VHCC 2020 Reflections
When I became an ambassador for Becoming a Doctor I never realised in 3 weeks time I would have the opportunity to become Agenda Lead for the UKs largest Health Careers Conference, or that I would meet as many amazing, and driven Health Care Professionals. It was a steep learning curve, but the support from the rest of the team was phenomenal, and I achieved things I never thought I would. When the opportunity arose to also become part of the widening participation team, ensuring everyone who could benefit from the conference heard about it, I jumped at the chance. Just 4% of UK Doctors come from working class backgrounds, and at current only 5% of children eligible for free school means gaines 5 A grades at GCSE; to be a part of an organisation looking to level the playing field and ensure every student, regardless of socio-economic background and lived experience, can access a Health Care Career was an opportunity I could not pass. I look forward to seeing how the conference grows over the coming months, and will see you in November!
I found the conference really interesting. Although it was held virtually, I felt that I got as much out of it as I would have if I attended the conference in Manchester. There was a huge variety of topic covered and all speakers were very helpful when answering questions we had. Thank you to all those who organised and were involved in running the event!
| The virtual conference was exciting, innovative and educative. It was a first time experience for me. It gave the participants the opportunity to attend/ be a part of it because at some point for me internet was not so good. But I was able to participate in mostly the keynote speeches and even some of the aspiring hub classes. Being the first of its kind, I’ll give a big kudos to the organizers and teachers/ speakers who participated in this event because the pandemic wasn’t a barrier to this event. A bit long though but fun. I listened to different people talk and things said changed my life and has made me to take some new decisions and make it better. Thank you once again.. |
| It was really interesting, I learnt a lot |
| I learnt a lot of interesting information at the virtual conference about many different aspects of healthcare like preparing for med school, dentistry, GP, etc. I have learnt so many useful information that I will definitely consider when applying to medical school and decide what path I want to take |
The process of organising and delivering #VHCC2020 was a reminder of the challenges faced by many when applying for entry to the healthcare professions - especially as it has now been 6 years since I began the application process to medicine!. Equally, it was an opportunity to see the amazing strides being made in the field of widening participation in the healthcare professions. It seems that as time goes on the concept of free, open access widening participation initiatives is growing exponentially. I have a feeling that many of the aspiring healthcare professionals who attended the conference will be the widening participation advocates of the future. I look forward to seeing what new developments occur in the coming months, and sharing these at our next conference in November!
| I really enjoyed the conference. I found it very informative and fun. There was lots to do and so much to learn. I liked how accessible it was as if it wasn't online I wouldn't have been able to go. I am very thankful that I was able to join as I learned so much and made friends from different places. I thought the disco at the end was a really fun way to end the conference. |
| By asking questions and listening to current medics and medical students speak about clinical interactions, I realised being a doctor is enriching yet there are difficult situations. I was inspired as this is a career where one keeps learning not only academically, but through personal interaction, building lifelong connections to people. |
| I thought the day was absolutely brilliant. As a high schooler, I thought it was a very action packed day which covered a lot of material that I could learn from to prepare for my application to medical school in 2021. I particularly liked the MMI stations in which the presenters went through potential scenarios and questions that might be asked of us by the interviewer. It also prompted me to do some further research into ethical scenarios that I may have to talk about in the interview. Although I couldn’t attend them all, it was amazing to see the diversity and number of different career paths that were available, and how much roles there are in healthcare. I also loved the ending disco!! |
| I loved the overall concept and the schedule on the day. As an inspired medical student, seeing and visualising other peoples efforts in the health care department was instrumental to my further push in regards to the depth of medicine recently. |
| The talks from doctors and dentists were very informative and insightful which helped me gain a better and more judicious understanding of the medical profession. I found the UCAT and BMAT talks especially helpful as they discussed the question types in detail and gave us a clearer understanding of what to expect during the examination. Also, from the start till the end, the team assisting the talks were very helpful and kind, and the platform used was easy to manoeuvre through. Overall I had a really great time and would recommend it to anyone aspiring to have a career in the medical field. |
Activity
All-day information day, attending various workshops and live speeches discussing different aspects about health issues/topics (e.g. tackling covid-19, challenges of healthcare), admissions and application to medicine (personal statements, interviews) as well as providing an insight into a career in medicine and the roles of other healthcare professionals.
Benefits
While attending the event, a talk explaining the different healthcare professions (e.g. Dieticians, Physiotherapists, Occupational therapist) provided me with the knowledge of the different specialities there can be in an MDT in a health caring environment, whether that be in a hospital or in the community. As well, a talk about challenges now faced in the country and by the NHS (obesity, Covid-19 related like PPE/ testing, antibiotic resistance and ageing population) provided me knowledge of what aspects are affecting the delivery of care to patients. The workshops I attended about medical school and process of how to become a doctor gave me an insight of what exactly is required to become a doctor and the steps needed to be taken to get to certain levels of practice and responsibility as a doctor.
