I have a confession. Although the house is full of them at this time of year, I find it very difficult to put a perfectly good box in the bin. Symbols of usefulness, with the promise of treasures inside, waiting to be released.
As you can see from our stories this month, many of our students have released their academic, stage, and clinical treasures in so many useful and inspirational ways and I hope, with lateral flow tests at the ready, that there will be plenty more opportunities to showcase the energy and abilities that Liverpool School of Medicine students are known for.
This month has also seen national interest in ensuring that all student doctors have an equal opportunity to thrive, with the release by the Medical Schools Council (MSC) of a framework: Active Inclusion: Challenging exclusions in medical education.
We look forward to working with Medical Schools across the country to implement this. Meantime, the School is proud that were part of the development of the MSC EDI Alliance that created this framework and that, as prompted by our student doctors, we have already preceded this with work to actively address exclusion across a number of areas, including to raise awareness of ‘microaggression’.
As individuals, your unique blend of personal treasures and talents are sure to bring a depth of understanding to your patient care and a richness to the teams you will work in.
At this time of year, when we often take stock of what we have achieved, I hope you will celebrate those personal strengths, take pride in the development of skills and friendship that they have brought in 2021, and look forward to a fantastic year of promise ahead.