Show Notes
In this episode, new host Zaynah Khan meets with Author, Poet, Creative Writing Lecturer, and Ex-Doctor Gita Ralleigh. They are joined by Khadijah, a medical student taught by Gita, and panellists Elgan and Maira who help explore the role of creativity within medicine and how writing can help enhance clinical practice.
Fill in our feedback survey to let us know your thoughts about Sharp Scratch and content from the BMJ and BMJ Student https://forms.gle/hr9BWNYx6DkVrBSP7
Follow us on Instagram, X and TikTok https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ https://x.com/BMJStudent https://www.tiktok.com/@sharpscratchpod
READING LIST ⁃ ‘Unheard: The Medical Practice of Silencing’ by Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan ⁃ ‘The Undying’ by Anne Boyer ⁃ Arthur Frank’s framing of patient narratives ⁃ ‘The Empathy Exams’ by Leslie Jamison ⁃ ‘When Breath Becomes Air’ by Paul Kalanithi ⁃ Patient made writing and art ⁃ John Clare’s poetry ⁃ ‘Time is a Mother’ by Ocean Vuong ⁃ ‘Giving Up the Ghost’ by Hilary Mantel ⁃ Phil Whitaker’s commentary ⁃ ‘The Story of a Heart’ by Rachel Clarke ⁃ ‘The Prison Doctor’ by Dr Amanda Brown ⁃ ‘The Diving Bell and the Butterfly’ by Jean-Dominique Bauby
More from Sharp Scratch
Do you ever feel uncomfortable expressing empathy towards patients? This week, the Sharp Scratch panel talks to Dr Bill Laughey to discuss how empathy is taught in communication skills sessions, and graded in OSCEs. They talk about the disconnect between feeling empathy and how we’re taught to express it in the clinical setting. And, finally, do we as medical students become less empathetic over time? Follow us on Instagram, X, Bluesky and TikTok https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/ https://x.com/BMJStudent https://bsky.app/profile/bmjstudent.bsky.social https://www.tiktok.com/@sharpscratchpod
What does it take to be a successful medical influencer? Dr Rohin Francis (a.k.a Medlife Crisis) debunks the misconceptions, and reveals hidden challenges. The panel, which also features new Sharp Scratch host Catherine Wang and FY1 doctor Judy Ugwuja, discuss how they feel when they see increasing numbers of medical influencers online - is it starting to get a bit cringe? What are the dos and don’ts of making content as a doctor, and should the GMC be better at regulating this? Hear the panel discuss all on this week’s episode of Sharp Scratch - enjoy!
Does medicine allow you to be creative? In Zaynah’s last episode as host of Sharp Scratch, she is joined by incoming Editorial Scholar Catherine Wang to explore her chosen topic of the 2026 BMJ Student print issue: medical humanities!
“I like science and I want to help people” is a classic med school interview answer to “Why medicine?”... Can a medical degree train you to help others, even without traditional doctor-ing? In this episode, Zaynah Khan sits down with Claire Oxlade, and medical student Maira, to discuss what medics can do to impact public health. Claire is the global engagement lead of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC), working alongside medics, scientists, policymakers and parliamentarians on antimicrobial resistance. This Sharp Scratch episode explores what “diplomacy” means in relation to public health and medicine, and potential careers that your medical degree equips you for - that you might not have considered before!
Does your digital footprint represent you personally, or are you perceived as a doctor while you doomscroll? Can you ever be sure that *all views are your own* ? Are you an avatar representing medicine or a private citizen?