We are Ria and Akshata, your 2024/25 MSC (medical students committee) welfare deputy chairs. Collectively, we have four years of experience in the MSC, Ria as your 2023/24 deputy chair for welfare and MSC representative for Nottingham University, and Akshata as part of the 2023/24 conference agenda committee and MSC representative for Bristol University.

We believe that studying medicine must involve looking after ourselves, as well as patients. We have seen the growing levels of stress, burnout, and lack of support given to medical students on their journey to become doctors. We want to be part of the change needed to make things better and support a sustainable future of the medical profession.

This year, we plan to address four key pillars to do so. 

Medical school and teaching hospital culture often stops us from seeking support when we really need it. Even when we do seek help, provisions tend to be inadequate. Our wellbeing checklist report showed most wellbeing measures are performative, and are not practised. Changing these needs collective action from all medical students.  

 Wellbeing is affected by a range of factors, from poor bursaries to lack of parking at hospitals. We want to fight this at a regional and national level. We will raise awareness across medical schools and organisations (eg the GMC) about the disparities in welfare provisions by publicising the shocking results from the welfare checklist report. We will put a spotlight on the poor welfare provisions and pressurise universities to make a change.  

Simultaneously, we want to empower representatives and students to bring local change at a grassroots level. Keep an eye out for how to get involved as we fight for improving wellbeing provisions.  

Almost a third of female surgeons have been the target of sexual harassment, a 2023 survey found. Making headlines, conversations about how unsafe medicine is for women are finally being heard. Gender-based violence continues to affect many, with female medical students being no exception. More than often, we are silenced, with harassment being simply dismissed as ‘locker room talk’.   

Welfare is not about ticking a box; it must be proactive. There must be a safe environment for female medical students, opportunities to report incidents, and post-incident psychological support from medical schools. We will work with organisations and medical schools to promote a culture shift and make sure medical students are heard and supported.

Similarly, we will put pressure on medical schools to improve wellbeing support, with a focus on female medical students on placement. 

As students from minority ethnic backgrounds, we have experienced the unconscious bias, institutionalised racism and casual discrimination minority students face. But also, the lack of support and understanding by medical schools.

We will push for policy reforms and culture shifts in medical schools to ensure adequate support. Especially for students who are refugees and victims of devastating wars, we demand medical schools be proactive not retroactive, offering statements and support helplines.  

We will restart the anti-racism working group to work on motions passed in MSC conferences on these issues. 

The rise in homophobia and transphobia towards LGBTQIA+ students is a huge concern, and over the past two years, we have worked with GLADD (the Association of LGBTQ+ Doctors & Dentists) to gather signatories to 41 out of 46 medical schools on the GLADD conversion therapy charter. While we will continue helping GLADD gain signatories for this charter, our role now also focuses on holding medical schools accountable; making sure they are following the commitments they made by signing the charter.   

We also want to make sure support and resources are accessible for all LGBTQIA+ medical students. Being LGBTQIA+ in a traditionally heterosexual, cis profession can feel incredibly isolating. While support and resources are available, these are often sparse and hidden. We will address this by looking to ensure the support available is easily accessed and working with LGBTQ+ organisations to create inclusive policy across medical schools.  

Through exposing failures, pushing for reforms and strengthening welfare, we will transform medical schools to help students, not burden them. We want to collaborate with you, as BMA members and representatives, to create these sustainable solutions and lobby for change. If you’re interested in collaborating with us on any of our projects, we would love for you to get in contact.

In medicine, we are taught to care for others yet are often left struggling for ourselves. This should not be our reality, and we want to help change it.

Ria Bansal is a medical student at the University of Nottingham. Akshata Valsangkar is a medical student at the University of Bristol. Together, Ria and Akshata are your BMA medical students committee deputy co-chairs for welfare.