NeerajKalra

My name is Neeraj and as a 3rd year I have witnessed at first hand the emotional and physical stresses that university life has on every student, ranging from academic issues, to troubles with landlords and neighbours, personal problems such as family grievances, as well as difficulties encountered in clinical practice, for example seeing your first patient pass away. In learning from my experiences, as well as those of those around me, I believe I can truly help students deal with the social, financial and academic problems that they may encounter in their medical education. I don’t intend to overhaul the current system; I just want to build on its current strengths and the great work done by Gaya.

Welfare is a very personal issue and for this reason I promise to do the following if elected:
• Increase the frequency of confidential drop-in sessions.
• Improve the matching criteria for mums and dads and hold more ‘family’ events throughout the year.
• Ensure that the Welfare website is maintained and updated, to provide a constantly accessible and reliable source of support.
• Improve the clinical tutor system.
• Help all students who do not pass resits.
• To always be contactable, whether day or night. You don’t always need help during working hours, emergencies can happen at any time and I will do my best to help whenever.

I’m not promising miracles but simply want to do the best that I can do for you, the students.

Harsita Patel

We all know how important welfare is; it involves studies, finance, religion and even the most personal issues. I want to build upon the fantastic system we already have and bring in some great ideas:

- Increase awareness: I’ll tell you what we can offer through hand-outs and regular emails
- Regular drop-in sessions: For personal problems or queries
- Anonymous Online Support (AOS):
o Personal issues: send me anonymous messages via the welfare website
o Webchat: for instant answers
o Common general queries: interactive forum between all students – because we medics work together!
- Advice guides: Simple guides, including those for retake students/ mitigating circumstances, with sample forms and my personal continued support
- Personal tutors: Tutors will have the responsibility to attend scheduled meetings and fill in student portfolios to help write references
- Medic Families: Let’s have brothers, sisters, mums and dads – so if dad doesn’t listen, go to mum. Domestic issues are always of concern, so union-run family events will minimise divorce!
- Welfare week: Collaborate with RSCU to run welfare week events, covering everything from mental health and wellbeing to blood donation.

Sometimes the people who are meant to listen just don’t, so I will endeavour to listen and get the answers for you. I think most of you that know me see me as approachable and kind, but I want everyone to know I am always happy to help; if you vote for me, I promise to give it my all.

Radheka Patel

Dealing with almost three years of medical school involving a wide range of welfare issues has given me the determination to give others the support that I received under the current system.

As year rep I was the port of contact between the student body and the faculty regarding social and academic issues. This, combined with the insight I have into the welfare system, leaves me in good stead for this role.

I intend to continue the progress in the welfare system by:

• Ensuring better relationships between personal tutors and students, if not by endeavouring to have the same tutor for the whole 6 years, then by arranging a handover between the old and new tutors so there can be continuity of care.

• Implementing stricter timetabling so all tutors see their tutees.

• Refining the allocation of mums and dads to better match the needs of freshers and creating more events for parents and children to meet, giving unhappy freshers the chance to change parents.

• Maintaining and raising awareness for drop in sessions so that students always have an impartial and willing listener to come to.

• Making the extra effort with resit/GEP/international students so that they are fully integrated and have the support they need

I realise that being welfare officer is an important and challenging role and I am confident I have the skills necessary to take on this responsibility, but above all I really want to listen and help! So please vote for Radheka!

Evelyn Thangaraj

Hello (: I’m Evelyn, a 2nd Year Medic running for the position of Welfare officer.

As doctors, when a patient approaches us with a problem, we try our best to manage their condition. However, the old adage still stands: prevention is better than cure. This effective dual approach is something I’d like to see in Student Welfare.

If elected I aim to:
1) Help any student who approaches me with his/her problems
2)Implement prophylactic measures – awareness campaigns, time/stress management workshops – and compile a list of useful contacts.
3)ImproveMums&Dads to make it relevant and useful beyond 1st and 2nd year.
4)Set up a mentoring scheme to help clinical students and GEP get in touch with F1/2s and senior doctors for advice peers can’t give.
5)Liaise with Sites&Services to provide better facilities at campuses
6)Review the personal tutor scheme with the Student Welfare Senior Tutors.

I firmly believe that you, the student body, are key to the quality of the welfare services available and I will seek and voice your needs and concerns.

Having stewarded at sports nights and taught at an all boys’ school, I have experience in helping people in differing states of disarray. As an international student, I am familiar with the challenges that accompany moving to a new environment.

Finally, as someone who’s cheerful, friendly, approachable, non-judgmental, level-headed, and open-minded, I think I’d be able to do a lot for ICSM and every individual student as the ICSMSU Welfare officer.