My relationship with medicine is perhaps more like that of the old married couple than the honeymoon phase. And as with some long term marriages, I would call it turbulent. It is said, however, that the course of true love never did run smooth, and so the first episode of Sharp Scratch in 2024, “Why I still love medicine,” was a fitting tribute to our stormy history.
Cautious of appearing saccharine and out of touch, and as our profession braced itself for its 10th month of strikes, I was both intrigued and intimidated about discussing this intimate relationship. Yet the truth is that for better or for worse I still love medicine. I love being trusted with people’s stories and I love the breadth of the study of medicine and it seems that our panel agrees: it might not be a perfect profession, but it is brilliant.
One of the most charming parts of medicine …
Student representatives on curriculum committees can offer a perspective otherwise missing from faculty decision making, say Eric Wahlstedt and Margaux Danby
For medical students interested in advocating for educational change, serving on a medical school curriculum committee provides a unique leadership opportunity. While most medical schools in the US and the UK include students in curricular decisions by inviting them to provide evaluative feedback on courses, some schools also recognise the importance of inviting learners to participate in curricular discussions as members of curriculum or educational committees.1 Students on these committees have the opportunity to be involved in creating both immediate and long term changes to the medical curriculums at their institutions.
These committees, the names of which vary, are often formed in order to ensure medical schools adhere to guidelines set by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education in the US or the General Medical Council