Student Doctor selected to present neurodivergent research at the Royal College of Pathologists
The Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine hosted their annual National Conference this month and second-year Student Doctor Esther Davies was one of six students shortlisted to present her research poster at the Royal College of Pathologists in London.
This year’s theme focused on Innovation in Forensic and Legal Medicine and Esther’s presentation highlighted the heightened risk of victimisation within neurodivergent communities. Focusing on the factors that predispose autistic individuals to sexual offences, she emphasised the critical need for greater awareness to protect vulnerable patients.
Explaining her choice of topic, Esther stated: “I feel very strongly about how prevalent sexual offences are in combination with the deficit in general knowledge of autism itself.
Sexual victimisation is higher in the neurodiverse community compared to the general population and the factors that can cause a greater risk are important to be aware of.
Due to the general lack of knowledge around autism, many symptoms of PTSD due to a sexual attack can be misattributed to common co-morbidities in autism. This leaves autistic victims at a greater risk of revictimization and also leaves them without the correct support they need.”
As part of the conference, the agenda included a range of talks from expert speakers covering updates within the field of forensic and legal medicine.
I found the conference really fascinating and enjoyed the opportunity to learn so many new things. My favourite talk was from the anti-torture committee of the Council of Europe, which I had never been aware of prior to the conference. Hearing about their work was insightful and being able to ask the speaker questions afterwards was a great opportunity.
Reflecting on her experience at the conference, Esther remarked, “The main thing I've gained is more confidence in general. It was quite intimidating being at a conference with many clinicians who are much more experienced than you. When you speak to them, they are friendly and happy to chat to you about anything.”
Regarding the highlights of the MBChB programme so far, Esther shared:
While being able to visit the Forensic and Legal medicine conference has definitely been a highlight, my favourite learning opportunity so far has been being able to observe a home office forensic postmortem.
It was so interesting, and I got to meet lots of people involved in the court case such as the police officers and crime scene investigators. I also got to wear some cool wellies and scrubs!”
For those interested in presenting a poster, Esther encourages fellow students to give it a try. “I found it really fun to research something I was interested in and make it into a poster to present. The presenting part is definitely the most nerve wracking so just make sure to be prepared on your topic and think about possible questions you could get asked.”
Discover More
- Look into the support available to Liverpool Student Doctors to both attend and present at conferences, including funding available, on the Academic Conferences webpage (link).