Learning How To Show Up: What SIHS Taught Me That Medicine Couldn’t

Being an external medical student who had the opportunity to intercalate at UCL over the past year, SIHS has definitely been one of the most insightful learning opportunities I have been a part of throughout medical school.

I would like to reflect particularly on my experience with the Changemakers programme. Before, I felt that I had some understanding of health inequities, but often did not understand how to be a part of facilitating change. Having the time throughout the programme to talk to Jey, the session lead, and other students from a range of backgrounds, I really feel that I am better positioned to create meaningful change on a personal and community-level. Developing an understanding into the role I play in my own flourishing as well as those around me is one that I have never been encouraged to consider.

Despite being lucky enough to really know that I want to be a doctor in the future, I had found that in four years of medical school, there was no room for my way of thinking and approaching the world and medicine. The future of working in the NHS and knowing that you are heading towards severe burnout of both yourself and colleagues around you is daunting and there I was not equipped with the tools to navigate through this. I care about people and want to show up as best I can, and having the chance at SIHS to learn more about how I can do this has been invaluable

Written by Jinda