As medical students, long commutes are not unfamiliar to us. It can be common to find yourself arriving at placement tired after travelling in the early hours of the dark wintry months, or even mentally drained coming home from commuting after a long day of placement. While it may not be possible to change the length of the journey, what we can control is how we use that time. In many ways, our commute can be an opportunity to mentally relax ,whether you are preparing for a t

For many people, the exam period is one of the most stressful times of the year. There are high stakes with the possibility of having to retake the exam or repeat the year if you don’t pass. It is natural to feel stressed or overwhelmed. However, becoming too stressed can be detrimental to both your revision and the rest of your life, so it is important to manage your stress and continue to enjoy life around revision. I have compiled a mix of practical exam tips and general s

As a reminder from the blog post in December: Imperfect action ‘the practice of taking steps toward a goal, even if they are not perfect, to gain momentum and make progress.’ So we imagine you have read the last post and you have done a month of increased walking and activity and you feel as though you’re ready to start incorporating a more structured form of exercising. ( if not go back to December and have a read! :) ) Strength training increases muscle mass, increases bon

Failing is often seen as something negative in medical school. We need excellent grades to get in and are expected to pass exams every year to progress. Having to retake assessments often comes with a lot of stigma and stress, so there is a lot of pressure to pass everything the first time. However, failure is a normal part of life, and it is impossible to expect yourself to never fail in anything. Resilience is built from navigating challenges and picking yourself back up wh

In a career such as medicine, compassion lies at the bedrock of every conversation, decision, and aspect of patient care. As future doctors we are faced with the responsibility of supporting patients in their most vulnerable and compromised states. While compassion plays a pivotal role in establishing a trusting relationship, it is also important to consider the emotional toll it can take. Compassion fatigue is described as “ the emotional cost of caring for others or their

Imperfect action: ‘the practice of taking steps toward a goal, even if they are not perfect, to gain momentum and make progress.’ It’s very easy for us to ‘know’ what we should be doing to help our mental health, but the practicalities of accessing the routines/hobbies/practices can have more barriers than we expect. I could easily say on Sunday night ‘this week I am going to wake up at 6am every day and go for a half an hour walk’ or practice yoga or start training fo

With much of today’s world becoming digitalised it’s hard not to spend hours unconsciously staring at a screen. Whether it be doomscrolling on social media, staying up late facetiming your friends, or even doing your daily Anki reviews, stepping away from our devices can seem to be an enormous feat. A recent survey showed that young adults (15-24) in Britain spend almost 5 hours daily on their mobile phones with social media accounting fo r half the time spent on phones fo

Everyone has heard the saying ‘in order to look after other people, you need to be able to look after yourself’. In a degree that is incredibly full on and at times all consuming, it is even more important to look after yourself so that you can look after patients too. If you look up self-care posts on social media, you will be inundated with influencers talking about special juices, morning pilates or eating greens. However, self-care is about a lot more than the aesthetics.

The Science of Sleep Most medics are aware that sleep plays a crucial role in cognitive function, memory, and overall academic...

As medical students, we understand the significance of mental health, particularly in our high-pressure environment. But ironically,...

The BMA defines imposter syndrome as "the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately...

Building a Network of Mentors and Peers in Medical School Establishing a support system is crucial for so many different reasons. From...

Tools and Techniques for Busy Medical Students As medical students we often feel overwhelmed because of the sheer number of things to...

Navigating the Relationship Rollercoaster You must have heard the notion that being in a romantic relationship during medical school is...

Mental Health Among Male Medical Students Today, we're diving into an important topic: mental health among male medical students. We're...

Navigating the Challenges of External Intercalation: Lessons Learned and Tips to Succeed in a New City and University! Intercalation can...