Lancaster University medical student wins scholarship

The Clegg Scholarship, awarded by the British Medical Journal (BMJ), is given to only four students who are studying medicine within the UK or EU.

Narut Pakunwanich, in his final year at Lancaster Medical School, was chosen from 100 applicants who went through a stringent selection process which involved writing numerous articles, CV checks and an online interview.

After winning the scholarship, Narut spent 22 days over 10 weeks as an intern at the prestigious journal, gaining an insight into the world of medical communications.

The internship allowed him to work alongside the BMJ editorial team to produce articles, cover new stories and create educational material.

He said: “As a Clegg scholar, I participated in the weekly manuscript meetings, where we discussed the intricacies of submitted research articles.

"Through this, discussions on methodological rigour alongside research applicability to clinical practice and journal readership were critical in shaping my understanding of research design and publication.

"I had the privilege of attending the five-yearly Editorial Board meeting, hearing world-leading experts debating the future of the BMJ, NHS and healthcare worldwide.

“I also got my first taste of medical journalism by collaborating with the other Clegg scholars in writing the 75th anniversary of the NHS feature, where I interviewed leading experts such as Prof Dame Parveen Kumar, Professor of Medicine and Education at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry.

"I also led multiple interviews with medical students from India, Turkey and Vietnam to restart the ‘A day in the life of…’ series. I am in the process of pitching feature articles on psychiatric funding.”

Narut says the internship will enable him to become a better doctor.

“I think networking and interviewing both medical students and experts from around the world helped me appreciate the diversity of both clinical practice and practicing physicians worldwide,” he said.

"Discussing ‘big picture’ issues surrounding the delivery of healthcare globally widened my horizons to addressing differing health needs.

"As an aspiring clinical academic, it also allowed me to practice balancing research responsibilities alongside clinical practice, as I was doing it parallel to my 5th year placement.”

Narut’s ambition is to be a clinical academic, which he plans to achieve through an Academic/Specialised foundation programme in Medical Oncology at the University of Cambridge, followed by a PhD.