A channel dedicated to reducing the barriers to entry for medical school and making sense of the medicine application process.
Dr Ollie studied medicine at the University of Leicester before completing his foundation training program in Plymouth. He currently works as a junior doctor in London alongside creating videos for medicine applicants. The Medical School Expert brand aims to help guide students through the application obstacle course, leaving them free to concentrate on presenting what will make them such a fantastic doctor.
The process of applying, interviewing, being examined and finally accepted to study medicine is notoriously difficult. I hope to change that.
The reason GPs are going part time is because more of them are women. It directly correlates: the stats are there for anyone who cares to look. Training time for is the same but output is lower. Obviously this is better than not having those GPs, but it's a inconvenient fact. This is why higher wages wont solve this, its not about pay. The same applies to dentistry.
For starters, lack of financial support, and for the increasing demand, a major cause is Poverty. Any other questions. Does anyone know how to get the root causes?Is anyone paying attention?
I worked for the NHS across many years in a number of roles - medical secretary, ward clerk, admin assistant, healthcare assistant. Some of those positions were temporary, for agencies, some were 'bank' positions on zero hours contracts, some were with NHS Professionals, and some were permanent contracts. I was also a student nurse (SRN) very many years ago. (I've also been a volunteer since 2006.) I've always had a very strong sense of commitment to the NHS and knew I had something valuable to contribute. Sadly, I experienced many injustices (temp roles being earmarked for someone else, jobs I loved lost to restructuring, being reprimanded for being too thorough & efficient (I kid you not!) and even being told by OH to make a personal grievance about a consultant surgeon smoking in his office in a no smoking trust in 2002!!) By 2018, I'd had enough & decided I'd rather risk having no work at all than work for the NHS! In one of my last roles, as a 'bank' ward clerk, covering sickness absence for nearly 2 years, I made a few simple but effective changes for continuity and better communication (e.g. a tick box discharge sheet, so everyone knew what needed doing, to replace post-it notes!). No matter how well I did that job, no matter how far and above I went, including agreeing to work full time when I usually work part time, I eventually realised, it was never going to be my permanent job. As ward clerk, the first point of contact and continuum for the ward, I was on Band 2, above only domestic assistants and kitchen staff! A medical secretary, on Band 3 or 4, can be in a back office never having direct face-to-face contact with patients, relatives or key staff. My belief overall is that the problem with the NHS is less about money and more about poor management decisions and poor communication, with admin a low priority. There also seems to be a general inherent unfairness. Far too many NHS staff are on long term sickness absence (which the NHS can ill afford) because their jobs become intolerable due to poor management decisions. I would never do that - I just left. The NHS spends £Ks daily on interpreters for non-English speaking patients, and EDI officers earn £40k+. I've known casenotes to be transported individually by taxi, and Medical Records to be off-site at a major NHS Trust because no-one thought to include it in the building plans! Management consultants have been employed at a fabulous cost to ascertain problems rather than ask staff themselves. Thanks for hearing me. Good luck!
