enquiries about studying abroad please contact me :     abroad.melaninmedics@gmail.com

My personal experience of undergoing a Research Exchange coordinated by the International Federation of Medical Students Associations. In this article I would be detailing my account of participating in a research exchange provided by my Medical Institution in Bulgaria and the International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA). Furthermore, I want to highlight the importance of continually adding value to your professional resume as a future Medic. It is a hectic experience collecting work experience for your Personal Statement as a prospective medical student, but the drive has to continue once in Medical School to attain more experience that will help to lay the foundation of your career. I hope that this may help someone, especially for those who study abroad and may find it a challenge seeking opportunities! WHAT IS THE ORGANIZATION ABOUT? 📷The International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) is a non governmental organization representing associations of medical students. It is a body of member organizations from 127 countries. The goal of the Federation is to serve society and medical students all over the world by providing Medical Education, facilitating Professional and Research exchanges and promoting humanitarian ideals and medical ethics amongst the medical community. WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH EXCHANGE CONSIST OF? The IFMSA Research Exchange is a research project that provided me with the opportunity to deepen my knowledge in Respiratory Medicine. My project was a laboratory research project entitled “Non-invasive Markers of airway inflammation in the assessment of the efficacy of pharmacological treatment in asthma”. In a nutshell, the project was looking at how effective drugs are in the treatment of Asthma for patients! The project was held in Italy at the University of Pisa for a month. I was assigned a mentor (a Biomedical Sciences Master graduate) who outlined the basic principles of research to ensure that I was not overwhelmed. Furthermore, by God’s grace I was blessed with the opportunity to undergo daily work experience shadowing a Respiratory Medical Doctor at the Government hospital in Pisa – Ospedale Santa Chiara. MY EXPERIENCE AND WHAT I DID. Each day at the laboratory was outlined for 9am-1pm Monday to Thursday. I assisted my mentor with her project which was coerced by the Government Hospital. The project was being managed by Respiratory consultants who wanted to improve medication for those who have Asthma.  This was done by analysing sputum samples (collected from patients who had respiratory disorders) under the microscope, and assessing the inflammatory cells to see if there was an improvement in their prognosis. There was a huge mass of data recording which had to be done but it was very exciting! It was also a great benefit to see theoretical knowledge being applied in the medical field. Outside of those hours, I went to the Respiratory Clinic to shadow a specialist. We discussed a patient’s history and the management of their disease. In addition, I was able to assist on physically examining patients by auscultation and inspection. Furthermore; I met a family of medical and biomedical students during the exchange project from different parts of the world. We shared great interests and were able to travel to different parts of Italy, during our free time, at a ridiculously cost-effective price! This included; Cinqueterre, Florence, Lucca and Siena! MY ADVICE AND TIPS FOR UNDERGOING A RESEARCH/PROFESSIONAL EXCHANGE. Go forth with purpose! It is heavily important to research the academic institution, country and city which you want to learn from. Have an understanding of the principles of the speciality you are choosing and what you wish to gain that would expand your knowledge. Be humble; as a Medical student, it is okay to not know anything. Push yourself to be a learner and ask crazy questions during your stay which would challenge your thinking! I undertook the research exchange whilst being a third year medical student feeling like an agent dressed up in hospital clothes, it was a learning curve but it was a blessing. Have fun; be steadfast in your joy and enjoy the experience of meeting Professional Medical Consultants, Researchers, Medical Students and people from the community – there is a valuable lesson to be learnt from everybody. FINAL THOUGHTS. The opportunity served a purpose in me having the experience of going to another country for an extremely low price in comparison to other projects. In addition, I was able to experience the lessons that would be gained from an elective – this is because my Institution abroad does not include an Elective in its curriculum. This year, I am hoping to take part in a professional exchange in the field of Cardiology! Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post! Written by Jade Okene