Agency and autonomy at medical school

Studying medicine can make us feel like we’re being shaped to become anonymous cogs in a health-delivering machine. To be effective, it can seem that we need to fit ourselves into a universal mold, unable to make decisions or express individuality. Many students have expressed outrage towards the recent changes made in the UKFPO allocation programme that removes the ability of graduating students to determine where they end up. Loss of agency has been closely linked to burnout, making it important for us to manage as we progress through our careers.    In this episode, we could talk about our ability to exert our agency while studying medicine. How does studying medicine and working as a doctor affect our agency, and what impact does that have on us? What can we do to overcome constraints on our ability to make decisions?    The panel are joined by Rakesh Patel, professor of medical education and head of MBBS at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.    Find us on social media: Twitter/X - https://x.com/BMJStudent Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bmj_student/?hl=en   You can now receive our monthly BMJ Student round-up by email. Sign up here.   Éabha is a guest judge for the Immerse Education essay competition. If you are an aspiring medical student aged 13-18 years, enter now for a chance to win a fully funded place at one of their award winning summer schools. Get more information here.