I just moved to another GP surgery because my last pracctice NEVER saw patients and resorted to five minute phone calls, used medical gaslighting, lost test results and perpetually denying appointments with consultants and speclialists. Most conversation were filled with interruptions by the GP, One took me off of critical medications and told me that stents last a lifetime. I was born with a heart murmur in my left anterior descending artery that becaame a muyocaridal infraction. In sprite of my requests I was NEVER given a referral for a follow-up,. As a result of this and the lost test results, denials of serzuures (in spite of countlesss witnesses of these occurrences from nurses, carers, friends, loved ones, denttists,, dental assistants, lovcums and junior doctors) and the concfirmation of my diagnosis with an ultra-rare neurodegenerative disability called Chorea-acanthocytosis I was treated with contempt and anger.. It was only after EMTs came to my home because my pendant alarm was triggered and they arrived to find me having seizures. They performed an EKG. The results were alarming. I was rushed to the A&E. One of the consultants from the Heart Centre came to see me, asked me why I have not been referred for a follow-up for almost 7 years and he ordered an appointment with the heart centre for 27 December. I was diagnosed with severe ischaemic catrdiomyopathy with an efficacy rate of just 20%. When I received the diagnosis I contacted my surgery and requestied an urgernt appointment. They arranged a 5 minute phone call sometime on 13 March 2024. One particultarlyi burnt out GP fabricated the clinincal notes and suggested that she provided me with a choice of going to the cardiologist or to be taken off of Ticagrelor. This statement was false. This GP suggested that I file a letter of comnplaint to the GP surgery. As I am sure you are aware of this is NOT a method that will result in any results because of tthe NHS Trust system has become a breeding ground for a culture of coverups and any letter would result in you being ostracised by the NHS, so I moved to another GP surgery as they have dealt me a terminal diagnosis. My seizure activity was preventing me from going forward with critical extractions of NINE teetth that were broken since my myocardial infarction amd my entire lower set of teeth have been extracted or need to be extracted, but can’t perform this because of the last time they attempted to perform dential work 3 years ago I had a massive seizure as they were performing work on my teeth.Prior to the heart attack I never had one cavity in my mouth. I was elevated to be taken to an opertating room at a later date two years and countless gum infections later., Once again I I have been refused on numerous occasions because of my seizures. There has also been a suggestion that I should have an ICD or Subcut ICD implant because of the scarring of my left ventricular area is so severe that I can go into cardiac arrest at any time. My new GP surgery is like an entirely different World. They have had a double appointment booked with me, have been taking tests and are trying to push for the Movement Disorders Clinic so we can try to see if I can live longer. Sadly my appointment for this Clinic is set for 24 April 2025, I am writing to my GP to see if he could place me on the cancellation list because time is running out. The former GP surgery has refused to send me copies of the five hours of phone conversations because they claim thtat this is ‘excessive’, but my request was not for an SAR. It was a Writ of Habeas Corpus. I read Law and pracdtised until my neurodegenerative disability ended my career. My onset began when I was working in NYC back in 2007, I don’t drink, smoke, use illegal substances, and limit my meat intake to twice a month. My cholesterol levels are low. My confidence in the NHS is starting to return, and I am grateful for my current GP practice but it’s crushing to be required to contact the people that I love to inform them that becaise of this level of urgency I might be dead before this appointmewnt with the Movements Clinic. I am no longer finaancially capable of affording private care, and having to contact the people that I love and sharing the news is like a death by a thoussand cuts. The NHS is in a perilous condition, This is primarily due to chronic underinvestmenand the political intention of subcontracting the bulk of the necessary functions to overseas companies in additions to the disastrous consequences of Brexit’s impact on the NHS and its inability to retain stafff from the EU. The aging and retiring of my parent’s generation was known to become a serious issue for decades, but they are treating the NHS like a private and for profit organisation. I am hoping that my new practice will be able to save me from this precipice. We are in a very scary state of affairs, and I do not believe that those that voted for Article 50 understood what they were doing to the United Kingdom and its ability to attract skilled medical professionals and investment into its crumbling infrastructure, amongst other issues. We need to rejoin and accelerate our cooperation with the World’s largest trading bloc so we can grow our GDP and become a nation that functions like the sixth largest economy in the World, which we are no longer performing to that level. The UN and Ron Behren, the recently resigned Ombudsman of NHS England, have warned us that we are no longer a nation that is an advocate for people with disabilitieand for those whose chronic illnesses are depleting the option of private care. On average 263 people are dying in A&E wards EVERY DAY while waiting to be seen. This is excess deaths that could be preventable, but these facts are inconvenient to the Government and those that are profitting from the oursourcing of pharmaceuticals, medical equipment with a chronic lack of infrastructure and growth. At my Trust they are £263 Million short of funding just to patch the urgernt structural failures in most of our medical facilities. Underinvesting in Education for our children is not going to provide those 6000 places per annum from the UK if they are unable to achieve a high level of education, which is criminal and disappointing. I wish you well as you genuinely appear to be sincere and committed to the core tenets of the NHS, I don’t want others to lose their lives because of burnt out NHS staff and their migration to private care companies.Heaven help us all.
