​Students' Take: Taking the reins of MedSoc ExCo 2021/2022

By: Sean Ng Ming Sheng, Class of 2022, President, 8th Students' Medical Society 
 
On behalf of the 8th LKCMedicine Students' Medical Society Executive Committee (LKCMedSoc ExCo), I am deeply humbled and grateful for this opportunity to serve the student body. In the past year, the outgoing 7th LKCMedSoc ExCo, Committees, House Reps and Year Reps have done a stellar job for us students, and it is a privilege for us to follow in their footsteps and to continue the good work. 
 
I am very much looking forward to working closely with my team in the year ahead: Wang Kaiying (M4) as Vice-President (Education), Parthasarathy Sreemathy (M4) as Vice-President (Wellbeing), Hor Jun Ying (M2) as Secretary, Joel Chen Yeh Siang (M2) as Treasurer, Nicholas Wong Hoi Pong (M2) as Programmes Director and Zavier Lim Yongxuan (M2) as Outreach Director.  

The purpose of the LKCMedSoc has always been to enhance student life for everyone. This comes in the form of strong academic and non-academic support, exciting programmes to keep student life vibrant, representing the student voice atthe School, and in building connections with other institutions. This year is no different. 
 
Our goals for the year include increasing student engagement, keeping the LKCMedicine spirit strong, and having a stronger focus on improving student wellbeing. 
 
To increase student engagement, we plan to streamline feedback channels, and make it easier for students to propose new ideas of what they would like to see in LKCMedicine.  
 
To assess the best way forward, the feedback and ideas that we receive will be extensively discussed with students as well as other relevant stakeholders. We hope that by allowing active communication between LKCMedSoc and the student body, students will be more engaged in matters that they care about and empowered to become catalysts for change.  
 
This year, we experienced how Covid-19 has impacted the way we live and study at LKCMedicine. Many of our lessons had to go online and several mass programmes were cancelled. However, this presents many more possibilities, and we are very excited to explore the various ways in which existing programmes can be adapted for this new climate. We are also brimming with ideas for new initiatives that we want to push through, so that students can continue to create wonderful memories during their time here in medical school. 
 
One of our priorities as the new ExCo also includes improving student wellbeing. Medical school is greatly fulfilling and exhilarating but can also be difficult and exhausting. We plan to upgrade student spaces, such as Level 8 of the Clinical Sciences Building, to provide better facilities for students to rest and relax. We will also be looking into how we can best support students' mental wellbeing, paying particular attention to what we can do to minimise burnout.  
 
Through these initiatives, we aspire to keep student life in LKCMedicine as vibrant as ever. We look forward to the year ahead, and hope fellow students will continue to lend us their support as we work towards enhancing student life for us all.