Cowspiracy

Hey guys! Just a quick update....Cowspiracy is on Netflix now! Give it a watch, another reason to go vegan, and a telling look at how messed up the food industry is.

What I Love (Let's Get Positive)

Right, so I have been pretty rubbish at posting on here.... and I apologize (to all 2 people who may read this....). I haven't been slacking though, here's what I have been up to;

• I was working at the Inglenook pretty much full-time, getting home at about 12-1 am standard.....
• I was preparing to move up to London, so packing, cleaning, sorting stuff out! 
• I took a trip up to Stoke-on-Trent to visit friends studying at Keele 
• I moved into my flat in London! (and we only just got the wifi installed... first world struggles) 
• I've been trying to find a job in London because that student loan is not going to cut it.... ( not because I am a diva or anything, but because I can't expect my family to help me out at the moment) 
• I have been working on my Linkedin profile and medical CV, so that I am ready for internships next summer  (check it out!) 

So yeah, I have been a busy bee the last couple of weeks, but now I am settled in London, I can hopefully get back into the swing of things. (hopefully one post a week, maybe more, but let's be real here) 

But anyway.... lets get back to creating new stuff, no more making excuses. I was reading a post by the fabulous Kathy Patalsky from her blog Happy. Healthy. Life about her happiness reflection. DISCLAIMER - I have suffered from depression, I talk about it quite openly on here, so I know that "just thinking positively", is no way to tackle depression. If you are really struggling with depression, then you need to get help from your GP or someone you trust. HOWEVER, at the moment, I am in a really good place. Through writing my CV and working on my Linkedin profile, I have really focused my aims and have developed my career goals. I have so much to live for and work towards, and I can honestly say that I am excited for the start of the new academic year.  

I digress, but her post really inspired me to take stock of all the things in my life that spark off that buzz/give me that fuzzy feeling inside. So I am just going to start listing all the things I love/bring me joy (in no particular order, just as they come to me) 

1. Long phone conversations with my Mum, especially when I am walking somewhere and taking to her makes the time go so much quicker
2. Taking my dog Penny for walks down on the sea front 
3. Eating chips from the bag while walking along the beach
4. Laying on my bed while chatting to me besties (on the phone or in person) and putting the world to rights 
5. When my friends are bossing their lives and actively take part in activities that develop them (as if they could get any more fab though?!) 
6. Finishing a long run and hearing back my stats when I make a PB
7. Running in the autumn when the leaves are changing colours and falling 
8. Visiting the parks in London in autumn
9. Visiting the parks in London anytime really
10. Having a hot drink when I get in from a busy day of adulting 
11. Catching up with old friends from high school
12. Getting "silly" with friends to wind down after a heavy day in the lab/library
13. Visiting a museum on a free day and learning something new 
14. Wearing big cosy sweaters in the autumn/fall 
15. Finding vegan options in mainstream restaurants when I go out for dinner with friends
16. Getting new tattoos
17. Looking at me friends' new tattoos 
18. Writing in my blog (or any writing)
19. Reading in the bath 
20. Baths (especially with Lush bath stuff)
21. Chin Chin Lab ice cream (dairy free of course)
22. Finding the best Vegan Bakery in the world - Cookie and Scream Bakery in Camden   
23. Going thrift shopping with my besties, and trying on all the clothes! (only buying a small proportion...)
24. Writing notes and cards to friends when they don't expect it 
25. Making dinner/lunch/breakfast for my Mum
26. Cooking for my friends 
27. Hosting pre-drinks/having friends over generally 
28. Working with IntoMedicine to help mentor students applying to medicine (I was so proud when one of my students gave a speech at the celebration event last week!) 
29. Getting excited about going to see Rocky Horror Picture Show with my Mum in Brighton later this year
30. Watching Rocky Horror for the billionth time 
31. Watching my favorite movies over and over and over again (Pretty in Pink, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Dead Poet's Society) 
32. Finding and attending events that really speak to my passions 

So I am sure there is more, but this is the short list for the meantime. It would be interesting to maybe add another 30 some thim in the winter? I did notice that a lot of them were relevant to this time of year (autumn ect.) 

Transitioning to Mindful Eating

Now, imagine yourself on a peaceful, quiet beach, laying in the warm sand. Feel the sand grains beneath your fingers, and getting stuck between your but cheeks.....or not.

This is my favourite guided meditation, it does feature explicit language, but is surprisingly effective. 

