Highcliffe at the BMA National Conference

Aspiring medics in Year 10 attended the first day of the BMA National Conference at the BIC.

Highcliffe was one of just 5 schools that took up the special invitation to take part in a session specifically for The Medics of Tomorrow in the concourse lounge at the BIC. After a light lunch students assembled for an introductory talk presented by the National President of the BMA, Professor Pali Hungin.
He inspired his audience and covered a wide range of topics and specialities within the medical profession.

Key messages in this introduction were about life as a medic, both as an undergraduate and also the range of occupations within the profession after qualification and preparing to be the medics of tomorrow in a dramatically changing scientific and technological world.

He outlined new medical techniques and gave an example of robotics and how tomorrow’s surgeons are unlikely to be in the same theatre as the patient – or for that matter not even the same country! Hot topics on the main conference agenda were also discussed including:

• Ethical debates that need to be had at a strategic national level about patient care and legal changes.
• The functioning and restructuring of the NHS moving forwards.

Next on our agenda was a series of interactive workshops led by medical practitioners and undergraduates. The final session was a question and answer session, again led by Professor Hungin.
He had decided to stay with students throughout this mini conference and said how much he valued the quality of students aspiring to become our ‘The Medics of Tomorrow’.

Here are some quotes of the day from our students:
“A good insight into medicine”
“It helped me clarify what I want to do and gave me more information on health related industries”
“I now know which universities to apply for”
“I now know much more about the diversity of medical careers”
“I loved the life sized game of Operation”
“It was good to be able to interact with other schools”
“Good to speak with Doctors from many different medical backgrounds”

BMA School's Session 2017 Video (YouTube)

At Highcliffe our Aspirant Medics Programme helps to guide our students through Key Stage 4 and into the Sixth Form where the programme moves up several gears to include hospital visits, work experience and voluntary activities.

The programme then moves through the UCAS application cycle, aptitude testing (like the UKCAT and BMAT) and then preparing for University interviews in the autumn term of Year 13.

Mr O’Connor,
Aspirant Medics Programme

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Owned by: CCN | Last Published: 17/07/2017 13:41:42 | Next Update: N/A