Sharp Scratch – Details, episodes & analysis

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Sharp Scratch

The BMJ

Health & Fitness

Frequency: 1 episode/16d. Total Eps: 167

Bringing together medical students, new doctors and expert guests to discuss everything you need to know to be a good doctor.

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Data updated on 26/09/2026

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Score global : 42%

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Riddle me this: What if medicine was more of a humanities than a STEM subject?

Episode 175

Friday, September 25, 2026 • Duration 40:16

Does medicine allow you to be creative?

In Zaynah’s last episode as host of Sharp Scratch, she is joined by incoming Editorial Scholar Catherine Wang to explore her chosen topic of the 2026 BMJ Student print issue: medical humanities!

Hear from medics, involved in creating the issue, about the role that creativity plays in medicine for them - including illustrator of the zine Dr Kathryn Raj.
The 2026 Clegg Scholars Nilay Sah, Rojbin Yigit, Anna de Beer and Ella Banbury share insights from medics they’ve interviewed who have taken a non-traditional path in medicine.
Explore ways that you can integrate creativity into your medical studies and career!

For the last time, as host - stay safe, stay sharp!

Zaynah

Listen to Zaynah’s favourite Sharp Scratch episode: “I’m Not Like Other Medics—Deconstructing the medical student stereotype”
- On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4PYI9EmWsmmOliekGYsORl?si=ACsbahwWRcau8CCAOlzLpg or (https://tinyurl.com/yjrkd9h5)
- On Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/im-not-like-other-medics-deconstructing-the-medical/id331561304?i=1000759002063 or (https://tinyurl.com/253k4ajw)

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Do medics have a role in shaping public health?

Episode 174

Tuesday, September 8, 2026 • Duration 39:03

“I like science and I want to help people” is a classic med school interview answer to “Why medicine?”... Can a medical degree train you to help others, even without traditional doctor-ing?

In this episode, Zaynah Khan sits down with Claire Oxlade, and medical student Maira, to discuss what medics can do to impact public health. Claire is the global engagement lead of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC), working alongside medics, scientists, policymakers and parliamentarians on antimicrobial resistance. This Sharp Scratch episode explores what “diplomacy” means in relation to public health and medicine, and potential careers that your medical degree equips you for - that you might not have considered before!

Links mentioned during the episode:

Zaynah’s interview of Claire Oxlade and Dame Sally Davies about the play Lifeline: https://www.bmj.com/content/394/bmj-2026-100170

Get your BSAC membership here: https://bsac.org.uk/membership/

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Social media literally changed my brain chemistry

Episode 173

Friday, July 31, 2026 • Duration 41:04

Does your digital footprint represent you personally, or are you perceived as a doctor while you doomscroll? Can you ever be sure that *all views are your own* ? Are you an avatar representing medicine or a private citizen?

Zaynah Khan sits down with Dr Jonny Guckian, together with panellists Kayode and Korianne, to discuss whether medics have a duty of care on social media. They share storytimes of social media horror stories for medics, lessons learnt (sometimes the hard way), and how medics can ethically use social media without the fear of getting struck off!

Read the study that Jonny mentions: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211883726000262

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Where did the £400m go? Are medical schools funding teaching properly?

Episode 172

Friday, July 17, 2026 • Duration 44:20

The BMJ in a recent investigation found a “black hole” of medical student funding, with NHS trusts failing to account for over £400m meant for training future doctors. What does that mean for us as medical students?

In this episode, Zaynah Khan sits down with Dr Iain Beardsell, director of undergraduate medical education at UHS. Together, with panellists Éabha and Elgan, they discuss the implications of this investigation, and how it affects clinical placements and teaching for current medical students.

Read the full investigation here: https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-285592

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"The AI will see you now" - Will AI replace our jobs as doctors?

Episode 171

Friday, June 26, 2026 • Duration 43:01

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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Is medicine a career worth staying in?

Episode 170

Friday, June 12, 2026 • Duration 41:29

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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The F Word - Failure in Medical School

Episode 169

Thursday, May 28, 2026 • Duration 44:47

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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Mentoring in medicine - Is it really "who you know" that shapes your career?

Episode 168

Friday, May 1, 2026 • Duration 41:14

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 my job to teach you?" - Race education in medicine

Episode 167

Friday, April 17, 2026 • Duration 40:32

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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“I’m Not Like Other Medics” - Deconstructing the medical student stereotype

Episode 166

Friday, April 3, 2026 • Duration 40:01

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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Fill in our feedback survey to let us know your thoughts about Sharp Scratch and content from the BMJ and BMJ Student https://forms.gle/hr9BWNYx6DkVrBSP7

Sharp Scratch – Details, episodes & analysis

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Sharp Scratch – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Instagram3

Other67

X4

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Instagram3

Other67

X4

Apple Podcasts

Spotify