Course Representatives play a key role in enhancing the student experience and represent an important connection between students and staff. In this role they work closely with senior management to share student feedback and implement changes to continuously optimise the MBChB programme.
Each year, the School appoints two reps per year group and one for the Graduate Entry cohort. The representatives meet regularly with senior staff at the Student Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC), which is a great avenue for addressing any student concerns or ideas and translating these into actions to be implemented.
Welcome on board then to Lidia, Swasti, Isaac, Stephanie, Jarius, Eric, Siona, Antony, Anthonia, Shahbaz and Shazlina - your course reps for the 2021-22 academic year.
Year 1
(L-R) Lidia Nunez Jaramillo and Swasti Shishodia
Lidia Nunez Jaramillo
- Home town: Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- Coffee order: Depends, on a daily basis it will be a regular latte with coconut milk and cinnamon or cocoa sprinkles. But the days I feel like spicing things up, it will be a latte with rice or cashew milk + ginger or hazelnut syrup + sprinkles!
- Favourite place to spend a Sunday afternoon: Anywhere as long as I am with people that really matter to me and bring joy to my life.
- Biggest career ambition: Trauma & Orthopaedic Consultant
- Reason I ran for Course Rep: To break down unhealthy competition around medicine. Teamwork is a pivotal part in patient care, and in life. I believe we are all going through the same and we should be kinder to each other. My intention was to make the transition to this new environment healthier and easier.
- One thing I’d like to achieve in the role this year: Make the first year experience better for one person; if my actions benefit one person, it is a win!
Swasti Shishodia
- Home town: Guildford, Surrey
- Coffee order: don't drink coffee but I had to choose, it has to be a Frappuccino.
- Favourite place to spend a Sunday afternoon: a green space e.g. walks in the park.
- Biggest career ambition: very likely to change but either something in the obstetrics and gynaecology field or public health work.
- Reason I ran for Course Rep: I feel strongly about change and speaking out when things have the potential for improvement, and this role offers just that.
- One thing I’d like to achieve in the role this year: To ensure student's voices are heard and make sure their opinions count.
Year 2 and Graduate Entry Programme
(L-R) Stephanie Girgis, Isaac Fazey-Koven & Jarius Alfred
Stephanie Girgis (Y2)
- Home town: Toronto, Canada
- Coffee order: Frozen Coffee
- Favourite place to spend a Sunday afternoon: On a run or at the park.
- Biggest career ambition: To become an OB-Gyn professor in a University’s Medical School.
- Reason I ran for Course Rep: I was course rep last year and I really enjoyed watching the changes I pushed for come to action.
- One thing I’d like to achieve in the role this year: Helping students transition from a complete lockdown, full on COVID state to a post-COVID state.
Isaac Fazey-Koven (Y2)
- Home town: Aberystwyth
- Coffee order: Black Americano
- Favourite place to spend a Sunday afternoon: Up a mountain
- Biggest career ambition: Nobel Prize I guess?
- Reason I ran for Course Rep: To get more involved
- One thing I’d like to achieve in the role this year: Wider cooperation amongst students
Jarius Alfred (GEP)
- Home town: London
- Coffee order: Anything but coffee. Tea or Hot Chocolate is the way!
- Favourite place to spend a Sunday afternoon: In my room watching a show/movie or playing video games.
- Biggest career ambition: To make a medical discovery.
- Reason I ran for Course Rep: To be at the forefront of facilitating change and helping to ensure a smooth and supportive start for what is a challenging first year for Graduate Entry Student Doctors.
- One thing I’d like to achieve in the role this year: To ensure the feedback from my peers is both considered and acted on.
Year 3
(L-R) Siona Mitra and Eric Dos Santos
Siona Mitra
- Home town: Singapore
- Coffee order: Any frappe at Starbucks.
- Favourite place to spend a Sunday afternoon: In bed watching Netflix.
- Biggest career ambition: Would love to work for the UN and/or WHO.
- Reason I ran for Course Rep: I love being a bridge between School of Medicine staff and students.
- One thing I’d like to achieve in the role this year: I want to optimise the feedback system so changes can be made during the year/placement rotation rather than at the end, benefiting those who submitted the feedback.
Eric Dos Santos
- Home town: Caracas, Venezuela.
- Coffee order: I don't like coffee!
- Favourite place to spend a Sunday afternoon: Everton Park, for panoramic views of the city.
- Biggest career ambition: Becoming an Orthopaedic surgeon or Neurosurgeon
- Reason I ran for Course Rep: To meet new people!
- One thing I'd like to achieve in the role this year: Look into the way placements are current delivered.
Year 4
(L-R) Anthonia Adefolaju and Antony Lavercombe
Anthonia Adefolaju
- Home town: London/Essex
- Coffee order: Chai Tea Latte (I don’t drink coffee).
- Favourite place to spend a Sunday afternoon: Either at church, at the gym or in bed.
- Biggest career ambition: To graduate and become a successful doctor!
- Reason I ran for Course Rep: I’m keen to get involved in making fourth year as enjoyable and straightforward a year as possible!
- One thing I’d like to achieve in the role this year: Enhancing the relationship between the student body and senior leadership team.
Antony Lavercombe
- Home town: Morecambe
- Coffee order: Coconut latte
- Favourite place to spend a Sunday afternoon: if it's raining you can find me at the climbing hangar or if the weather is nice, I like to go out walking/running in the country side.
- Biggest career ambition: I will be pretty happy just to qualify to be honest, I think that’s a massive achievement for everyone.
- Reason I ran for Course Rep: This is a vital year in our academic career and I really want the opportunity to use my previous experience in this role to ensure any student concerns are heard.
- One thing I’d like to achieve in the role this year: my main aim is to ensure I have a positive impact on the student experience for my cohort.
Year 5
(L-R) Shazlina Shahul and Shahbaz Khan
Shazlina Shahul
- Hometown: Singapore
- Coffee order: I don't drink coffee! But I love hot chocolate
- Favourite place to spend a Sunday afternoon: Sefton Park
- Biggest career ambition: Becoming a doctor!
- Reason I ran for Course Rep: To be closer to my year and to the School so that I can help make changes.
- One thing I’d like to achieve in the role this year: I would like to help increase student satisfaction and continue to optimise our curriculum for our future student doctors!
Shahbaz Khan
- Home town: Widnes
- Coffee order: Water!
- Favourite place to spend a Sunday afternoon: In my room
- Biggest career ambition: To enjoy life, no matter what I do.
- Reason I ran for Course Rep: To make sure everyone is happy with the curriculum.
- One thing I’d like to achieve in the role this year: To engage more with my peers and the university.
Discover More
Becoming a Course Rep is an important responsibility and provides a fantastic opportunity to work on your personal development.
- Take a look at the Student Spotlight article (link) where reps from the 2020-21 academic year reflect on their experience.
- Liverpool Student Doctors can find out more about Course Reps (link) and the Student Staff Liaison Committee (SSLC) (link) on the student intranet.
- Go over to The Guild website (link) for more information about the benefits and expectations of being a Course Rep.