January Issue
Welcome to the first BMP newsletter issue of 2022 - the gems keep on coming as always, so have a look out for some new opportunities you can get stuck into this new year!
👋🏿 Welcome Back!
Happy New Year BMP Network! Hopefully, you have been able to take action on some of the positive and healthy habits you set yourself for this month. We hope you can keep to them as the year progresses and happily reflect on your development!
💡Theme of the Month - Adaptability
With a new year comes new additions to the BMP Newsletter! Our new section of the newsletter will be centred around key themes of the month. Let us know what you think down in the comments below!
I'm sure we all know that being a medical student is tough - it requires a tight work-life balance where you need to constantly put on different hats, one minute you're meticulously learning musculoskeletal anatomy and the next you're taking a complicated history - it's full of obstacles.
This only gets more challenging as you get deeper into medical school (sorry), and now you're thrown unto the wards and expected to get things done - you go from learning about the vessels to drawing up blood from patients, and it's a lot to take in—it's rewarding but demanding work.
On top of that, for many of your clinical placements, you're shifted up to live closer to the hospitals - in my case, I've been placed in Gloucestershire, a county in South West England - 40 miles from Bristol! Hence, it comes as no surprise to you that this month's theme is adaptability.
When I was inducted into my placement, I realised things were getting serious very quickly.
We were met with expectations to be on the wards from 9 am - 5 pm every day. This isn't accounting for independent study - it's pure clinical interaction for 8 hours of the day; we get our customary afternoon off every Wednesday, but other than that, 100% attendance is required. This shocked my colleagues and me, especially since these exact requirements weren't mirrored elsewhere.
I took time to take this all in and reflect on the information given. It reminded me of the profession we seek to enter. Doctors are faced with long hours and have to be open to changing their old ways of working. I had to do the exact same here and adapt to these new challenges as they have ultimately been put in front of us for the greater good.
The essence of these challenges is to turn us into adaptable individuals who can overcome new obstacles and leave the comfort zone for the sake of growth. So I implore you all to do the same. Re-evaluate how you do things and be willing to alter those plans
🎞 Content Highlights
We ended the year off with our well-received Microteach Series! Osas dropped a refresher on neurophysiology and the pharmacological effects of atropine. Check it out!
💎 BMP Recommendations
Adewale
“Remember, increase the value you provide, and you’ll rise in due time.”
I’ve been listening to the Valuable Podcast from my good friend Victor Sosanya. Victor’s kindly put a message down to explain what the valuable podcast is and why you should all be listening (I echo all these messages!):
I host the valuable podcast, where there is value in every conversation. I will encourage those who want to gain practical knowledge on becoming more valuable to subscribe. Learning from a wide range of successful individuals, you will gain different perspectives on life and learn something new they can apply to their lives every week.
The link to the website can be found here
Ibinabo
Honestly, if you love all things crime and science, I would strongly recommend it!
‘Unnatural Causes’ by Dr Shepherd is an INCREDIBLY fascinating book! The more I read, the more I learn about forensic pathology.
Dr Shepherd provides an insight into life as a pathologist and the unnatural beauty of his profession. Not only does it serve as a reminder of the duty of a doctor even in death, but it also serves as a history lesson - educating on historical events such as the Hungerford massacre of 1987.
👀 Things to Look Out For!
Adaptability in Medicine: Healthcare for the 21st Century and Beyond
The conference will be held online on the 19th February 2022, open to all students from Medical, Dental, Veterinary Medicine, and Life Sciences backgrounds
Workshops include:
Specialised Foundation programme
How to get into research as a student
Foundation training advice
The day will also feature the opportunity for students to present their own research in a poster or oral presentation format. Abstract submissions are now open.
The website for the event is https://liverpoolresearch.wixsite.com/conference
Work with an upcoming medical school organisation - BME Medics!
We are pleased to announce that we are expanding and recruiting new members to our team. Application is open for a number of roles. To find out more information, please visit www.bmemedics.co.uk/recruitment
Join a growing network of black medical students who are enriching themselves with valuable content!