Outreach Officer

Michelle Asumah

Outreach is something I am passionate about and an area I have had the pleasure to be involved in during my time at Kings. As your Outreach Officer I plan to help run various sessions to reach out to different groups at kings and in the wider community:

- Deliver outreach sessions to schools, aimed at providing guidance and support to those thinking of applying to medicine.

- Running fun and useful sessions to get students in the Kings healthcare community interested in paediatrics.

- Spreading awareness of paediatric issues, especially amongst the BAME community.

- Expanding membership amongst students outside of the MBBS course(nursing, physiotherapy etc...)

As an EMDP student I have had the pleasure of being an Outreach for Medicine and Social Mobility ambassador for the last 3 years. In this role I have worked on and led many outreach sessions in schools to help and guide students that are thinking of applying to medicine. I have also led clinical skills sessions with students from years 10-12, including paediatric first aid.

In the past year I have held a place on African and Caribbean Medical Society as one of the outreach officers. Having this role has allowed me to help organise and run outreach sessions amongst black afro - carribean students in the local area, providing support for them through their medical application process.

This year I am also the president of EMDP society, and have enjoyed organising and running our own outreach scheme- inside med.

Maitri Pindolia

I have loved attending society events over the last two years. Promoting the society to a wide variety of students would allow others to be engaged and benefit too!

Having held a marketing role in 2 societies and volunteering with children for a decade, I can combine the skills I have gained with my enthusiasm for the speciality to encourage more students to get involved.

My main aims as Outreach Officer are to:

• Encourage members to be involved through putting on more social and wellbeing events

• Widen participation by advertising events to students studying a variety of degrees through posting on multiple different Facebook groups.

• Create more videos in the ‘mini-interview series’ with a variety of paediatricians and new questions so students gain insight into a paediatricians job

• Educate young people about the university application process and offer a balanced viewpoint about the reality of becoming a university student.

• Advertise volunteering opportunities further by posting reviews or creating a video documenting student’ first-hand experiences of volunteering.

Being part of such a friendly and approachable committee would be amazing! I believe I could contribute to the team and would be willing to help outside my role too if I am needed.

I have been part of the marketing/publicity team in both the Hindu society subcommittee and the KCL exercise and lifestyle medicine society allowing me to work with a variety of people. In both roles, I worked with other team members to develop a social media marketing strategy and increase followers to ensure more students were aware of society events

Through volunteering at a children’s charity, I have also had experience in creating fun and informative videos similar to those in the ‘mini-interview series’. I could use these skills to create further videos which showcase society events.

I have developed and delivered informative sessions to over 250 people on a variety of topics, allowing me to develop my public speaking and organisational skills.

I would love to get the opportunity to develop these skills further whilst also encouraging others to join the society.

Saffron Rai

I'm Saffy, I am a third-year medic. I am interested in paediatrics (who would have guessed) and hope to explore it further during my BSc next year!

Paediatric society to me, has always championed inclusivity. A tradition I will continue to uphold if elected as outreach officer. My goal is to emphasise that this society is for all students irrespective of campus location. What matters is the collective interest we share.

I want to ensure that each member’s voice is heard within this society, by establishing better lines of communication between members and core committee. Ultimately, it’s the contribution of every member which will lead to the sustained success of this society.

Within this role next year, I will establish a programme dedicated to helping young people with their future plans post-school. With a specific focus on state-funded schools, due to the disparity in successful higher education applications, compared to private-independent schools.

Overall, I want to ensure that each member feels at home within society.

I have volunteered at Evelina and been a member of this society since my first year, hence I have an insight into this role which leaves me well positioned to succeed with all given responsibilities.

I have volunteered at Evelina since my first year and have attended various revision sessions held by this society. As a member I am active, and this will further increase as a committee member.

As VP of Punjabi Society, a new cultural society, I help garner interest in a society that is not well-known. I have learnt the importance of interacting with all students and collaborating with different societies, ensuring a message of inclusivity is conveyed. This is relevant as students studying healthcare-related degrees gravitate towards paediatric society, however I want further engagement from students studying non-healthcare related degrees.

Whilst I have no specific experience in being an outreach officer, I am passionate. I really want to ensure we are doing our part to help to level the playing field between students from different backgrounds as location and funding does affect their future prospects.

Punya Kapoor

I am Punya but you can call me Poonz, a second year medical student who loves kids! I am standing for the role of outreach officer as I am keen on making a positive impact on our young community whilst expanding the impact of the society!

I share the same vision as the society of wanting to cultivate a passion for children’s health at KCL, provide opportunities for learning, and widen participation for pupils.

I would like to propose:

• In term one, I would like to focus on reach of the society ensuring people are aware that it truly is open to degrees and campuses throughout KCL!

• Organising ‘shadowing days’ in term 2 (subject to interest) where secondary school pupils get a chance to shadow healthcare students allowing them to gain an understanding of the university life, as I appreciate that the pandemic may have thrown a spanner in the works for a lot of them.

• Organising a long term ‘Mentorship Scheme’ for secondary school students from underrepresented backgrounds who are in need of academic and pastoral support, guiding them through the university applications.

• Ensuring our members are aware of widening participation support services offered by KCL, by providing them that information in digestible chunks through social media.

• Exploring mental health through primary and secondary school children, as mental health problems reportedly affect 1 in 10 children and young people. I believe that this is really a niche that we can explore and make an impact in, as the paediatric society.

The experience that I hope to bring to this role includes the following:

• I am currently the medical school liaison officer for British Indian Medical Association, which has required me to coordinate university representatives across the country whilst building a national network and maximising our reach.

• I have regular experience of delivering workshops and hosting discussions at my sixth form for ‘careers day’. Through this, I have taken on board various mentees over the last couple of years helping them to get through the university application process.

• Public relations team member for National Hindu Students’ Forum (NHSF), which has allowed me to gain skills that will be helpful in supporting and building on previous and upcoming relationships with societies, universities and schools. Being on the national committee for NHSF, I have been part of multiple projects enabling widening participation and I hope to bring the experience to this role.