Mindfulness does have a bit of a reputation for being some new age bullsh*t that takes years of practise and green tea to achieve. I don't believe so, at least not how I practise it (or try to at least, it's not a perfect art, but a developing thing *perfect sucks anyway*)

When I first transitioned to a vegan diet, I was still calorie counting and restricting. At my worst, I would be eating around 1200 calories, running 5 miles. and trying to study for my finals. Yeah, not good.However, the more I looked into veganism, and exploring the vegan community on Youtube, I heard more and more about mindful, intuitive eating.

This involves;

• eating when you're hungry, 
• stopping when you are full, 
• listening to the food your body wants, 
• no calorie counting. 

I didn't consider myself to have an eating disorder at the time, I thought I was just stressed, (I understand now that this was a full blown relapse, and my weight dropped to it's lowest ever...so yeah...) but this way of eating seemed so liberating, and to make so much more sense.

There was no way I was giving up on my calorie counting, or my Fitbit tracking (I still always kept a negative calorie deficit), but I did start to listen to what my body needed, and upped my portions/calories to 1600-1800 a day. I began to feel better, and had a lot more energy.

Eating a wholefoods, plant based diet, in large portions, was a big change for me. My body wasn't used to this much food, and I missed a lot of hunger cues/food needs in the beginning because I had spent so long ignoring them anyway.

It has taken the 5 months I have been vegan to now to understand what it feels like to be hungry, to sit with that feeling, and listen to what my body needs/wants. I understand fullness cues, and know that feeling full/satisfied is not something to be ashamed about or disgusted by, but a natural way for my body to tell me it's happy and renourished! I am beginning to learn my body is a strong and powerful thing that deserves to be happy and well treated! Hell, I haven't been treating it right for a long time, and the resilient little bugger has stuck by me, and still works (kinda)!

I have gone cold turkey from my Fitbit, and I am slowly weaning myself off calorie counting. I have been counting since I was 13, so it will be a hard habit to break, but I am working on it.

Here are some of my favorite tips for mindful eating;

1. Sitting down and being real with yourself.  Sit down and really pay attention to your belly, feel, recognise, and accept the feeling of hunger. Understand that it is not a sign of weakness or success, or anything else other then what it is, a cue to eat! 
2. Ask, and listen to what you want. The dreaded, "Where do you want to go to dinner?" question....always followed by, "I dunno, wherever, I'm easy...". Well no, that isn't going to cut it anymore, you need to take responsibility to fueling the powerhouse that is your sassy being, and that means listening to what your body wants. When eating a wholefoods, plant based diet, your body craves the good foods and nutrients that it needs, and this becomes easier with practise (trust me, there will come a day when you crave that lentil curry with kale and quinoa.....because it is sooo good). Other days, you just want a big bag of chip shop chips, with no shame. Both are fine, in appropriate proportions, and you won't gain masses of weight, or get heart disease from a bag of chips every now and again! (just no meat, at least not for me....ethics and all that) 
3. Look at what your eating! Before, I would eat while reading my lecture notes, answering emails, or while gorging myself on mindless Youtube videos. I payed no attention to the food I was putting into my mouth, and would finish my (tiny) dinner without tasting a bite. This is no way to enjoy food or life. Really take mealtimes as an opportunity to be present with your body and refuel and reconnect with it. While eating, I now savour the food, appreciate the flavours and check in on whether this is the food my body wanted and needed. I am also more in tune to my fullness cues this way and know when I have had enough or I need to go back for seconds.

I hope these tips can help you to bust out of a food rut, or that my experience can help anyone else struggling with an eating disorder.

DISCLAIMER! I am not a medical professional (yet), I can only share my experience, and I have never even finished a full round of treatment, so yeah....if you need help, there are many trained professionals/helpline that can offer confidential when you need it.

B-eat  and their helpline is 03456341414, call if you ever feel like it is getting to much, or when you are ready to reach out for help. I reached out to my Mum, and she helped me through. It is a long process, but it is doable!
   

Being a Vegan in a Non-Veggie Family

I love my family. We are a huge sprawling lot, who are a little bit mad, but lovely. We have massive family parties, infight as much as we like, and are a force to be reckoned with. I couldn't ask for a more loving, (if a bit full) family. They are amazing people, and they eat meat. That is not a but, it's an and. There is a difference, and I don't judge my family's choice, as I hope they don't judge mine.

