Podcasts by Sharp Scratch

Sharp Scratch

Students and young medics need to learn a lot to become good doctors - we're here to talk about the things that medical school doesn't teach you. Brought to you by BMJ student.

Further podcasts by BMJ Group

Podcast on the topic Wissenschaft

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Sharp Scratch
See it, say it, sorted? from 2022-04-28T16:17:56

If you see something that doesn’t look right when going on placement, do you feel comfortable raising a concern? In this episode, we discuss the topic of raising concerns and the considerations tha...

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Sharp Scratch
The role of medical students in activism from 2022-04-14T15:47:46

As medical students progress through medical school, some students are becoming dissatisfied by the lack of attention to socially relevant healthcare issues in the conventional curriculum, and begi...

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Sharp Scratch
Patient Confidential - is it okay to recount patients’ stories from 2022-03-31T20:52:36

As healthcare professionals, we meet people from all walks of life and collect stories along the way — stories of illness and convalescence. When we hear interesting stories, there can be an urge t...

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Sharp Scratch
The clinical guideline will see you now from 2022-03-17T14:43:23

Medical students are taught about and examined a lot on clinical guidelines. What is best for patients overall, as recommended in guidelines, may not be appropriate for individuals. Blanket recomme...

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Sharp Scratch
There is no pill for homelessness from 2022-03-04T09:22:42

There is often a debate about whether medicine is an art or a science. Our medical curriculum tends to favour the science bit, with pathophysiology of diseases and treatment algorithms dominating o...

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Sharp Scratch
Can you learn empathy? from 2022-02-17T20:54:17

Empathy is one of the essential qualities of a good doctor. One way this is assessed at medical school is the use of objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) stations. The use of OSCEs in m...

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Sharp Scratch
What you weren't told about working as a junior doctor from 2022-02-07T09:10:33

When going on placement, you are probably more interested in gaining experience in the clinical environment and less interested in how frequently doctors can take breaks.Doctors’ working conditions...

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Sharp Scratch
Publish or perish? from 2022-01-21T00:05:12

Publications, presentations, citations - these are trophies that you can flash proudly on your CV. However, what medical students may underestimate, is the long hours required reading papers, proce...

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Sharp Scratch
Lost in translation from 2022-01-06T21:27:49

As healthcare professionals, we work with people from a myriad of culture and countries. At times, some patients may need a little bit of help with English. We may also elicit language skills from ...

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Sharp Scratch
All I want for Christmas is... from 2021-12-10T10:37:40

‘Tis the season of giving and receiving gifts. In medicine, as demonstrated by the early phase of the pandemic, patients and the public may express gratitude towards healthcare staff by giving toke...

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Sharp Scratch
Medical jargon 101 from 2021-11-26T14:28:20

FBC, BIBA, NBM - how many of these do you recognise? The healthcare system speaks an entirely different language. As healthcare professionals, our vocabulary is full of jargon and acronyms, and it...

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Sharp Scratch
Planet Earth on Red Alert from 2021-11-11T23:04:45

The climate crisis is a health crisis. In this episode, we explored how climate change will affect how we practise medicine, the importance of sustainable healthcare practice and what you can start...

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Sharp Scratch
Superstitions in medicine from 2021-11-01T14:14:12

Do you hold any superstitions? We are trained as evidence-based healthcare practitioners, yet there are some superstitions that still persist in medicine. Superstition is an example of confirmati...

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Sharp Scratch
Mind the gender health gap from 2021-10-21T21:38:16

The government launched a Women's Health Strategy to improve health and wellbeing of women in March 2021 as the UK was found to have the largest female health gap in the G20 countries and the 12th ...

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Sharp Scratch
What is the hidden curriculum? from 2021-10-07T16:22:27

Join our Editorial Scholars, past and present, as we reflect on the hidden curriculum, and discuss its role in cultivating professionalism. While you are here, do check us out on social media:Twit...