My partner started to develop back peoblems. He tried to continue working but at some point his back just gave up. He spent a week at home, barely moving. Went to the doctor and got ibuprofen. His back calmed down a bit, so.he came back to work. He returned after whole shift, in a horrible pain. tried to rest and went to work again in the morning, same thing happened. This was 7 months ago, with him being on and off from work. Visiting GP few times with the same issue, always ibuprofen. His back got progressively worse and he started to feel radiating pain down his whole leg, up to the toes. He asked the doctor for the referral to MRI and in reply doctor said she is not able to even refer him ..... At about 4 mth mark I realises NHS is not going to do anything. Fortunately I have private insurance from work. We phone them and... ibuprofen and rest 😵💫. We decided to call insurance provider to finally sort this out. Finally, after another month, we got referral for MRI. he was diagnised with narrowing of some spine canal and spondylolisthesis. Yesterday finally he got spinal shot and now we are waiting for the physio. If this will not help, he will need a surgery. If we didn't have private insurance, NHS would make him disabled.
That's shocking but, sadly, not surprising. Another GP may have referred you - patients can change GPs and GP surgeries, and can (and should) complain about bad ones. Also, Practice Managers can be approached to get things done.
Topic 1: nhs staffing crisis - tendency of under training (# of nurses and doctors) - insufficient use of foreign recruitment (NHS heavily depends on migration policies) - governments plan: increase of # of med schools, 6 year to 4 year degree. topic 2: junior doctor contracts - junior doctors underpaid --> strike due to 1. they want full pay restoration back to levels that aligns with the inflation rate, want mechanism that wouldnt erode their pay increase rate, rull review and reformation of DDRB. topic 3: harold shipman (british doctor who murdered his own patients through injection of strong painkillers) - induced patients to want a shared decision making, ideas, values - Discussion on what regulation and oversight is needed for doctors to keep them under check. topic 4: the francis report - Sir Francis created report on why such poor patient care were able to flourish, mainly about systematic failings ○ Managers focus on outcomes rather than patients - understafffed - Solution: Listen to people whislteblowing and make sure the concerns aren't dismissed, encourage openness (pressureless). Prioritising patients among all other aspects. topic 5: Hadiza Bawa-Garba (doctor found guilty for manslaughter of a 6yo boy - systemic failure(no supervisor, understaffed, high patient load) resulting in patient not receiving the right treatment) topic 6: Charlie Gard (infant boy passed away at 11 months) - Patients parents and the doctors disagree on what is the best for the patient. Additional information: - Structure of NHS - Pillars of medicine - Duties of junior doctor - Show your personality during interview through the answers of foundational questions.
Guys can anyone explain me the hierarchy of NHS staff? In my country we have personell under medical nurses, they assit the nurses in taking care of pacients but have more limited atributions. What would be the term of this kind of staff in UK NHS? Hierarchically - doctor/GP - nurse-.....?
Bonjour, je suis francais, I just want to say thank you for your videos who helps me a lot for my homeworks. You are very pationé and impressing. Your explication was amazing, very clear for a french people like me. I hope you good for the next and good luck for solve the issue of the NHS! Au revoir
This will likely continue to be the same. Ems is in a weird place. Most of the working force use ems as a stepping stone. They get paid less than fast food employees. Ems is neither a public service nor a private service in the US. If it’s going to advance it’s going to need to separate itself from the fire/police department and become a private institution like healthcare is. I wonder what relevance this would have in the nhs since they are a public service. The silver lining is that there is a demand for highly trained and experienced pre hospital specialists.