My Mum accepts me as a vegan, and as I do most of the cooking, she eats mainly vegetarian. My Nan and Grandad don't fully understand what being vegan means. I have tried to explain to them, but they are not interested in learning more about it, and I accept that. (my Nan still offers me cheese, ice cream, and milk, as well as fish, but I politely decline).

It can be frustrating, but the key is acceptance. I have made this choice, and I am happy, they choose not to be open to my lifestyle, and that is their choice.

I have found the podcasts by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau really helpful in coming to this point were I accept the situation. Her podcasts help me to still able to be with my family in a loving way, even though we differ on a lot of things. She also has many podcasts on effective communication with non-vegans and strategies to dealing with the common questions asked of vegans. (But, WHERE do you get your PROTEIN, *facepalm*)

Weekly Round Up (3/8 to the 8/8)

This week has been very chill. I haven't had nearly as many shifts this week, so I have had more free time then I am used to! Tuesday, I was up in London for mentoring, and more about that can be found here. 

Honestly, for the rest of the week, I have just been getting things together for my move back to London; selling books, clearing out wardrobes, and finding furniture for the flat! 

Of course, I have had time to round up some of the most interesting of the internet, and make some yummy food, so here's my round up of the week! 

This was my lunch on Thursday, the Tricolour Salad from Patisserie Valerie (without the mozzarella!). Mum ordered this for me (because I was distracted shopping and the like), and I really think she is beginning to understand that this is important to me, and she respects that. LOOK AT ALL THAT AVOCADO THOUGH! This salad gave me life yesterday. 

This is a salad I made for lunch on Wednesday, post run. I used the Sainsbury Bulgar Wheat Chickpea sachet, and loads of lovely spinach, beetroot, and the ever omnipresent AVOCADO (I like it, can you tell?) . This superfood nummy salad really helped to refuel after my run, chocked full of essential protein, fat, and carbs! 

This is my dinner from Nando's the other night, still loving the chips.....mmmmm I need more chips in my life....

So, the week in the web, some of these articles are thing I have looked up specifically, so aren't new for this week, but I thought they might be interesting/I enjoyed reading them;

• One of my favorite sites at the moment, HerCampus (it's American, but we all have our flaws), had 2 really fun articles this week. The first on Fall Beauty Trends, which according to this article, I am ready for autumn! (lol, no, I just love heavy black eye makeup and dark lippy). The other article is a light hearted piece on PDA's, but I think it has some deeper points that need addressing. I do have a partner (he lives in the US, so PDA's aren't a problem for us....) so this isn't coming from a bitter place (even if I was single, I would still feel the same though). PDA's and the affection/love you share for another person is a personal thing, and others don't need to see it. I feel it can be a little disrespectful to be jumping on your bae's face every 5 minutes, but hey, call me a prude. (just don't make me watch you guys do tongue twisters together..)
• I have just recently found Everyday Feminism (where has this been all my life?!). While skimming through some of the articles, I found this piece, from April, on the difference between empowerment and objectification. It explains it so clearly, and really opened my eyes to the difference. A definite must read to help clear up some of the confusion surrounding these matters. 
• If you're feeling in a running slump (we all get them), or just looking to boost your energy levels, this article from Women's Running has some great tips on naturally kickstarting your energy levels! 
• The HPV vaccine has been available for 7 years, and offers protection against the human papillomavirus, one of the causes of cervical cancer(in 2008, I was one of the first girls to receive the vaccine in schools).  With the benefits offered by the vaccine, it was shocking to read this article in Refinery 29, stating that 40% of teen girls are not receiving the vaccine! (I fully accept that as a medical student, who is pro vaccination, I have bias, so I will leave it to you to evaluate the information). The reasons stated in the article regarding why the vaccine is not being given is worring, and I would suggest needs changing/investigating. All I'm going to say is, PEOPLE HAVE SEX... That is all (here is the link to Sexspression though if you have any more questions about sex, health, and sexuality) 
• I have been open in the past about my eating disorder, and have taken steps towards my recovery. Recently, I have stopped counting calories, cold turkey, and have removed my Fitbit in an attempt to stop the constant stat checking. My periods stopped when I was 14, and haven't returned. My goal for the next 12 months is to get my periods back as I feel that it will be a sign that my body has healed itself, and I am finally respecting my body in the way it deserves. Here is one woman's story on regaining her period that has been a real inspiration.    
• Finally, an article from the superstar that is Zusterchamp. In this article, she debunks a lot of the myths and general bull that gets thrown around when talking about women with tattoos. PREACH! 