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Sharp Scratch
Do you have a mentor? from 2021-09-24T09:27:47

What do med students have in common with Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter? Luke Skywalker had Obi Wan to guide him through Jedi training. Harry Potter had Prof Dumbledore who gave him advice in sur...

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Sharp Scratch
Tips for clinical years from 2021-09-02T10:17:17

This week the panel discusses their tips for clinical years. From the logistics of commuting and hospital accommodation to speaking to your first patient - tune in to hear the panel's reflection...

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Sharp Scratch
Should I intercalate? from 2021-08-06T11:02:58

This week Nikki and Anna are joined by Professor Doug Corfield from The University of Manchester Medical School to talk all things intercalation. From why to take a year out to all of the logist...

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Sharp Scratch
Imposter Syndrome from 2021-07-09T08:37:32

This week Nikki and Issy are joined by general surgical registrar Clara Munro, and author and co-founder of the Impostor Syndrome Institute, Valerie Young to talk about imposter syndrome in medicin...

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Sharp Scratch
Will my hobbies make me a better doctor? from 2021-06-25T09:24:48

This week the panel are still talking about their hobbies, and what their motivations are for pursuing them. From music to sports, photography to Netflix - do the skills we pick up help us becom...

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Sharp Scratch
I tried to do everything and I had one or two breakdowns a term.. from 2021-06-11T09:55:29

How many times have you been surprised to find out about a coursemate's hidden talent? Perhaps you've discovered they were Grade 8 Cello when they were 11, or that they were an olympic athlete in a...

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Sharp Scratch
Inclusive Practice from 2021-05-21T07:54:47

This week the panel are joined by Michael Brady, the national advisor for LGBT Health to discuss why your patient’s queerness might matter to you, and how to practice inclusively, as well as an ...

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Sharp Scratch
Queer Allyship from 2021-05-07T10:46:20

This week the panel are joined by Eli Fitzgerald to discuss what an ally actually is. Find out what makes someone a good (or a bad) ally, as well as how to be an ally for your patients or colleague...

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Sharp Scratch
Queerness in Medicine from 2021-04-23T12:26:28

Episode 51: Queerness in medicine This week the panel are joined by Dr Joseph Hartland, a doctor who works at the University of Bristol Medical School overseeing the teaching of diversity and prot...

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Sharp Scratch
Why do you want to be a doctor? from 2021-04-09T09:48:24

It's the age old medical school interview question - but why did we initially want to become doctors? Do those reasons still stand, or are they replaced by stronger motives? Listen to the panel ...

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Sharp Scratch
Working hard or hardly working from 2021-03-26T09:25:07

Do you have a healthy work-life balance? Find out what actually counts as work, and whether medicine means sacrificing your social life... This week the team are joined by Sharp Scratch’s old frie...

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Sharp Scratch
The F word from 2021-03-08T15:42:07

Why is academic failure surrounded by shame and guilt? Find out what support is available for students, and why failing may make you a better doctor in the long term.

This week the panel are join...

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Sharp Scratch
Tackling the hospital tech from 2021-02-19T10:51:19

This week the team talk about all the tech you might face working in the NHS - from bleeps and fax machines to slow computers. Find out if you’re allowed to use WhatsApp, what the alternatives are,...

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Sharp Scratch
Naps & night shifts from 2021-02-05T11:32:24

This week the team are joined by Mike Farquhar, Consultant in sleep medicine at Evelina London Children’s Hospital, to talk about sleep and fatigue in medical school and beyond. Morning lark, or...

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Sharp Scratch
Being at a birth from 2021-01-22T09:34:11

This week the team are joined by Lucy Chappell, Professor in Obstetrics at King’s College London and Honorary Consultant Obstetrician at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. The panel refl...

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Sharp Scratch
Festive 'Agony Aunt' (part 2) from 2021-01-08T11:36:44

The team gathered to respond to our listeners' medical school dilemmas. Some of the med students wanted to be anonymous so some of the dilemmas are voiced by actors and friends! On this episode, N...

