Fifth Medical Student Conference (February 2025)
This year we experimented with a few changes in response to feedback from students about their experiences at other conferences:
- Holding the conference in a socioeconomically disadvantaged community (Ferguslie Park, Paisley), rather than on campus
- Focussing more on solutions to Deep End challenges
- Including more time for questions and discussion
- Shorter presentations which focussed on the “big idea”
The programme kicked off with a keynote by Professor Graham Watt and featured students, academics, community development professionals, GPs, and members of the local community:
- Dr Gail Carson (WHO/GOARN/ISARIC) - Emergency preparedness and response with communities at the centre
- Dr John Montgomery (GP) - The Govan SHIP
- Dr Gillian Dames (GP) - Embedded financial advice services in GP practices
- Scott Craig (Student) - Lies, Damned Lies, and Liza Minelli: The economics of inequality
- Fraser McDonald (Student) - Social Prescribing: Parkrun Practice
- Catriona Hepburn (Student) - Placemaking and Health: The environment as a tool for improving patient outcomes in the Deep End
- Sarah Boath (SCDC) - Community development approaches to tackling health inequalities
- Dan Martin (Student) - What can Deep End GP practices learn from Deep End schools?
- Jamie Kinlochan (Creating Hopeful Spaces) - Counselling models in communities
- Terry McTernan (Darkwood Crew) - Ferguslie Park: The most consulted and least listened-to community
Feedback:
“It’s the first time I’ve had a chance to talk to a GP without having to be sick.” - Local community member
“It feels like the start of something really exciting.” - Local community member
“I was surprised that the majority of the speakers weren’t already working closely together - it was great to see new collaborations develop during the conference.” - Medical Student
“I would love to see something like this in my country.” - Visiting PhD student
“My energy and enthusiasm have been given a much-needed boost.” - GP
Future Plans
Going forward, there are two possibilities for future conferences:
- Repeat the conference in Ferguslie Park
- Hold the conference in different local communities each year
In either case, two areas that are worth leaning into are:
- Involving local residents more in organising and running the conference.
- More actively facilitating the formation of new partnerships between attendees at the conference.
- Holding the conference during the Social Determinants of Health Inequalities course worked well - we could possibly integrate it somehow.
A huge thank you to our amazing speakers, attendees, the Scottish Deep End Project, and RCGP West Scotland Faculty.
Scott Craig, President of GUGPS