What I Eat in a Day (Trip to London 4/8/2015)

Yesterday saw me back up in London for the final formal mentoring session with IntoMedicine. This gave the students an opportunity to present what they got up to on their placements, and to reflect on their experience. There was 3 other mentors there as well, and we all took turns giving the students mock interviews, to help them prepare for the hell hole trauma that is interview session! 

I thought as I was back in London, I would do a "What I Eat in a Day" post, as it may be a little bit more interesting then the day to day stuff I eat at home (and because the options for "fancy" vegan food is greater in London, if you say your vegan in Bognor, people generally assume you have 3 heads)

Breakfast 

Breakfast is pretty much the same for me everyday, I am a creature of habit, and I know this will keep me full until lunch time. I had; 

• 100g of oats with cinnamon and a spoon full of milled flax seeds
• cup of coffee with almond milk
• cup of green tea

Nothing groundbreaking, but I like it! 

Lunch
The session over ran until 2:30 pm, and by this point the hanger was real. Luckily, there is a Planet Organic close by to UCL, so I made a quick dash in there. I had the Raw Imagination, Raw Falafel and Brazil Nut Hummus, with a can of Cawston Press Ginger Beer. Both were rather yummy, and I love the Raw Imagination sandwiches, they're my little guilty pleasure when I can't be bothered to pack a lunch!

Dinner

No trip to London would be complete without meeting up with my besties! We went for a cheeky Nandos, and I tried their new Quinoa Salad (without the feta cheese), and had a side of chips, because I am human, and love chips. It was a lovely dinner, with brill company, and I was very sad when it was time to get back on the train to Bognor 

I love London, it's where my friends are, and the majority of my life! I am planning on heading back to London before uni starts again to get a weekend job, and to get settled into my new flat. Fingers crossed, there will be more London adventures to come! 

Running Playlist September 2015

I love a good run, first thing every morning....well if I haven't been out till stupid o'clock at work.... I can't normally run without my music, I don't like the silence (especially when the run is longer than 4 miles).

I like to shake things up a bit as well, nothing worse than listening to the same 20ish songs every morning for months and months. Here's my summer running playlist, hope it inspires some of ya to get out and get your miles on.

Song	Artist
Worth It	Fifth Harmony ft Kid Ink
Uptown Funk	Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars
Mr. Brightside	The Killers
Don’t Stop Me Now	Queen
Like I Can	Sam Smith
Work Work	Britney Spears
Shut Up and Dance	WALK THE MOON
Bohemian Like You	The Dandy Warhols
The Middle	Jimmy Eat World
Ever Fallen in Love	Buzzcocks
I Really Like You	Carly Rae Jepsen
Bills	Lunchmoney Lewis
20/20	The Vaccines
Emergency	Icona Pop
Want to Want Me	Jason Derulo
Heroes (We Could Be)	Alesso
Air Guitar	McBusted
Jerk It Out	Caesars
Fri-end	Kate Nash
The Night is Still Young	Nicki Minaj
Take Her Back	The Pigeon Detectives
Last Nite	The Strokes
Who Needs You	The Orwells
Dashboard	Modest Mouse
Cannibal Queen	Miniature Tigers

Top 5 UCAS Tips

This is the final in my current mentoring series! Here's my top tips to tackle the dreaded UCAS and that pesky personal statement... Next week, I am meetingup again with the students, so there may be more insights into the world of medical school application soon! But I will return to more foodie, vegan stuff soon!

1. Reflect

No matter how small or simple your work experience may seem, it isn't what you have done, it is what you have gleaned from it. Talking for 10 minutes about something that really affected you, or really interested you about your work experience is much more impressive than a long list of “exciting” placements.

2. Get something down fast!

It is very daunting looking at a big blank sheet of paper, and the hardest part is getting started on your personal statement. Just get the bare bones down as soon as possible. This might be basic notes on academic success, work experience and extracurricular. 

I was always told for a medical application to have an 80%/20% split, with the majority being academic. 

Once the basics are down, it can than be bulked up with details and reflection, and refined and read over by other people. But the hardest bit is honestly just getting the basics down!

3. Don't lie

You will be being interviewed by the leading experts in medicine. If you say you have read a research paper, or did some experience that you haven't, these people will quiz you and will know that if you haven't been honest.

