Universal Medicine

Neriah Clarke What is social prescribing? Social prescribing (SP) is a growing movement and aims to ensure that those who visit the GP with social issues receive appropriate support. Recent estimates show that up to a ⅓ of GP time is spent on managing social problems [1]. Although GPs may be able to help resolve such problems, a large portion of their already limited time is being expended. To add, due to the complexity of some social problems an appointment may not be adequate. Hence, the NHS long-term plan states that by 2023/24 [3], personalised care which includes SP should be mandatory and in effect. How would this work in practice? SP professionals mainly work in primary care and assume a role similar to that of occupational therapists but place greater emphasis on social referral. The key aim of social prescribing is to empower people. Some GP practices are already involved and are using the national model, Fig.1 with an example of its use in Fig.2 - Aside from money worries, ho...

Akhil Hanmantgad Organ transplants save lives. [1] Currently in the UK, 4076 people are waiting for a kidney transplant and 436 people are waiting for a liver transplant, making them the most common organ transplant procedures. Unfortunately, this also means that the current waiting time for these organs is extensive. [2] Those that need kidney transplants, in particular, are put on a waiting list for roughly 2-3 years. Out of all those needing a kidney transplant, approximately ⅓ of these patients will die before receiving the transplant. But through the use of 3D printing technology in medicine, would it be possible to significantly reduce waiting times and deaths? [3] 3D printing was first developed in the 1980s by Charles W. Hull. It was mainly used for ‘rapid prototyping’ in engineering and manufacturing. The 3D printer uses material such as metal, plastic, or wood instead of ink to build 3D objects based on computer-generated models. Since then, 3D printers have been made more...

Introducing our core team at Universal Medicine! Prashan Balendran: I’m a medical student from the University of Birmingham with a keen interest in writing. I am a writer, editor, and recruitment representative for the blog. Having previously been a writer and editor for a political blog, I’m excited to offer my experience to the team and get back into writing some interesting pieces for you all to read! I joined Universal Medicine to discuss topics within medicine that we wouldn’t usually have the opportunity to explore in-depth within the course, as well as broadening both my own and your knowledge of the areas of medicine we are not familiar with. Somya Sharma:  I’m a medical student at the University of Birmingham, and one of the writers and graphics representatives for the blog. I got involved with Universal Medicine to explore exciting and emerging topics within the field of medicine. Now, I look forward to building up a platform where such knowledge can be shared with my pe...

Introducing our team of amazing writers! Current Writers: Andra Stefan:  I am a medical student at the University of Aberdeen, having previously graduated with a degree in Natural Sciences from University College London. Although I have only recently discovered my passion for writing, over the years I have had the opportunity to carry out scientific research in different fields from computational chemistry to molecular pharmacology. I have joined Universal Medicine as a writer to further explore research, particularly in the medical field, and to make it more accessible to the public! Karina Dembla:  I’m a biomedical science graduate from the University of Birmingham and a writer for the blog. I joined Universal Medicine to demystify any misconceptions our readers have of medicine/research, to explore the exciting new developments, and to ensure readers of other disciplines are informed about these scientific advancements. I hope you enjoy our posts and thank you for being on ...

Introducing the 4 founders of Universal Medicine! Gagandeep Sachdeva: I was born in India and moved to Northampton at a young age. I am studying Medicine at the University of Birmingham. Aside from my studies, I enjoy badminton and table tennis and have competed in tournaments. We decided to create this blog to further explore what interested us in science and this platform was the perfect way to share our passion. Crucially, it also provided the opportunity to inspire others into academia and raise awareness of current avenues of scientific research. Satbachan Bassan: Hi my name is Sab and I’m from Northampton. I am a Chemical Engineering student at Aston University. I currently represent the university with their football and train as well as play up to 3 times a week. Football and sports have always been close to my education. I got into writing the blog as I was very intrigued by new and old articles based around science and wanted to write pieces on some of my favourite topics. ...