Sharp Scratch

If more of our clinical thinking is done by technology, what does it mean to be a doctor in the future? Will our jobs be replaced by AI? 

In this episode of Sharp Scratch, host Zaynah Khan is joined by panellists and medical students Nilay and Inez, alongside expert guest Professor Paul Taylor, to discuss one of the biggest question marks hanging over the future of medicine: the rapid rise of AI.

How will rapid implementation of AI impact the future role of a doctor?

Should we be using AI in medicine? If so, how can we do so ethically?

Are medical schools equipping us for future medical careers involving AI, tech, and robots?

 

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What happens when the career you spent your life chasing no longer feels like the right fit?

We are currently witnessing a massive cultural shift in medical schools and in training. More and more students and FYs are looking at "portfolio careers," eyeing the exit door, and searching for opportunities completely outside of clinical practice. But actually choosing to leave is difficult…

In this episode, Zaynah Khan and the Sharp Scratch panel dive into how a dysfunctional system can capitalize on young, high-achieving, validation-seeking students until they are completely exhausted.

But it's not just a conversation about quitting. For those who want to stay, we look at real, practical strategies to cope and sustain a lifelong career without losing yourself. Discussing - what makes staying in medicine feel worth it?

 

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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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