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: Becky Bates, Tinaye Mapako.
Deputy chair of MSC (education)
Vassili Crispi
Deputy chair of MSC (welfare)
Marina Politis
Deputy chair of MSC (finance)
Sepand Malek
Deputy chair of MSC (widening participation)
Jacob Oguntimehin
Chair of medical students conference 2021
Khadija Meghrawi
Member relations liaison group chair
Catriona McVey
Member of MSC executive committee
Rishab Makam
Member of MSC executive committee
Harris Nageswaran
Student members elected to BMA council (non-voting)
Jahangir Alom
Emma Runswick
Chris Smith
Vicky Theakston
Previous chair of MSC (non-voting)
Chris Smith
Member appointed by the JDC (non-voting)
Shanze Ashai
Devolved nation chairs:
Chair of Northern Ireland MSC (non-voting)
Aisling McCarthy
Chair of Scotland MSC (non-voting)
Lewis O’Connor
Chair of Wales MSC (non-voting)
Ellen Davies
Take part in one of our free courses designed to give you the right skills to:
- break down equality and inclusion bias (CPD-accredited)
- value difference and inclusivity
- live out BMA behaviour principles.
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.
Committee meetings:
- Friday 19 March 2021
- Saturday 12 June 2021.
All meetings will take place virtually.
For more information, please email [email protected].
Conference
The MSC annual conference is an opportunity to discuss the current issues affecting medical students and to pass motions based on these debates.
BMA members from all medical schools across the UK are invited to attend, with each medical school allocated a certain number of conference places.
Any policy passed at the conference directs the MSC’s work for the coming year.
This year's medical students conference took place virtually on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 March 2021.
Chair of conference 2021
Khadija Meghrawi
Deputy chair of conference 2021
Callum George
Immediate past chair of conference (2020)
Jack Brophy
Elected members of agenda committee
Matti Jubouri
Marie-Claire Bradley
Esther Awe
Acayo Okello
MSC co-chairs (2020 to 2021)
Becky Bates
Tinaye Mapako
How to join MSC
There are many advantages to becoming involved in our committees. You can actively influence BMA policy-making and negotiations, represent your colleagues' voices and develop your leadership skills.
Each committee has a few routes to becoming an elected member. In the case of the Medical students committee, this is:
- Seats/term - every year, all medical schools elect a representative and a deputy representative for a one-session term. For split campuses, an additional deputy representative is elected.
- Timeline - elections usually take place in March or April.
- Eligibility - all student BMA members are eligible to stand and vote in this election.
The election section below is kept up to date with details about any running elections, so make sure you keep checking it throughout the year.
Elections
Elections for the medical students committee are now closed.
The next elections will take place in 2021.
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].