The University of Glasgow: Student Clubs and Societies

The number of clubs and societies in universities is usually high, these are advertised widely during the freshers week but students also have an opportunity to set up one according to their own interest.

The Medico-Chirugical Society

The most popular amongst medical students is the Medico-Chirurgical Society, more fondly referred to as ‘MedChir’.

These are old reputable establishments and provide multiple educational events, weekend trips to other medical schools and regular fun-filled Thursday evenings.

The University of Glasgow

Within Glasgow, MedChir and its associated societies cater for all interests, meaning you will find a society that suits you…and if not, you are very much encouraged to form your own with the support of the medical school and MedChir.

As a result, there are over 50 different medical societies at the University of Glasgow, with the most recent additions including Medic Female Rugby, GU Dermatology Society and the Glasgow Mountain Medicine Society.

International students often have dedicated societies as do mature students. There are literally hundreds of clubs and societies of interest and it will be hard for a student not to find a similarly-minded group of individuals.

Alterations in timetabling to accommodate societies

In order to accommodate the extracurricular lives of medical students, universities make alterations in timetabling to provide all medical students with a Wednesday afternoon off.

This free afternoon is used to encourage all students to take part in an activity that will be of benefit to both their physical and mental wellbeing.

It also enables them to get involved in a range of university sports clubs that typically play on a Wednesday afternoon.

Sports activities

A range of sports activities are available in most universities and this enables medical students to develop a wide network of friends from all year groups.

Some traditional medic sports include hockey, volleyball, rugby and football, all of which boast male and female players and offer regular training opportunities.

For the medics in Scotland, the greatest sporting event of the year is SNIMS, the Scottish and Northern Irish Medic Sports. Every year this event attracts 1500 medical students, continuing to appeal to sports and social enthusiasts alike.

Speciality-specific societies

In addition to sport and socialising, MedChir in Glasgow is associated with numerous speciality-specific societies, covering everything from ‘Save Baby’s Life – Resuscitation Techniques’ to surgical skills.

Many of the educational societies organise an annual conference alongside revision study sessions throughout the year.

Students are encouraged to get involved in the committee work of these societies, gaining further experience in a speciality they may be interested in alongside developing leadership skills and of course friendship.