Blue Gold, and of course Training ad infinitum

I can't remember whether we decided if this was an internal communication tool, or an external one... naturally you'd expect me to tow the safer line in this case wouldn't you... Moving on swiftly.

I'm not so sure I like this WYSIWYG editor, it seems to be a bit meh.

Medsin-wise

I completely expected this, and I knew it was what I would be getting myself in for. But emailing is key. Email is king. Email is deity. Luckily I'm a technoamorant (I just made that word up, I think; it means technology lover in my mind), and going abroad for a week (which I shall come on to!) makes it hard to catch up, and you do end up missing deadlines for communication. Sorry guys!

I had the pleasure of attending the National Conference at Nottingham this month which I found immensely enjoyable. It was an incredibly well run conference, on an interesting and engaging subject and I left feeling invigorated and not brain-drained, as I usually do after conferences. Arranged for a couple of Training sessions to be run while I was there which seemed to go down a treat!

A lot of my time this month has gone into preparing Training New Trainers (TNT) in Iceland and in Manchester. This naturally, is the highlight of my time since I love Training and everything to do with it!

I had the pleasure of being invited to FINO (Federation of International Nordic medical students' Organisations) to hold TNT and then to attend their conference. More pleasure was had when I got there and met my amazing co-TNT Trainer, Karolina Tuomisto, and the amazing bunch of new Trainers that came.

I've decided that running TNT is the best thing ever. It's like crack, the enthusiasm and invigoration that you get from doing it is amazing. The rapidity that a group of people gets to know each other is amazing. You don't necessarily learn facts about each other, but you learn how each other work. It's a gruelling course for the new Trainers, but a journey that is frankly beautiful to watch and be a part of facilitating.

People-watching is fun.

My mission for this year is to run TNT at every possible opportunity. Capacity building for Medsin Trainers++++

I also have liased with the IFMSA Training Support Division Director as is part of my role. :)

The boring bit... my life outside of Medsin (at least there are pictures, right?)

Not really much going on here. Iceland was great fun. On the first day we got to go to the Houses of Parliament given a guided tour by Siv Friðleifsdóttir (pictured below), ex-Minister for Health and Social Security, ex-Minister for the Environment, ex-Minister for Nordic Co-operation, which was great fun.

Learning about Icelandic politics was fantastic, and learning about their economy especially. It was quite interesting talking to such a high level politician after Medsin Question Time a few weeks ago where a some of the local MPs were, how can I put this, might not have been so well read?

Below: TNT Team go to Icelandic Houses of Parliament

Alas, due to business, tiredness and a few other things I actually didn't experience any of the typical things people think of when they think of Iceland: Geysers, lagoons, and geothermal awesomeness. I did enjoy the view where we were though, but I have shamelessly stolen these pictures from one of the TNT attendees. I don't regret having too much work to visit this stuff, I was out there for business, and I only hope to go back one day when I can devote more time to pleasure.

The conference was entited Blue Gold (a reference to water), and the conference was opened by Iceland's President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (pictured below)

He was an exceptionally good speaker, who seemed very, very into his Climate Change issues. He clearly understood the importance of the changes that the world is undergoing, and how we need to fix it now. A very inspirational and motivational speaker! He did namedrop Obama once or twice though... ;)

Post Scriptum

This WYSIWYG editor is driving me mad, randomly changing the line-height settings, inserting 's (actually it made me add a because it is crazy.) as it feels necessary, and then when it breaks something... You try to read the HTML, it's horrible. For shame Google, for shame. (I still love you).

New Website to be making an appearance?

Hello!

I'm feeling empowered :) The Medsin website is no longer such a logistical nightmare to me now, as I've had it all explained to me (i.e. how to work it/make it look differently etc.)

Which means everyone can be thinking of making a beautifully awesome new Medsin.org website. I love the way it works, it's just the design...which I'll need YOUR help with over the coming months to make it look the best that it can be.

I've made a little video to aid my efforts, which you'll all see soon...currently only Mr President has had the honour!

That's all I'm going to say. It's very exciting :)

xx

Duvet days, conferences and pipetting

A real mixed bag of a month.

