To raise awareness about the benefits of intercalation, Queen Mary University of London recently hosted its tenth annual Intercalated Symposium — a peer-reviewed scientific forum where medical students presented original research on a diverse range of health and disease topics.

The event featured 12 student speakers showcasing key findings alongside scientists and clinicians from Barts Health NHS Trust, the Royal London Hospital, and University College London Hospitals (UCLH). Research themes ranged from robotics and pharmacology to women’s health and digital medicine.

Notable projects included:

• The role of NprC signalling in inflammation using mouse models of aortic aneurysm.
• A digital health tool called “We Move”, a webapp designed to track body movements during exercise.
• Research on how hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle influence cognition and productivity.
• Development of phantom medical devices to monitor heart rate or detect colorectal cancer.
• Insights into patient-doctor communication and the behavioural effects of fatigue.

The symposium fostered cross-disciplinary discussion, with a Q&A session and networking event aimed at building collaborations between students, researchers, and industry professionals.

Intercalation, which allows medical students to take a year out of their core training to pursue additional qualifications, is seen as a valuable route to building professional skills in multidisciplinary research, health informatics, and leadership. These competencies are increasingly essential for clinical academic careers, including applications to the Academic Foundation Programme (AFP) and beyond.

Health Education England (HEE) is encouraging medical students to embrace research and innovation by intercalating MSc degrees as part of their education, according to its latest mandate (sections 6.48–6.56). The move is part of a broader strategy to develop a future workforce equipped with the research skills and insights highlighted in national reviews such as the Keogh Mortality Review.

Queen Mary supports this initiative by offering intercalated BSc and MSc programmes. These degrees are eligible to be counted towards the qualifying year for NHS bursary funding, potentially easing financial pressures. With postgraduate qualifications becoming more important for subspecialty training, intercalation offers students an advantage in a competitive field.

A University spokesperson said: "As postgraduate qualifications and interdisciplinary expertise become central to modern healthcare, events like this underscore the critical role of intercalation in preparing doctors for the future NHS."