Course
In medicine working in a MDT is a vital part in being able to deliver good quality care to patients, so by having the knowledge about different healthcare professions, allowed me to have a fuller picture of what an MDT might look like, thus begin to consider how a doctor might fit into it and what role he must play at what stage. Considering this I am made aware of how important it is for medicine to relate and acknowledge other allied professions and how as a doctor you must be able to draw on these other expertise to treat patients in the best possible way.
As an aspiring medic, I understand that the challenges faced by the NHS and healthcare more broadly in the future will be of upmost importance for the next generation of doctors to consider. By considering them, we can adopt and alter approaches as to how we deliver care to patients, highlighting the need for changes or updates in our healthcare system where found. Altering the delivery of medicine to combat current issues is the only that medicine can stay up to date and be effective.
Having an understanding of the steps required in becoming a doctor helps give students like me an appreciation of the commitment and time needed to be put in, in order to become a doctor. By entering into medical school, there is a degree of expectation to finish and practice as a doctor, which of course is a big commitment, so acknowledging this information you understand what you are getting into and whether you are willing to commit to medicine, which I am willing to do.
| This event was absolutely incredible! I can’t believe it was completely free! The reason it was so good is because it was organised so well which meant that everything ran smoothly. Also, there was a huge range of talks! There was so interesting and insightful. I learnt a lot from the event. For example, the advances of virtual reality in surgery! Thank you so much for this event. |
| I thoroughly enjoyed the Virtual Health Careers Conference, it was an incredible day packed with invaluable information. I particularly enjoyed the introduction to the GMC talk. I not only found out how the GMC, healthcare professionals and the public work together to make sure the NHS is the best and fairest it can be, but I also learnt about the various attitudes that successful doctors exhibit, such as communication, when talking to patients and teamwork, when working in a multidisciplinary team. This has motivated me to develop these skills in myself so that I can become a good doctor one day! Additionally, I had the opportunity to talk to current medical students from a multitude of universities. This has helped me gain a true insight into what studying Medicine is like, and which university is right for me. I also received some extremely useful advice about personal statements that will aid me in the application process. I also attended a session which taught me how to succeed in admissions tests and interviews, and included a helpful role-play on how to break bad news. Overall, I was blown away by the number of sessions on offer, all free of charge. I now feel a lot more prepared and less stressed about the application process after attending this conference! |
| I thought the VHCC2020 was so fun and informative, I made loads of new friends and got a lot of questions I had answered. I thought the environment was so friendly. I particularly enjoyed the interview prep and the disco |
The Virtual Health Careers Conference—a conference jam-packed with speeches and workshops—not only allowed me to gain so much knowledge in such a short period of time, but also united me with people all over the world with one common interest: the field of medicine. People of varying ages came together on this day to expand their knowledge on this diverse field and gain valuable advice from certified speakers. By the end of the day, I had not only gained insight on how to boost my medical school application, but also learned about a range of different specialities including paediatrics, oncology, and obstetrics and gynaecology. The OB/GYN doctors discussed the precious moments that make this profession worthwhile, such as witnessing a newborn’s first breath. However, they also outlined the harsh realities of this stressful career, including the emotional burden of miscarriages and the risks and complications of pregnancy and women’s health in general.
Going into this conference, I didn’t expect to meet new people, especially since it was fully online. I was bracing myself for nine lonely hours of watching lectures in my bedroom. This, however, couldn’t be further from the truth. Hundreds of vibrant and passionate aspiring medics just like myself flooded the chat and made the conference come to life. By the time the VHCC disco rolled around after nine hours of insightful lectures and workshops, I couldn’t even call these people strangers anymore, but rather friends. I met many enthusiastic students who I am still in contact with in group chats, sharing useful resources and upcoming medical events.
This conference has definitely been the highlight of my summer, and I can’t wait to see what the Becoming a Doctor team have in store for us in the future!
The Virtual Health Careers Conference was an insightful opportunity, allowing anyone from any stage of education to take part. Which was very fortunate for someone who was restricted from most career related events due to my young age. But this event allowed me to learn and have an insight into what a career in health would be like, further inspiring myself to become a Doctor. Not only are you informed of your future education, you have the opportunity to learn about many health related topics one, among many other topics, was why sleeping is important, which was mentioned in the VHCC2020. I would definitely recommend, to anyone inspiring to become a health care professional or is simpIy just interested. This has definitely helped decide my future career.