 

National Medsin Wise:

 

My Medsin Highlight was getting to run a workshop at the National Coference on 'Selling Yourself' - fundraising and building your case for support. It was a real challenge, but I feel it went well, and in keeping with the entire National Conference in Nottingham, I had a wonderful time. The conference was brilliant, inspiring me to rethink what population would I as a doctor in the future like to treat.

 

Otherwise in Medsin I have been trying to manage the SWGs - Membership and Charity Status - but I haven't made any real progress in either department. This was particularly evident when I realised I had over four members of Membership ask explicitly for me to provide more guidance to the group. So really this is an entry to emphasise I need to work more on the SWG.

 

I have been updating a creating a FR resource pack, and have been gradually adding to the online pack.

 

General tasks: Chasing up sponsorship money, answering emails on how to FR, investigating possible national FR methods, and crawl my way out of the the emails that I hae let build up.

 

In Brighton: I have just started up a local branch of GHEP and am getting fanstatic support from BSMS. Have fantastic local Medsin committee and am really excited for the some of our upcoming events and plans. 

 

Non-Medsin:

 

I got to go to Powershift - which was amazing, and oddly very emotional.

 

I am pipetting away in the lab most days, and am happy to say I have had some good results and will soon be able to start write up my research project.

 

Sleeping, sleeping, sleeping - as I keep getting ill - and avoiding people and social activities as I recover - very boring.

 

Hoping the next month will be slightly brighter.

 

October

So I finally have got round to writing a blog, even though yorange my borther asked me so long ago, apologies.

In medsin:
I read through Rafi's handover booklet thing which is amazing!!!
I feel a lot more comfortable with what I am doing and have begun looking into a budget now. So don't worry we are not buying 1000 tshirts.
Otherwise responding to other emails and trying to see if I have any bright ideas about anything medsn related i.e. membership mainly and defining ourselves

Outside Medsin:
I met up with Jonny and elly :):). Elly got to see what creperie I am always on about, Jonny didn't.
I was home for a week, I loved it.
I am trying to catch up with work I missed when I was ill from the beginning.
I am trying to get my money from the bank back from the fraud they are accusing me of.

All is good and I saw UP this weekend and by accident went to a really expensive restaurant but loved it all. I would say everyone should watch UP but it can get a bit emotional. Also watching 3D films with 3D glasses with real glasses underneath is not that comfortable.

I feel winter has arrived with the weather being soo cold in Manchester. Word of warning when you come bring like a million layers. Houses are not warm and the weather will be cold

hope all is good

Musty's updates

In Medsin

1. I’m on my second round of ‘call up the all BPs and chat’ – this round is much faster, very efficient. Machine-like, even. Love it.

2. Having trouble with Barts & Warwick still – no word. Have sorted out Swansea and UEA.

3. We’ve all finished our first round of ‘Regional Discussions’ – just after the AGA I introduced them each to their regional teams and gave them each a topic in Medsin to talk about. I’ve collated their email threads and sent them round to the entire group for final inputs before Nottingham and before we move onto Round 2 with 5 new topics to discuss. Magic.

4. This month’s Grand Discussion – where I send out one topic for everyone to input into – is half way done; still waiting on inputs from the rest.

5. Preparing for Branch President Meeting in Nottingham – first aim is to finalise the Grand Discussion bitty, not quite sure what else to do for the hour...

6. Regional conferences – only one confirmed

7. Regional BP meetings – November/December. Have completely ignored this. Oh well!

8. Regional Days out – Scotland (well, technically it’s Scotsquastle now...) has got one planned, trying to convince Peninsula that ‘South West Surfing Action’ is productive for the region...

9. Two new groups – Cardiff and St Georges – are thinking about joining. St Georges is technically a Medsin group, but the new group would be different. It’s all hilariously confusing.

10. Some other things, surely...joined membership SWG...spent a while on the website....Oh! Most impotantly, I’ve been trying to see just how short and snappy I can make my emails to JC. I think my last one was just a ‘k’...

Out Medsin (damn right, Al, I’m with you!!)

