Medical Society: Welfare Officer

After hearing about saddening news in the last week about the death of a student, it really touched me as to the demand that medical students face. Although the cause of death is unknown, it just reminded me of situations in other medical schools all over the country, who have passed away due to poor mental health and depression. As medical students, we are meant to diagnose and help, but sometimes it may be hard to look for that person to diagnose and help you, due to stigma and overriding fear of embarrassment. I would love to bridge the gap between students and their physical, mental and emotional health, it plays a big role in the ability to socialise, and exam performance. UCL Medicine is very supportive in terms of providing support, but I just can’t help to think of those who shy away from those opportunities - I would love to be that person who they know they can talk to with no fear. No fear of judging, no fear of embarrassment, no fear of escalated circumstances if they aren’t necessary. Sometimes we just need that one person to talk to clear our minds, and I would love to be that person. 
 

I am standing for this role because I want to support other students and help make MedSoc a welcoming and supportive part of student life. Having experienced the stress of medical school myself, I understand how important welfare is and how much it matters for students to feel listened to, included, and part of a community. I am interested in this role because it offers the chance to support students in practical ways while helping to build a stronger sense of community through consistent welfare initiatives. I would also like to help develop ideas that make MedSoc more engaging and accessible, and create opportunities for students to relax and feel involved. I am approachable and always happy to listen, and I would work hard to keep welfare a consistent part of MedSoc throughout the year.

Vote Joshua Villanueva for MedSoc Welfare Officer!

As incoming RUMS Academic VP Y1-3, I would be in a strong position to build closer collaboration between Medical Society and RUMS, especially around academic stress and student wellbeing. Welfare and academics are closely linked - when students feel overwhelmed, or unsupported, it directly affects how they learn and cope with medical school.

I want to use this role to make welfare more visible, practical and embedded in Medical Society’s academic and social activity. Through my involvement in the Pre-Clinical MedSoc tutorials and RUMS tutorials, I have seen how valuable peer-led support can be in making medical school feel more manageable and less isolating.

I also bring direct welfare experience as a RUMS Welfare Rep, where I have supported welfare initiatives and worked closely with the previous, and incoming RUMS Welfare VP. This has given me insight into what effective student welfare looks like: approachable, sensitive, proactive and genuinely useful.

My priorities would be to:

Strengthen collaboration between MedSoc and RUMS around exams, transitions and academic pressure.

Improve welfare signposting so students know where to access support.

Expand existing/create new peer-led wellbeing initiatives.

Make welfare a more consistent part of Medical Society activity.

I would bring academic leadership, welfare experience and wide RUMS involvement to make Medical Society welfare more practical, visible and student-centred. Vote Josh!