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Sharp Scratch
Festive 'Agony Aunt' (part 1) from 2020-12-23T12:52:13

The team gathered to respond to our listeners' medical school dilemmas. Some of the med students wanted to be anonymous so some of the dilemmas are voiced by actors and friends!

On this episode, ...

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Sharp Scratch
Too girly to be a doctor from 2020-12-11T10:30:25

This week the team explore ideas of professionalism, and whether our concept of this as a society is more ‘masculine’. With our guest Dr Kate Lovett, the panel discussed their own experiences and r...

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Sharp Scratch
"Apparently one of the students has already fainted.." from 2020-11-27T11:14:13

Vasovagal syncope might be a diagnosis on your list of differentials that seems relatively benign, as there are many more sinister causes for a sudden loss of consciousness. But no one wants a sudd...

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Sharp Scratch
Specialty Stereotypes from 2020-11-06T10:50:57

You may be familiar with some common medical speciality stereotypes – the ‘tall, strong orthopaedic surgeon from the medics rugby team’, the psychiatrist who is ‘as mad as their patients’ or the ‘b...

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Sharp Scratch
Being a patient as a medical student from 2020-10-23T08:25:17

Have you ever noticed a difference in the way you're treated as a patient? Whether you were quizzed by your consultant or given 'special treatment', you're not alone - but how important is this, an...

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Sharp Scratch
Medical student syndrome from 2020-10-09T13:55:38

As you sit in a lecture, listening to the symptoms of a rare medical condition - have you convinced yourself that you have it? You might have medical student syndrome. This week the panel are join...

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Sharp Scratch
Fresher's firsts: Socialising from 2020-09-28T08:27:05

*This episode was recorded live* This is a strange time to be starting your first year of medical school - covid-19 is changing the way in which you learn and socialise, and find out what being a...

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Sharp Scratch
Freshers' firsts : Academic first times from 2020-09-11T08:42:01

*This episode was recorded live* This is a strange time to be starting your first year of medical school - covid-19 is changing the way in which you learn and socialise, and find out what being a ...

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Sharp Scratch
How not to bomb your OSCEs from 2020-08-21T09:42:40

*This episode was recorded before the extraordinary circumstances caused by covid-19*On this week's episode the panel are joined again by medical school expert David Brill, as they discuss how to a...

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Sharp Scratch
How to smash your med school exams from 2020-08-07T09:34:28

This episode was recorded before the extraordinary circumstances caused by covid-19* On this week's episode the panel are joined by medical school expert David Brill to discuss all things written ...

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Sharp Scratch
Fighting shame by talking about it from 2020-07-24T15:58:37

This week we dig into shame in medicine - how students are taught using shame, how shame affects patients, and why the phrase "we ask this question to everyone" might not be the most useful way of ...

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Sharp Scratch
Learning online from 2020-07-10T11:53:35

So much learning for medical students has moved online - with varying degrees of success for both teachers and learners. This week we hear some of our listeners' top tips for protecting your wellbe...

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Sharp Scratch
Should you give that casual consultation? from 2020-06-26T09:37:03

Could you just have a look at...? It's a question lots of medical students and junior doctors encounter from friends and family - rashes, moles and sometimes even haemorrhoids all seem to be fair g...

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Sharp Scratch
How competitive are you? from 2020-06-11T17:15:53

The panel are joined by one of Anna's academic heroes to discuss competition in medicine. Whilst we all agree a little friendly rivalry can help us learn, how can we make sure competitiveness doesn...

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Sharp Scratch
Sharp Scratch, talking evidence from 2020-05-29T11:06:41

This week the Sharp Scratch panel are joined by BMJ podcast veteran Helen Macdonald, one of the hosts of The BMJ's Talk Evidence. We talk evidence based medicine, including getting your head around...