1. Basically just climate change and health stuff! Went to this policy making evening at the Royal College Physicians last Wednesday, got my SSC for 2^nd years approved and in Jan I get to be a teacher (woot!), did a sweep and we’ve got 8 groups nationwide, got my grant from the British Council to set up an international wing of Healthy Planet, just finished the 1st draft of HP website, something something....

2. I loved this article - http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/17/david-hare-decade-9-11

3. I’ve been reading The Health Practitioners Guide to Climate Change

4. And Amartya Sen’s The Idea of Justice

5. And I really want to see the new Moctezuma exhibit at the British Museum

6. And lying in bed with my iPod on shuffle made me realise how much I love the Spice Girls

7. And now I’m going to the park to finish my to do list. Global health in the park – love it.

There. My life in a blog.

Musty

Reflections from the office :)

Power and Politics: in Medsin?

I was not surprised on reading this morning's Guardian how hopeless I took our political system in the UK to still be. Any system of leaders that expects or assumes some 'royal' recompense for endless frivolities, for what can only be described as the fruits of its woeful labours, is horribly corrupt and worse, deeply damaging in the face of its voters.


I wonder though, is there an inevitable slide to despotism and deal-making which power seems to so regularly achieve? Tony Benn once famously said he was "leaving parliament to spend more time on politics". Do power structures inevitable tend to corruption, and how can we avoid such a calamitous future for our own purportedly grassroots movement?


Whatever solutions we choose - and accountability, transparency, and the dissolution of absolute power itself are without a doubt justifiable methods transferring agency and empowering our own members - we must use all the fantastic tools we know we could use if we are willing to rise to the challenge. We really do need to prove that our legimitacy derives not only from the fact that our vision is positive or ambitious, but that we will not, and refuse to accept the methods or corrupt tactics our leaders choose when it comes to representation and financial transparency.

Isn't reflecting fun :)

Jonny

Campaigns... Activism... Adovocacy... and DANCING!

Happy October everyone! And my what a busy time it's been, amazingly fun but busy busy as a bee also. After a year "off" (doing International Health BSc not Medicine) being scheduled to be doing things 9-5 has taken a little adjustment... I mean when do working people go to the bank, go to the post office, get milk and all those other things that are so hard when you're busy?! Anyways what have I been up to?

IN MEDSIN
- Launched the Campaigns Community at the Medsin Autumn Weekend, more to come at the National Conference!!
- Getting super excited about the National Conference in general.
- Planning stunts for the National Conference...we're going to stunt it up baby ;)
- Preparing for the Medsin Question Time... lets find out what those politicians have to say!
- Being inspired, enthused, amazed and energised at Powershift with UK Youth Climate Coalition, best dance protest ever :) It was especially nice to feel part of the wider Climate Change movement (beyond health, important though it is).


OUT OF MEDSIN
- Enjoyed having dinner in Sheffield and Manchester - yay trains!
- Been surprised about loving poking tubes into people's lungs on my Anaesthetics placement.
- Went to watch Fame and got very hype, thank god I started my new dance class the very next day or I might have combusted with the urge to dance. Few. I heart Irish dancing.

Lots of love xxxxx

frans news - not in newsletter form. controversial.

Ok - so me, like Al pretty late - nevs minds.

In Medsin I have:
been amazed at people's dedication and efficiancy
been getting excited about National Confernce
been getting good at finding my mistakes in the newsletter! woop woop! did the last one without one moan to yonny/anyone else - score!
you know, writing stuff, sending people that ask hopefully accurate info.....it feels like more....
advertising my availabilty to be delegated to!

Out of Medsin I have:
been on medics bar crawl - messy. possibly an over 24hr long hangover. its just as well i wasnt driving back to glossie for a while...
watching strictly come dancing in 20 minute sections (its so frickin' long! but i do love the dancy....)
been reprimanded for not staying in touch with people

In medicine i have:
been doing psych - heavy but good! alternate between liking and not liking. its orthopeadics next and with my anatomy know-how, i dont stand a chance! in 1st/2nd year i was lucky if i got which limb it was let alone which artery on which limb....

looking forward to notts and, yes elly, it does feel as if we know everyone more. realised the other day im in touch with you guys more than my family or housemates, and i like my family AND my housemate. odd no?!

al being mistaken as a pimp = funny. made my actual day.

medsin love x

Al's Awesome Alliterative Title Alluding to Activities in Medsin

Hi everyone, I realise I'm almost a bit late for this now, so I apologise. I think Elly's completely on the ball when she says that it feels like we've been working together for ages and ages, but equally the time is going so fast!

