Four students from Edinburgh Medical School have won a UK-wide competition on professionalism held by the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Medical Schools Council (MSC).
Students studying medicine across the country were invited to produce an online resource for their peers on how to act appropriately to their skill level as a doctor in training, for example in making a choice to involve senior colleagues when a patient’s condition changes.
Teams could create a social media post, podcast or blog to offer advice on challenges they may encounter in their professional lives. The competition is held every year to help medical students develop their professional skills.
Edinburgh students Marcus Kam, 22; Sagarika Kaushal, 26; David Gringras, 22 and Alex Mazilu, 22 are in their fifth year of study. They created a video acting out several situations where medical students may be faced with a decision of ‘acting within their competence’ or skill level, for example, being asked by a more senior colleague to complete a task they haven’t yet trained for.
The group then discussed the different ways of tackling each situation and pinpointing the best approach, using the GMC and MSC’s joint guidance Achieving good medical practice (AGMP)as a guide.
Marcus Kam, speaking on behalf of the winning team, said: ‘The step-up to the clinical stage of medical school is daunting, in-fact all of the scenarios in our video were inspired by personal experiences we’ve had.
“We were proud of the video we’d produced, but hearing we had won first prize in the competition was the cherry on top. We hope our video can act as a useful resource for medical students around the country.’
Professor Colin Melville, the GMC’s Medical Director and Director of Education and Standards, who was part of the judging panel, said: ‘In a busy medical team, feeling able to speak confidently about your own capability when a task is asked of you, often by your superiors, is harder than it sounds.
“But it is a vital ability in keeping patients safe and in your own professional development as a doctor.
“Every year we receive impressive entries from medical students across the country, and this competition was no exception.
“We were impressed by the team’s relatable approach. They presented situations we could all envision ourselves in as doctors, and the team did a great job of discussing the solutions in an engaging and nuanced way.’
Clare Owen, Assistant Director of the Medical Schools Council said: “It was wonderful to see so many brilliant entries this year and medical students participating in the competition.
“There was one video, however, that was particularly impressive. It showed excellent consideration of the AGMP guide and what it means to be a good doctor by working within the limits of your competence, through real-life scenarios and a well-produced video. We all thoroughly enjoyed it.’
The video will now be shared with all UK medical schools as a teaching resource. The winners also received £300 in shopping vouchers.
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