Written by Haider Merchant, JASME.
Haider Merchant
Twitter: @HaiderMerchant3
It was through my developing love of Medical Education that I decided to become a Local Representative for JASME. Having previously completed an intercalated Masters degree in Clinical Education at the University of Exeter, I was exposed to the variety of opportunities Medical Education had to offer (e.g. Research, Assessments, Technology Enhanced Learning). I soon realised that teaching was merely one branch of the tree that is Medical Education. The JASME Local Representative role, therefore, afforded me with the opportunity to showcase the breadth and variety of opportunities that Medical Education has to offer medical students and foundation year one doctors.
During my time as a JASME Local Representative, I particularly enjoyed working with students in my cluster group (Exeter, Plymouth, and Cardiff) to organise Medical Education events in our region. I was also able to organise a local event in my region with the help of the Exeter and Plymouth representatives. These consisted of getting involved in Medical Education at different stages of training. It was a privilege to be able to work amongst several like-minded individuals to promote Medical Education as a career and in doing so widen access to it. It was additionally rewarding to able to further develop my teamwork and leadership skills, and get to grips with hosting live events on platforms such as Zoom.
We were additionally fortunate to be supported by such an amazing national committee, who provided us with valuable guidance on how to plan and implement such events, as well as being there on the day to assist us. They also hosted quarterly meetings, during which they organised small teaching sessions for us on important Medical Education topics (e.g. planning a teaching event, virtual teaching). These sessions provided us with valuable knowledge and skills to improve our own practices, as well as incorporate into planning our local and cluster events. The interactive nature of these sessions made them all the more enjoyable, and enabled us to share our own experiences and hence learn from each other.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my time as a JASME Local Representative, so much so that I am now part of the national committee, where I hope to continue actively engaging in all things MedEd, and support the incoming Local Representatives.
Haider Merchant
Former Exeter JASME Local Representative
