Fifth-year medical student and current President of Oxford University's GP Society (GPSoc) Emma Clarke shares highlights from the Oxford GP Society Conference 2025.
About the author: Emma Clarke is a fifth-year medical student at Oxford University, aspiring to be a GP in London. She is the current President of the Oxford GP Society (2024-25).
On 29th March Oxford GP Society were thrilled to host the Oxford GP Society Conference 2025 for medical students. We focused on highlighting the breadth of careers possible in General Practice and how our speakers have tailored their working week to align with their personal priorities and academic interests.
To start the day, we heard from Dr Sarah Killips, who discussed the GP training process and assessments, alongside her experience as a Salaried GP and Locum. Dr Debbie Gould followed, discussing her extended role in Dermatology and how the GP Retention Scheme helped her balance her role as a GP, her interest in Dermatology, and her personal priorities as a mother.
We then heard from Dr Jordan Ford, who described how General Practice allows him to have the work-life balance he desires and leaves flexibility for him to pursue his interest in Motorsports Medicine at Silverstone. Dr Emma Ladds shared how she divides her week between clinical work, teaching, research and her role as a GP Partner. She stressed the importance of choosing a career which works for you and how previous experience in hospital medicine benefits her as a GP.
Dr Andrew Schuman offered a series of thought-provoking anecdotes from his most memorable experiences as a GP, demonstrating the humanity and privilege of the profession. We then heard from Dr Susan Waldron who works as an educator for Red Whale alongside her role as a GP. She gave a refreshing perspective on the UK and Australian health systems, having chosen to leave Australia to practice in the UK. Finally, we were fortunate to hear from Dr Michael Mulholland, RCGP Honorary Secretary, who discussed his role representing primary care policy and how his clinical work as a GP is central to informing him as a leader.
Dr Michael Mulholland speaking at the Oxford GP Society Conference 2025
As a future GP, I hope to enjoy my job, be supported in balancing my work with my family and to diversify my career to include areas of personal interest. Our speakers affirmed that Primary Care offers the healthy opportunity to achieve these things from early on. General Practice is a fabulous and fulfilling career choice for many reasons, but it is particularly comforting for me to know I will be valued as an individual doctor.
I would like to personally thank our speakers for sharing their time and experience with us. It is incredibly valuable for students to see positive examples of doctors who enjoy their careers in a time when many healthcare professionals feel disillusioned. I would like to extend my thanks to our Society’s Vice-President, Charlotte Killips, who was instrumental in recruiting our excellent speakers.
I would also like to thank the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the Medical Defense Union (MDU), whose kind sponsorship allowed us to provide lunch and refreshments to our attendees and reimburse the travel costs of our speakers.
Find out more about Oxford GP Society here.