In Medsin:

• I have attempted to recruit Trainers for:
• Medsin Autumn Weekend
• National Conference (trainers and meeting facilitators)
• Marrow AGM (just me! :( )
• Pharmaware's AGM (email sent out today!)
• I have attempted to raise the profile of TNT already having quite a few potentials (work in progress)
• Working with Claire Thomas to develop the plan for TCT, Campaigns Day and the final integration of TCT and TNT
• Arranged some IFMSA Training: Norway (13-15 Nov), Iceland (2-4 Nov)
• Began preparing TNT application forms
• Repping Medsin at the Marrow AGM (my final act for Marrow? :'( ) [I'll probably still go to clinics]

Out Medsin:

• Met lots of drug addicts in the last two weeks (psych rotation)
• Friend of mine broke up with her boyfriend so I went out drinking for the first time since Macedonia. Four of us, having decided that we were gonna go back to my house walked about 2 miles while drunk. Then she changed her mind and I had to walk her back 1.5 miles in the opposite direction, then walking all the way back I decided to ask a random guy what the time was (my phone battery had died), and another friend was driving past, pulled over and asked me why I was drug dealing to a tramp...
• Going to see Up in 3D today which I'm very excited about!
• Saw Florence and the Machine the day before the MAW.
• I've probably done something else.. right? :S

What I'm wondering now is.. why is it "In Medsin", but "Out of Medsin"? Why the relatively unnecessary "of"? If "In Medsin" makes sense, why shouldn't "Out Medsin"? I'm making a stand!

Sarah P VPP update

Recently in Medsin...

1. National Conference: a. I have been calling out for workshops for projects/campaigns and liasing with Nottingham organisers b. Activities fair - again persuading activities and others to get a stall and keeping the Nottingham nc upto date with this.  

2. AB newsletter: done the call out and will be getting this together in the next few weeks

3. Sexpression conference presentation -  have been putting together and practicing a presentation on medsin & sexpression to give at sexpressions conference on Sunday.

4. Phone call with Jc about activities, projects, and general vpp life

5. Heading to GHEP conference in London Sat and Sexpression conference in Leicester Sunday

6. Planning Buddy love - seeing Fran next Wednesday!

7. Writing application for for funding from my medical school for nc expenses

Aside from Medsin

1. Moving House: Moved to Torbay into lovely flat with my friend who's an F1

2. Helping friends with their F1 applications: and drilling into them that they need to start now - time obsessed Sarah!

3. Seeing friends from the South West :)

4. BMJ careers fair in London: fun times left even more undecided on a career but had some fun and bumped into Mark Prince my predecessor so that was good!

5. Am now back in Swindon - Torbay to be permanent as of October 19th. I'm in Swindon, London, Leicester, Kettering, Exeter, Gloucester, & Cheltenham between then and now!

6. Am doing second part of NLP practictioner course (google it) thurs-sun next week. Still don't know if I think the stuff works but bits of it are def useful to training, and my friends aunt is running it so I am no being charged very tiny friend&student price!

7. Running: as always! I have now entered a half marathon Feb 21st in Brighton so a proper training schedule will be implemented soon!

10 train journeys over the next 10 days :) woooooop

What's been a bit of a challenge recently is...

Having a 3 week gap between elective and med school (surprisingly!)

Sarah's time management weakness is concept of time - tends to overestimate what time = i.e. 3 weeks isn't 3 months! Consequently I have to be really strict with how I use my time, and remember moving house needs adequate time allowed!

Getting gmailed out, need to be careful!

My first month as VPE

I can't believe it has only been a month! It's seem I have been VPE a lot longer, and that I have known the NC for years - but really some of us have only met twice.