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Sharp Scratch
Leaving medicine from 2020-05-18T12:19:28

This week, the Sharp Scratch team is joined by Dr Fiona Godlee, Editor in Chief of The BMJ to talk about what it's like to leave clinical medicine, and how it can be challenging to lose your medica...

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Sharp Scratch
What med students can learn from a Saturday job from 2020-05-01T14:20:44

This week the Sharp Scratch team welcome two brand new panel members to talk about interesting jobs outside of medicine, and what we might be able to learn from a crappy Saturday job. This week's ...

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Sharp Scratch
Should a doctor have a tattoo? from 2020-04-17T12:57:36

**This podcast was recorded before the extraordinary circumstances due to the covid-19 outbreak.** Following on from our episode on what to wear on the wards, this week the Sharp Scratch team and...

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Sharp Scratch
You're suddenly a doctor - what does interim FY1 mean from 2020-04-10T18:07:11

We're joined by Professor Colin Melville from the General Medical Council (GMC) on this slightly unusual episode of Sharp Scratch. We talk about the role of the GMC in regulating new doctors and pl...

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Sharp Scratch
Covid-19 from 2020-04-03T16:22:21

This week on Sharp Scratch, we interrupt our scheduled podcasts to bring you a special bumper episode where we discuss the topic on everyone's minds: covid-19. We hear from medical students and jun...

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Sharp Scratch
What to wear on the wards from 2020-03-20T13:52:52

**This podcast was recorded before the extraordinary circumstances due to the covid-19 outbreak.**Picking out clothes to wear on the wards is less straightforward than you might think. This week, w...

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Sharp Scratch
Anxiety from 2020-03-06T10:32:15

Anxiety's a natural part of life - under certain circumstances. And we know that med students and junior docs are more likely than other groups to suffer from anxiety disorders and depression. This...

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Sharp Scratch
Yvonne Coghill is trying to fix racism in the NHS from 2020-02-28T11:59:19

In this week's special episode of Sharp Scratch, we've got something a little different for you! Last week the panel talked microaggressions, so this week we're hearing from an expert guest who is ...

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Sharp Scratch
Racism in medicine from 2020-02-21T11:00:58

In an episode to coincide with The BMJ's themes issue on racism in medicine, this week we talk people getting your name wrong, other microaggressions, and how racism can literally break your heart....

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Sharp Scratch
Working with patients from 2020-02-06T18:36:54

Every day hundreds of patients give up their time to help train medical students. Some work closely with medical schools, as expert patients who lead hands on teaching sessions, or helping develop ...

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Sharp Scratch
Working with the multidisciplinary team from 2020-01-24T12:32:06

We've spoken before on Sharp Scratch about how med students and junior docs can make friends with more senior doctors (like in episode two, when we talked about referrals). But there's a host of ot...

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Sharp Scratch
New year resolutions from 2020-01-09T13:55:04

January is traditionally a time when people make all sorts of promises to themselves - often around food, exercise or work. But sometimes these New Year's Resolutions might put us at risk of puttin...

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Sharp Scratch
Doctor's first Christmas from 2019-12-20T09:44:02

Christmas bells are ringing! It's a day that comes for all those who work shifts: your first holiday season at work. How can you bring a little festive cheer to the ward? We hear from some clinic...

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Sharp Scratch
Gallows humour from 2019-12-05T17:06:17

It's happened to every medic: relatives start telling you off for your dinnertime topic choices; non-medical friends probe and then sit in shock as you tell your latest morbid hospital joke. Some p...

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Sharp Scratch
Making ends meet from 2019-11-21T17:57:40

Sharp Scratch is all about bringing the hidden curriculum to light - so it's time to get real about another hidden aspect of medicine: the financial commitments of studying and being a junior doc. ...

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Sharp Scratch
What you can do on social media from 2019-11-07T17:06:24

Med students and doctors of the 21st century often use social media for work and leisure. We all hear the same spiel from our med schools about being safe online - but social media can also be used...

