Sharp Scratch

Why is academic failure surrounded by shame and guilt? Find out what support is available for students, and why failing may make you a better doctor in the long term.

 

Zaynah and George reflect on failure in medical school - taboo, support, impact on identity-  in this new introduction. Followed by Nikki's episode 'The F Word' from 2021.

 

This week the panel are joined by Rakesh Patel, Clinical Associate Professor in Medical Education, to talk about failing - and why medical students are so embarrassed to fail.

 

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Does who you know determine the doctor you become? Do you need a mentor to be a good doctor? How do you form a successful mentoring relationship in medicine?

 

In this episode, Zaynah sits down with Professor Katherine Woolf, and panellists Judy and Sarah, to discuss the role that mentoring has to play in medicine. They discuss structured mentoring opportunities in medical education and training and to what extent they’re useful. How factors like race, class, and gender shape your relationship with your mentor, and whether that impacts your career trajectory. Together they share their experiences of being mentored and mentoring others, and how to create these networks.

 

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Is it the job of minority students to teach their peers, or even staff, about race in medicine? If not, then who is the right person to teach us? 

 

In this episode, Zaynah Khan sits down with expert guests and doctors Mehrunisha Suleman and Zeshan Qureshi, along with panellist and medical student Judy, to discuss how race is taught in medical education. 

 

They discuss the informal responsibility often placed on people from minority groups to act as a "spokesperson" for their community and the impacts this can have. Together they explore anti-racism as an academic subject and how medical research should be taught in medical school curriculums. 

 

Anti-Racist Medicine (Upcoming Textbook/E-Book - June 2026)

An Essential Guide to Advancing Equity in Medical Education, Research, Technology, Policy, and Practice

https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Anti_Racist_Medicine_E_Book/Y1YmEQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0  

 

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Are you a "medic-ey medic," or do you feel like a bit of an outsider?

Medical school often comes with a heavy set of unspoken expectations. From how you spend your free time to what you’re "supposed" to be good at, the pressure to fit a specific mold can be exhausting. But what happens when you don't - or won't - conform?

In this episode, Zaynah Khan sits down with panelist George and expert guest Dr. Sabina Dosani, doctor/author/editor, to explore the bittersweet reality of being different in medicine. Together, they dive into:

The Myth of the "Ideal Medic": Why the stereotypes we chase might not actually exist.

Belonging Without Conformity: How to find your space in the profession while staying true to yourself.

Professional Identity: The idea that being a doctor isn't a role you inherit, but something you create through your own unique actions and adaptations.

Whether you’re a"traditional" student or someone who feels like they’re constantly resisting the status quo, this conversation is a reminder that there is no single way to be a doctor.

 

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Why Medicine?

We’re all familiar with the interview Q on our motivations for entering the field. But what happens when the expectations we had of a medical career melt away into the shocking reality? Is this really what you signed up for?

 

In this episode, Zaynah Khan sits down with Dr Seema Haider, GP and trainer, to discuss issues of moral distress and moral injury in medicine. They are joined by Steph and Andrew, both doctors too, and together they share clinical anecdotes and lessons, from things that chip away at you over time as a medical student or doctor. They also discuss ways to hold on to hope, and take care of yourself and each other, whilst working in a broken system.

Read Seema’s article on moral injury here:

https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/views/guest-opinion/drexit-moral-injury-is-destroying-the-foundation-of-our-nhs/ 

 

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