 

Medsin so far has really exceded my expectations; I didn't think it would be this much work :-(, but I also didn't think I would get so much pleasure out of it, and meet such fantastic people! The Medsin Autumn Weekend, I thought was a great success, and I'm really proud to be part of the NC team!

 

Recently in Medsin I have been ..... trying to get my head around all the stuff I want to do as VPE and what I can actually do.

 

Fundraising:

 

Fundraising is my main priority and although I have many dreams of what I can do to fundraise on a national level, they are still just dreams as I see what is actually feasible. I am hoping to do my own VPE strategic plan for the year so I can have a better idea of what I want to concentrate on.

 

For the past week I have been concentrating on helping local FR - I have been beefing up and enhancing the online resource pack, and have been in contact with two of the newer branches - Bath and Lancaster - to try and help them realise their FR dreams.

 

Membership:

 

I am going to be facilitating a SWG on Membership and so have put a call out for participants, and am waiting for a few more participants before I start it. In the meantime I have been reading through the work done so far on membership and trying to explore the issues individually.

 

Charity Status:

 

This is where my job is really exciting, and I have been spending many an hour reading through the Charity Commision's website, and trying to get my head around the Charity Act.

 

Local Medsin:

 

I haven't quite let go of my Medsin roots, and am still involved with Brighton's Medsin and StopAIDS - though I am sure I will eventually have to let go :-(.

 

Aside from Medsin.....

 

My amazing housemate Priya has returned from Canada so we have been frequenting our favourite eateries and catching up. Which has been contradicting with me trying to get back into a decent physical fitness, as I am starting basketball soon, I have been hitting the gym and my bike before season starts.

 

I also started my BSc this last week and am now doing Pharmacology - note that is not Physiology JC and Erica - at Brighton. Which has been exciting as I have some fantastic modules coming up and a really exciting research project to start! And yes that's right, your VPE does in fact get excited about Pharmacology - as well as fundraising of course!

 

 

Monthly Update: September, What a month!

Hey guys

As first update for the year it's difficult to know where to start since there's been so much to talk about, do and reflect on since the intensive high that was April of our election!

Recently in Medsin I have been...seconded as one of the Student Editor interns/Medsin random in the office at The Lancet Student magazine therefore currently based there with desk, computer, phone and professional facilities par excellence which was a rather unexpected boon for Medsin this year!

Lots of external meetings to get the year in full swing (hoping to balance internal vs external time, always a challenge). So time with Oxfam, BMA, Medact, UK Youth Climate Coalition , Stop Climate Chaos, was wisely spent with reports to follow very soon! Was elected onto BMA International Committee from the Medical Students area, which will be really valuable to us.

Much of the month spent on preparing for and running our 1st National Committee meeting and the fantastic Medsin Autumn Weekend which started the year with an intense bang, and what a start it was!

Some other Medsin stuff:

• Ran a workshop with End Water Poverty at the Lancet Student Water Forum (18/9) on how to campaign, great fun :)
• Learnt how we can fundraise better, harder and more via the Foundation for Social Improvement at the Sharing the Best Forum (1/10) - FREE training!!
• Meeting with the BMA Medical Student Chair Tim Crocker-Buque and Natalie Breeze (Secretariat) on how we can help them write mandated guidane on medical students and interactions with pharmaceutical companies.
  

Aside from Medsin I've also...Well it's been a wee bit of a busy month recently which started to rule out at times a lot of chillaxation though still loving being in London, about to secure a new place to live v. soon hopefully and generally very much setting aside time for the next short while to catch up with everyone I've neglected of late and explore my new hometown..Saw my brother and sister's football game and horseriding skills this weekend at home, that made a nice change from Medsin weekends for once!

My week so far!

Hey team,

 

This week I've been in Oncology! An unbelievable experience: sobering but strangely uplifting. It certainly takes it out of you, emotionally and physically.

 

Which has left me with a modicum of time to do stuff away from the hospitals. I guess we're all going through the same sorts of things at the moment though, so I'm sure we can pull through as an NC. We've got a great team going here, and I've spent a large part of the week going on at people about the wonders of medsin.

 

And that's all. My week, in words.

 

Yonny