Wondering how Generation Medics got started?
Grab a cuppa and settle in for our story - we might be a tiny bit biased but we think it's a good'un!
Our first chapter
It all started on the back of a napkin, inside a small coffee shopâŚ
On a mild autumn afternoon in 2013, a group of junior doctors sat down together to shoot the breeze over warming cups of coffee and interesting conversations about all things health and medical care.
As they sipped their drinks and chatted merrily, the conversation turned to a troubling topic that was hot on all their minds â the worrying lack of useful information that was available to help students and aspiring professionals get into medicine, and build a successful and rewarding career in healthcare.
They talked about the difficulties facing students trying to get into university with no advice or support; discussed the challenges of landing a job in the NHS due to the lack of relevant openings; and lamented the fact that people from certain socioeconomic backgrounds were being dealt an even worse hand when it came to building a fulfilling future in the industry. These problems werenât just reserved for aspiring students â they were causing trouble for people already studying in medical school too.
But rather than just sit by and let it all happen, this bright-eyed group of health professionals decided they should do something about it. To extend opportunities to anyone who wanted to be a doctor; nurse; midwife; biomedical scientist; or paramedic. To help folks who wanted to make a difference in their life, by saving the lives of others. Â
And thatâs when Generation Medics â then christened Help Me, Iâm A Medic â was born, summed up in scrawled jotted scribbles on the back of a coffee-shop napkin.
The journey so far
Our initial dream was to help people from all backgrounds to access fulfilling medical and healthcare career opportunities, by making the necessary information and support available to anyone and everyone.
But we didnât want to just stop there. We soon took it upon ourselves to also provide help and support to medics and doctors throughout their careers â which become an important goal for us too. Â
We started out by simply offering advice to friends, family and peers, drawing on the knowledge weâd gained from our collective experience. But as word spread about the work we were doing, requests for support from further afield began flying in left right and centre â and we were soon inundated with calls for help from like-minded medical students and professionals who wanted a piece of the Generation Medics action.
To accommodate this growing demand for our expertise, we realised that we couldnât just sit still and hope for the best. We had to build a more streamlined, efficient and professional service â capable of helping as many people as possible.
And so with mounting support from like-minded professionals, teachers, parents and students, we were able to take our first big, bold steps into social-enterprise territory, and put ourselves firmly on the map. And weâve been working to demystify healthcare-career pathways for budding practitioners ever since â using the tips, tricks and insider secrets weâve learnt through having walked the same paths ourselves.
We are the trusted advisors to thousands of students and healthcare practitioners up and down the country, and by giving us your support youâre helping to create positive social change for people from all walks of life.
Could you help us write the next chapter?
After over eight incredible years of making the healthcare profession more accessible for all, Generation Medics is now the UKâs largest social enterprise and online community run BY medics FOR medics. And weâre growing every day â with our community currently home to over 5000 aspiring professionals and practitioners, each sharing insights, imparting expertise, and bringing the healthcare industry closer together.
As an organisation, we can truthfully say weâre unique, because we empower students to make informed decisions about their future careers whilst also helping them with the general university application process and supporting them throughout their medical journey. Weâve won numerous high-profile national awards along the way, recognising our âdynamic and successfulâ work and our âstrong vision for long-term developmentâ.
We get out and about a lot too, coordinating a variety of industry conferences each year (including the National Aspiring Doctors Conference) for students, parents and teachers nationwide. And weâre using social media, alongside our extensive online forum, to provide complex and detailed medical-careers information in an easy and digestible way â making it easier for everyone to find their way to a fulfilling future in the sector. Why not give us a follow on Twitter, or check us out on Instagram?
Needless to say, our futureâs looking particularly bright⌠and our story is far from over. We canât wait to welcome many more students and practitioners to our expanding community.
Who knows â perhaps you could help us write the next chapter⌠