A little bit different, but if you say you have a passion for a certain aspect of medicne, be prepared to know your stuff about said subject! You could be being interviewed by the leading consultant in that speciality!

4. Make it relevant

If you choose to do the 80/20 split, make even the 20% of extra curricular relevant to medicine.

For example, I love to run, and run 10ks and half marathons for charity. This may not immediately seem relevant to medicine, but the skills gained from my running are. These can be things like time management, organising runs and a training schedule, and commitment, signing up, training and actually doing the race! These skills are transferable, and illustrate some of the qualities wanted in our future doctors.

5. Remember - Any work experience is useful!

It is really difficult to get placements shadowing consultants if you don’t have one in the family. This is why this programme is amazing! I was looking at your timetable with serious green eyes! This is an amazing opportunity! But don’t worry if you can’t list off series of exciting placements, as medical schools understand how difficult it is to get work experience with age restrictions and issues of confidentiality. Any work experience in a caring environment will be helpful, even volunteering over a longer period of time can be useful as it shows commitment.

Also, overseas placements that cost money won't be seen as more impressive as any other placement. I spoke to 4 admission tutors during my application, because this concerned me as I had spoke to many fellow applicants who had been able to travel and volunteer overseas. All the tutors reassured me that any experience that requires payment will not be seen as more impressive than any other.  

My Placement Experiences

Here is the 3rd in my seris of posts on applying for medical school.... hope you enjoy!

• How I felt,

• First Impressions

My first placement with UCL was at the ITU in the Whittington Hospital. I was very excited for this placement as I find the busy, more fast paced side of medicine really interesting. 

This was also only my second time on the wards however, and I was nervous. There is no way for the patients to tell who is a clinical year medical student, junior doctor, or pre-clinical student. We were representing the hospital, the medical school, and making an impression on consultants we may meet again further on in our career. This is a terrifying prospect!

Working in ITU, all the staff were expected to wear scrubs, and the novelty of scrubbing up hasn't worn off yet! Hopefully during this week you guys will have the chance too!  

• Ward Round

At ITU, the ward rounds are always with a consultant, due to the nature of the patients and the severity of their illness. Luckily, the consultant my partner and I had was very welcoming, and really tried to involve us in the discussions. She even printed off blood gasses for us to interpret with the help from the junior doctors.

We were also with 3 FY1 (junior doctors), who explained more complex terms with us that we had not yet covered.

It was nerve wracking, and sometimes the discussions regarding the patient seemed very separate to the individual (which is understandable when the patient is unconscious), but also felt a little abrupt at times. This attitude is necessary though, as there are many patients to see, with complex, multi-morbidities (different chronic conditions at once), as well as acute occurrence which exacerbate the underlying conditions.  One such patient was suffering from an acute case of pneumonia, yet was already diagnosed with COPD, this made his treatment more complex, and hence why he was placed into ITU.

• What it’s like meeting patients;

• depends on how ill they are

Meeting and interacting with patients is a treat, especially after what feels like ages of revision and book learning during the preclinical years. How much you are able to get back from the patient however, depends on their condition. Due to the nature of ITU, a lot of the patients were unable to respond or where confused. On gentleman had been moved from another hospital and was unconscious since his arrival. He began to come around during the ward round, and was very confused. He was an alcoholic, and had passed out at a bus stop. He had severe liver damage and appeared very jaundiced (yellow skin, and a yellowing of the whites of his eye). It was very interesting to hear the registrar explain to the man where he was, why he had been brought to ITU, and how his current state had been caused by his alcohol abuse.

One thing I won’t forget is the man had a tattoo of a man’s name and date on his arm, presumable a son. The man had been found alone, and since he had been at the Whittington (3 days by this point), he had not received any visitors. Meeting patients brings home the humanity of medicine, these are real people with lives, not just biochemical malfunctions.

• How to deal with witnessing difficult circumstances.

you may see some upsetting things on the wards, but it is important to remember that everything is being done to help them, and to not take it upon yourself, otherwise you can be overwhelmed. This is something that I still find difficult, but it does improve with more experience in these settings. I used to cry every time we lost a resident at the care home I volunteered at, but over time I have built up some form of resilience.

• man with unexplained fitting, wife with him, was hospital worker

One gentleman was being admitted as my partner and I arrived for our placement. He was a porter at the hospital, and had become increasingly unwell over the last few days. He was suffering from idiopathic seizures (of an unknown cause) and was drifting in and out of consciousness. This was difficult enough to observe, but while we were being briefed by the reg in the staff room, we could hear the patient’s wife, distraught in the corridor, as the consultant tried to explain why the woman’s husband was being brought to ITU, and that they didn’t know what was wrong with him at this point in time.

