Joanna Yassa

Hello everyone!!

I'm Joanna and I am running for the role of Welfare vice chair for wellbeing reps- a role I have been fully immersed in this year and feel very passionately about. Medicine is one of the most challenging yet rewarding degrees but the majority of the time during medical school, with all of the pressures and challenges that it brings, it can be difficult to see the reward. Academic pressures across all year groups, almost every year, was their main wellbeing concern and despite this being inevitable with the nature of the course, I want to help in relieving these pressures this year so we can all enjoy medicine too!!

As the 2nd Year Well-being Representative, I worked closely with faculty, student reps, and the SU to advocate for student welfare and ensure that concerns were managed and addressed appropriately. This experience has given me insight into the challenges students face and how we can improve the systems that support them. I have seen the reward of this position this year and would like to pass my skills and knowledge onto the wellbeing reps this year. I would like to work more closely with faculty to address and propose new strategies that everyone can benefit for including:

• Reducing "portfolio panic"
• More clinical placement support
• Invite doctors to discuss coping mechanisms
• Improve and encourage accessibility to support

I hope you trust my new strategies and feel like I would provide the right support you!

Please vote for me!!