The MSC (medical students committee) represents medical students in the UK. We consider and address issues of importance to medical students and make sure your views are represented in wider BMA policy.
Our priorities
MSC policy is set by the annual medical students conference and the BMA's ARM (annual representative meeting). As future doctors, we want to safeguard our NHS. As such, our four main priorities are:
Finance
- Lobby for the protection of the NHS bursary for AHP and medical students.
- Lobby for sufficient and equitable travel expenses for medical students on placement.
- Lobby against increase of fees for international medical students.
Welfare
-
Addressing racial harassment and other harmful behaviours at medical schools
- Improve awareness of student mental health issues.
- Lobby for improvements to support systems.
Education
- Contribute to the development of the UKMLA (UK medical licensing assessment).
- Increase medical student places.
Widening participation
- Support students from a widening participation background, including mature students.
- Engage the wider BMA and relevant stakeholders in widening participation, making recommendations and/or developing resources.
Our people
Each UK medical school elects a representative to the MSC for one year. To find out who the MSC representative for your medical school is, please contact the MSC secretariat at [email protected].
The MSC also has an executive subcommittee, which is entitled to take decisions in between meetings of the MSC.
Co-chairs:
Gurdas Singh
Chris Smith.
Deputy chairs:
Beth McMahon (education)
TBC (finance)
Stephen Naulls (welfare)
TBC (widening participation)
Chair of medical students conference 2020
Jack Brophy
Member relations liaison group chair
Haroon Shah
Student members elected to BMA council
Jahangir Alom
Emma Runswick
Vicky Theakston
Member of MSC executive committee
Asim Abbas
Member of MSC executive committee
Rebecca Bates
Member appointed by the JDC (non-voting)
Eleanor Wilson
Previous chair of MSC
Harrison Carter
Devolved nation chairs:
Chair of Northern Ireland MSC (non-voting)
Leo Mansell
Co-chairs of Scotland MSC (non-voting)
Matthew Murtagh and Samuel Watson
Chair of Wales MSC (non-voting)
Alessia Waller
Associated committees
- Welsh medical students committee.
- Northern Ireland medical students committee.
- Scottish medical students committee.
Our meetings
The committee meets four times a year to discuss the latest issues affecting medical students. Our meetings are open to all elected medical student representatives for each medical school across the UK, but non-members can apply to attend via the committee visitors scheme.
Upcoming meetings:
- Saturday 13 June 2020
All our meetings take place from 10am to 4pm at:
BMA House
Tavistock Square
London
WC1H 9JP
For more information, please email [email protected].
Conference
This event has been cancelled due to COVID-19.
Elections
Each spring the BMA holds elections for all UK medical schools to elect BMA student representatives and deputies. As part of the committee, representatives and deputy representatives will:
- be the voice of our future doctors
- lobby for positive change in student finance, welfare and education
- represent students' views from all over the UK.
A BMA student representative and deputy will be elected at each medical school by their fellow BMA student members; at split campus medical schools, such as Nottingham and Derby, one BMA representative is elected for the entire medical school and one deputy representative is elected for each campus.
Each elected student member serves a one-year term running from September, and current elected student members are welcome to stand again if they are still medical students.
More information will be available here when nominations and elections open.
Get in touch
If you have any questions or would like to find out more about the work of the MSC, please email [email protected].