My partner and I were a bit shaken by this, and understood the woman’s distress and confusion, as she said her husband had been fine 3 days ago. The lady was calmed slightly, but her husband continued to fit. Watching a seizure can also be quite difficult, but nothing can be done except to let them, and prevent them from doing any harm to themselves.

• you might see someone who had died, and whose family is very upset by the news, or worse, with no family there. Remember there are people you can talk to; others in your group, the consultant you are shadowing, or us mentors when we meet up again. Just don’t bottle it up.  

Professionalism

My Mum laughed when I told her I was giving a talk on professionalism. I was appropriately offended, but I can see where she is coming from.... Quite often people presume I study art, or drama, and I have heard, "Oh, medicine, so you're smart?", too many times to funny any more. Yes, I have 9 piercings, 6 tattoos, and the wardrobe of a "slut" or 12 year old boy, depending on my mood, but that does not lessen my ability to study medicine..... grrr

Saying that, I always turn up for placement, and a Mid-West old money grandmother (Dad's side) instilled a great appreciation of traditional manners and proper etiquette. (just trust me on this one, I know it seems unlikely). I can speak so proper when I want to, that my boss at M&Co didn't believe it was me when she overheard me on the phone to a customer.... I love smashing stereotypes

Here's some notes that I prepared for the students though, and I hope it covered all bases for them...

• Suitable clothing

You may be asked to scrub up for some of your sessions, which is really fun and exciting, I still get excited about it, but you still have to dress smart for the placement. It is all about first impressions, and you really want the team you will be working with how much this opportunity means to you. It’s kind of a respect thing.

The first priority is hygiene in a hospital, which is why there are certain rules that have to be followed. These include;

• Bare below the elbow - no watches, rings, bracelets, or long sleeves/ jackets
• for the guys, no ties, and or scarves/long dangly necklaces  
• for those with long hair, tie it back please.
• closed toed, flat shoes, that are comfortable enough for you to be on your feet for a long time

These rules are just here to prevent infections on the ward, also a health and safety thing, like if you were performing an experiment in science at school  

You will want to look smart, so for guys, a shirt (with the sleeves rolled up) and trousers (NEVER JEANS EVER! BOTH GENDERS). And for the girls, a nice blouse with trousers or a knee length-ish skirt, or nice (again) knee length-ish dress.

Hair looking nice and brushed, and pulled back if long. And minimal makeup, simple and fresh looking.

• How to conduct yourself professionally,

With placements, you are there to observe, so it important to not get in the way of the doctors, or their communication with the patient. This means being respectful of consultations, and only speaking/getting involved when the doctor invites you to do so. It is a little bit of common sense, and you definitely get a feel for when is, and isn’t appropriate to contribute within a placement.

Also, confidentiality is crucial. You are in a place of privilege, and may hear some sensitive information. It is your responsibility to keep this information confidential, to protect the doctor/patient relationship. Not to say you can’t discuss amongst yourselves regarding the things you see, or with a member of the health-team if something upset you, but it is important that names or other defining features of the patient are not mentioned.

Also, just general manners, hopefully these people may be your colleagues in years to come, so try to make a good impression. Listen when they give you instructions, and follow what they tell you to do. They have given up their time to help you, so please respect that

  

• How to get the most out of the placement

Be observant of all the things happening around the ward. You may be shadowing the consultant or doctor, but the rest of the health care team plays an important role in the workings of the ward. This includes the nursing staff, health care assistants, physios, and any other health care workers. The whole team make the ward, and understanding medicine as a multi-disciplinary unit shows a real understanding of the workings of a ward.

Ask questions, lots. There will be times when things are quiet, and you can ask the consultant things about the ward or their experience of being a doctor. Maybe you had seen a procedure, and wondered what was the follow-up to such a procedure, or other treatments that may be tried if said procedure didn’t have the desired effect, etc .

Following your placements, take 5 to 10 minutes to jot down some of the key events you witnessed, and really dissect them. Try to reflect on how the events affected the staff, the patient, and yourself. Try to work in the groups you do the placements with, and compare experiences. One person's perspective on an event may be very different to yours, and be invaluable when it comes to understanding the event and people’s reactions.