Student Spotlights pass the mic to our student doctors, to hear their take on their School experience and shine the light on a particular role, team or pathway through the School of Medicine.
Student Doctor Thomas Reed joined Liverpool School of Medicine in September 2020 as part of the School’s Graduate Entry programme. Thomas shares his thoughts on creating your own learning opportunities, and what he loves most about being a part of such a vibrant student community.
Before starting at Liverpool, I studied Medical Sciences BSc at the University of South Wales, it was one of the few ‘pre-medicine’ degrees in the UK at the time and gave a wide overview of the field.
I then worked in the civil service for 7 years and had the opportunity to do a variety of health roles investigating complaints with the Health Service Ombudsman, responding to infectious diseases with the Health Protection Team, and finally as a strategic policy advisor for the Department of Health and Social Care.
I had the privilege of working with several public health Consultants who were also medical doctors. I was always impressed by their approach to problem solving and their ability to bring a clinical viewpoint to a discussion and stand out as leaders.
They were all very encouraging when I expressed an interest in pursuing clinical medicine and helped arranged some hands-on experience.
I realised that whilst I enjoyed my wider health system work, I was blind to the frontline clinical aspect of medicine and was missing out on patient contact, which is ultimately what I wanted.
However, I was torn between another job role I had applied to in parallel. It wasn’t until I saw the email from Liverpool offering me a place on the graduate programme that I wholeheartedly knew this was the right path for me, and I haven’t looked back since.
Unusual beginnings
Starting a life-changing journey amidst a national lockdown brought a host of new challenges. The four-week graduate summer school at the beginning of my first year, although delivered online, was a great way to get to know my fellow graduate students and allowed us to form strong bonds.
I was far more nervous about joining the rest of the year in September. However, my concerns were quickly dispelled as my peers and new tutorial group couldn’t have been more welcoming and took the time to get to know me and help revise year 1 content together.
I love it when I meet fellow students I’ve been on online tutorials or workshops with in real life. It’s always nice to match the Zoom square to the person.
With hybrid teaching arrangements in place since I joined Liverpool, while I have taken part in plenty of face-to-face clinical skills and other small group teaching sessions, I’ve yet to step foot in a proper lecture theatre. However, moving lecture content online has its benefits and has required me to be more self-motivated than ever - as lecturers don’t have a pause button in real life!
(L-R) Hazel Owusu-Yianoma, Charlotte Chesters-Thompson and Thomas Reed
Part of a community
I feel a great sense of community amongst the student body.
I initially found the re-adjustment back to full-time study difficult but had great support from other students setting up our own study groups, along with medical societies, like BME Medics, Liverpool Acute, Critical and Emergency Society (LACES), MedEd, Liverpool OSCE Society and peer-led teaching scheme Pal-Med, that run helpful revision sessions and other activities.
I could not recommend these highly enough, as they are student led and really help consolidate my knowledge.
I am massively grateful to the upper year students who take time out of their own schedules to teach others and pass on their ‘top tips’.
I’ve also enjoyed getting involved with other societies, including LMSS and the newly formed QueerMedics Society, which have been a great way to unwind and get to know other students.
Thriving on placement
I’ve thrived undertaking clinical placements this year, working alongside clinical staff, and interacting with patients has contextualised my learning and improved my understanding of complex medical conditions.
I would advise that a little preparation goes a long way. For example, before a placement I’ll scan over the relevant lectures and prepare a weekly ‘notebook’ with my timetable on the front and some OSCE and history taking checklists inside.
Don’t be afraid to voice any procedures you want to see, or skills you’d like to practice on placement.
I have a keen interest in sexual health, and after discussing it with colleagues at the education centre, they were able to arrange a couple of extra shadow days for me, allowing me to have a great experience and explore this speciality further.
Try spending time with an array of health professionals to better understand their roles and how these integrate with doctors and the wider health system. I always appreciate it when senior colleagues take the time to share insights into their own career journey, motivations and lessons learnt.
I am a big fan of giving and asking for feedback. ‘How can I have done this better’ is a phrase I’m often saying.
There are so many great people working in healthcare, if someone is going over and above expectations then it’s important this gets recognised and can give that person a much needed boost.
Thomas on clinical placement
Special moments
Currently, I’m enjoying internal acute medicine and it’s fast-paced, reactionary nature. I am drawn to the dynamic nature and slick functioning of an emergency response team and so was very excited to take part in ‘clinical simulation’ during my Medicine B placement.
This involved responding to several high-pressured scenarios, applying clinical reasoning and demonstrating leadership and followship.
The session and subsequent debrief was expertly led by an A&E consultant and her senior registrar and required us to reflect on what went well and what could be improved.
I had a great experience working as a student vaccinator over the winter holidays at the Liverpool pop-up COVID vaccination clinics. It was inspiring to see other student doctors helping the local community and was a great way to improve my clinical skills and technique.
I’m simply enjoying the journey as it happens for now. I like that the rotating placements allow you to see a bit of everything, and that all doors are kept open as a student.
I think that portfolio careers are the future and would like to find a mix that incorporates clinical contact, public health planning and teaching others.
Growing together
Avoid the trap of comparing yourself to others. We all have different starting points and bring different strengths to the table.
The course puts a lot of emphasis on reflecting and thinking about what type of doctor you want to be. However, for a lot of young people starting university, they’re still figuring out what type of person they are. This is just as important. Please take the time to nurture and invest in your own personal growth.
I lived in and loved Liverpool before medical school, so when I feel overwhelmed or stressed, I take time to prioritise my mental health and step away from the desk. I take great comfort from the beauty of the city, its people and culture. I usually go for a jog along the Mersey front, visit one of the museums or catch a film with friends at the FACT independent cinema. Be sure to get to know the Liverpool outside of campus, as it has so much to offer.
Finally, support each other. If you see a peer having a tough time on placement, engage with them, work with them and learn together. My clinical placement group have been a large part of my great experience this year and have helped motivate me to be a better student doctor – shout out to Charlotte, George, Hazel, Jasmine and Maya!
Medicine is a team sport and is far more enjoyable when we work with each other to achieve a common goal.
Get in touch with mednews@liverpool.ac.uk if you’d like to step into the Student Spotlight or nominate a student or group to do so.