Hey Dr Ollie, I just want to say thank you for all the videos you have made. It has made such a difference in my understanding of the NHS and what it truly means to be a doctor. As a result I’m happy to say that I was able to secure an offer to study medicine this year! Thank you so much!
I am a medical student from Malaysia and did an elective at the Royal Free in London. It was so surprising that how nice and willing to teach the consultants and registrars were. Although there were some obstacles that the NHS faces, there is still some really passionate and ambitious doctors around.
IT IS A HONORLESS JOB !!!. You learn ALL LIES; PATIENTS ARE $$$ for your pocket. Drugs are to help symptoms not a cure, EVER, NO MONEY IN A CURE. It is all too much to believe how society accepts this. It's in our faces daily, being told of the horrific side effects from every medication, deliberately by design to only get more symptoms to give more meds. Pharma is a toxic factory of synthetic products, deliberately , because they all know natural plant derivatives are THE CURE !!!! That cost Pennie's & do not have ANY SIDE EFFECTS, NO ALLERGIES. allergies are because we are being poisoned by our food, air, land soils & fake crap our bodies have no clue how to deal-with, so you have a "war attack from inside yourself on yourself because it freaks-out & doesn't know what to do with the toxic overload...& a few foods,etc turn into "a no more of that will I deal with"your body says as it dies or has minor to life threatening results from its body realizing "hey, I told you time & time-over, do not give that ... to me, I can't deal with it". The pesticides, artificial colorings,flavors & worst are the preservatives !!!!! We are not eating to embalm ourselves !@&%# ( preserve our life...). Mothers' breast milk usually always is the reason of allergies of the baby if not as well as all the other offspring from MOM OR THE CHILDS KIDS LATER ON...). ((( DR ))) in front of a name means NOTHING, other than "if you want to know what books I had to read & what I was told to do for what SYMPTOM, I'm your man !!!". Oh, that b.s. info cost me $300K to learn & wasted 8 years of my life, so here's your bill" $3K, have a NICE DAY. A medical DR. GETS ONE DAY OF NUTRITION SCHOOLING, so do not ask the quack in the white coat what to eat or do to get or stay healthy, that is not the goal of medical school. Most are in too deep in school when they realize how EVIL they are to be & dishonest w/ every patient. I don't know how any med DR. Can sleep at night. Must just think of the $$$ & vacations & TOYS !!! TOI MUCH TO BELIEVE, WHAT A FKD-UP WORLD !!!( so easily fixable, but $$$$ prevents us from turning this all around!?!) !&$#%!
There's actually 20 places available. I signed up and got invited to a talk about it. And there were well over 1000 applications so you're right extremely competitive!
Great video sir. Really interesting stuff. I'm not left wing, despite being Scottish, and I support the conservatives as the lesser evil. However this policy seems nuts. Especially the way in which an apprentice is training with office work... Sad.
@RashidaSalamy-ow1lk it's about preparation and luck. You're "luck" increases with preparation and strategically applying to medical schools where you'd be most competitive.
Excellent video for a person like me moving to the UK soon, and has no clue of how NHS works. Thank you for the time and efforts you put in to simply the structure of one of the most complex organisations in the world. Please feel appreciated! 🙏🙏🙏
1. Timewasters are ahead of you in the queue 2. Hospitals kick out work and reject referrals 3. The UK is free and instills no self care or responsibility in an "I want world" 4. Private clinics are hammering nhs GPs with their incomplete work 5. Nhs consultants are working privately, and some in the private wing of their nhs building, so the wait list remains at 6 months 6. Public are not charged for a DNA, so culprits book another ahead of you.
1. The gmc hates you 2. The cqc watches you 3. Doctors mean nothing 4. You will be blamed 5. Don't whisteblow 6. Don't trust managers 7. *Everything you learnt was a lie, from Big pharma, to scapegoating and controlling YOU.
