Interested in cardiology or looking for extra support with your medical studies?
CardioSoc is the Cardiology Society at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), bringing together students with an interest in cardiology, clinical medicine, teaching and, most importantly, supporting one another throughout medical school.
As one of BSMS's busiest academic societies, we aim to complement the teaching students receive through the medical curriculum by creating additional opportunities to practise clinical skills, consolidate difficult concepts and learn from both peers and doctors working in the field.
Bringing cardiology to life
Cardiology is a core part of medicine, but it can also be a challenging area to get to grips with. Our regular programme includes cardiac manoeuvres teaching, an ECG teaching series featuring talks from cardiologists, Mock OSCEs and Case-Based Discussion (CBD) sessions.
These sessions give students additional chances to practise clinical skills and revisit important concepts in a relaxed environment. Clinical exposure can naturally vary between students depending on their placement, so society teaching provides another way to build confidence and gain experience with important clinical skills.
We also run Heart, Lungs and Blood (103 module) quizzes and revision sessions for first-year students, helping to make new medical content feel more manageable. Before exams, our final-year students have also led online revision sessions covering topics such as cardiac pharmacology, core cardiac conditions and cardiology-specific OSCE practice.
Learning from each other
A big part of CardioSoc is peer teaching. Students from different year groups contribute their time to create resources, organise sessions and teach their peers. For those involved, this is a great opportunity to develop skills in teaching, leadership, communication and mentoring, while helping others understand challenging topics.
For those attending, learning from students who have recently covered the same material can make it easier to ask questions and approach difficult concepts from a different perspective. It also creates opportunities to meet people outside of your usual year group and build supportive relationships across the medical school.
More than just academics
Although teaching is at the heart of CardioSoc, we've also been making more space for social events and opportunities to switch off from medicine.
Recently, we've organised a cardiology-themed movie night, a 5K run with the Pre-Hospital and Military Medicine Society and a Valentine's Day pub quiz with the Anaesthetic Society. Collaborating with other societies has been a great way to meet students with different interests and create connections across BSMS.
We believe these opportunities are an important part of medical school. Having a community outside the classroom can make it easier to find people to share experiences with, whether you're discussing an exam, navigating a difficult placement or simply looking for a break from studying.
Looking to the future
Looking ahead, we want to build stronger links with cardiology societies at other medical schools and create more opportunities for students to connect beyond BSMS. We're particularly interested in facilitating opportunities to attend and engage with national cardiology conferences, allowing students to meet peers from across the country, hear from cardiologists and gain a broader insight into the specialty.
Whether you're considering a future in cardiology, exploring different specialties or simply looking for extra revision and clinical practice, CardioSoc offers a welcoming community and plenty of opportunities to get involved.
Follow CardioSoc on Instagram @bsms_cardiosoc to keep up to date with upcoming events and activities.