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Sharp Scratch
Documenting death from 2019-10-24T16:23:36

As med students and junior doctors, we encounter death more than the general population. But what do you actually do when you're called to the ward to see a patient who has died - and what happens ...

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Sharp Scratch
Coping with death from 2019-10-11T09:46:52

As med students and junior doctors, we'll encounter death more than the general population. So how do we cope with the emotional strain this can bring? How do you support colleagues who are grievin...

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Sharp Scratch
Being a sick doctor from 2019-09-26T17:44:45

Last time we talked about getting ill, and taking some sick days - but what happens when you realise that your illness doesn’t have an end date, and if you’re going to return to work at all, then y...

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Sharp Scratch
How sick, is sick enough, to call in sick? from 2019-09-13T10:11:01

Med students and docs face pressure to keeping working when they are poorly - compulsory classes, stretched rotas and knackered colleagues, and pride or stigma masquerading as self discipline or re...

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Sharp Scratch
The dating life of new doctors from 2019-08-29T15:46:36

Who’s off limits when it comes to dating, how renal physiology can ruin your chance of romance, and whether you should put that you’re a doctor on your tindr profile. Dating as a newly qualified d...

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Sharp Scratch
Keeping your relationship alive when you become a doctor from 2019-08-16T14:33:27

The secrets of true love, how being a new doctor affects your sex life, and whether it’s a good idea to date a medic in the first place. Becoming a doctor brings new challenges to romantic relatio...

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Sharp Scratch
Tips for new doctors from 2019-08-01T15:48:13

Your first day of being a doctor is very different to anything in medical school. What can we learn from those who have just finished their first year? What do they wish they had known? Join medic...

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Sharp Scratch
Making your first mistake from 2019-07-19T10:32:32

You've made a mistake. What goes through your mind? How do you share this with your team? Why is it important to recognise the role of systems and human factors in making mistakes? And how do you m...

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Sharp Scratch
How to treat someone who’s racist or sexist from 2019-07-05T10:25:09

What happens when you’re treating a patient, and they say something offensive - do you have a duty to continue treating them? Is it OK to walk away? And whatever you choose, will there be consequen...

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Sharp Scratch
Working with arsehole doctors from 2019-06-20T14:18:22

You’re on the ward round. Doctor shouts at med student. What happens next? Join medical students Laura and Ryhan, newly qualified doctor Chidera, and Simon Fleming, orthopod reg and founder of #H...

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Sharp Scratch
Why CPR isn’t like on TV from 2019-06-07T08:39:42

Join medical students Laura and Declan, newly qualified doctor Chidera, and CEO of Resuscitation Council UK Sue as we figure out what to expect the first time that we observe or take part in a CPR ...

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Sharp Scratch
How to start a project that could actually change something from 2019-05-24T08:08:18

Why projects fail, how one med student transformed her local emergency department, and why you should go looking for the people in the hospital basement. Join medical students Laura, Ryhan, Declan...

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Sharp Scratch
How to refer a patient without p*ssing off the med reg from 2019-05-09T13:15:45

Why the hospital switchboard is the friend you never knew you had, how using emotions can help you refer a patient, and what it takes to make a med reg hang up the phone on you.We learn management...

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Sharp Scratch
Sharp Scratch episode 1: Surviving the night shift from 2019-04-26T11:05:29

Why nights shifts mess with your brain, how astronauts will cope with the time difference on Mars, and the power of frozen grapes when you need a boost. Join medical students Laura, Ryhan, Declan,...

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Sharp Scratch
What is Sharp Scratch? from 2019-04-19T10:13:56

What is Sharp Scratch. Laura Nunez-Mulder is here to introduce Sharp Scratch, the new podcast from The BMJ.We're here to talk about the "hidden curriculum" all of those things that new medics are ...

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