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My Personal Experiences as an Intellectual Disability Psych Star

Writer's picture: Megs GraingerMegs Grainger

Psychiatry has been a highlight of my medical school experience.

Every psychiatrist I’ve met, every talk and lecture I’ve attended, and every topic I have studied, nothing has grabbed my attention more than psychiatry. So, when the opportunity presented itself to meet MORE psychiatrists, attend MORE talks and conferences, and gain MORE experience, it was a no-brainer that I had to apply to the Psych Star Scheme.


I therefore applied to and was accepted into the scheme, specifically in Intellectual Disability. Intellectual Disability psychiatry involves working with people with learning disabilities, who are much more likely than the general population to experience mental health conditions. A learning disability affects the way someone learns new things throughout their life, and is different for everyone. For example, a person with a learning disability might have some difficulty understanding complicated information, learning some skills, or looking after themselves.


Additionally, people with learning disabilities' physical and mental health needs are often overlooked or misattributed to their learning disabilities. This results in unnecessary consequences, which could be prevented by access to the right care and support.


This is where Intellectual Disability psychiatry comes in: to try to prevent and provide the right care to people with these disabilities. Importantly, it focuses on how we can adapt situations to the needs of those with differences, so they can still enjoy and get the most out of the experiences life offers. I am grateful to have been able to explore this area of Psychiatry through the scheme.


What Have I Done on the Scheme? 


The first and most important aspect of this scheme is the mentoring. Without my mentor, Dr Niraj Singh, I would not have received any of the opportunities I have had. He was so understanding of what I wanted and took the time to introduce me to other psychiatrists in my area, point out books he felt were important that I read, and mention experiences I did not consider.


For example, my mentor suggested a course in Makaton, a language that uses a combination of signs, symbols, and speech to help people communicate. Makaton is the UK’s leading programme for adults and children with intellectual disabilities and/or communication difficulties.

As someone who has already learnt British Sign Language (BSL) during a phase of craving learning over lockdown, and has a 828 day streak on Duo Lingo learning both Turkish and Spanish, I adore languages. Therefore, learning a language which is used so greatly in those with intellectual disabilities will significantly help in my time as a doctor, when I will come across new people every day.

Photo by author - Megs Grainger

Following on from my talks with my mentor, I attended the intellectual disability conference in Leeds, which was the first non-university ran conference I attended. This was a phenomenal experience, despite the storm getting me stranded in Leeds for an additional night!

The talks were incredibly interesting, and despite there being few students, I did not feel as if I was an imposter, or too young to be there. Everyone I spoke to made me feel included and as though I was an equal.


One specific talk stood out to me. This talk discussed how there is an increased likelihood of those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experiencing gender dysphoria whilst also having an increased difficulty in handling these emotions. Following this talk, I read more about the topic as it was something I was not aware of prior. Whilst more research is needed, a systematic review, which is research that summarizes multiple studies, found a higher prevalence of gender dysphoria amongst people with autism. Over time, clinical guidance has started to be developed for patients with co-occurring autism spectrum disorders and gender dysphoria, to improve clinical care.


The National Autistic Society have also interviewed people with autism about their gender identity, and provided personal stories surrounding this topic. Taken directly from their website, Dr Wenn Lawson, autistic advocate, researcher, and psychologist, said: "The non-autistic world is governed by social and traditional expectations, but we may not notice these or fail to see them as important. This frees us up to connect more readily with our true gender."


Another project I have been involved in is with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) department, where I have been talking to those who work in the educational areas of CAMHS. From my time as a medical student, experience in psychiatry as a whole has been difficult to come by. I have therefore used my own experiences to liase with the CAHMS team, through online and in person mediums, to help increase CAHMS awareness for medical students.


What Do I Have Lined Up?


So, it is only June as I write this, and I have had to take a step back from all of the exciting opportunities as a Psych Star to focus on my exams. However, I do have so many more exciting experiences set up for the Summer!


Firstly, my mentor has helped me find clinical experience over the summer in Intellectual Disability. This will allow me to see and get a feel for a day in the life of a Psychiatrist. I would otherwise not have been exposed to this for another two years of university. Therefore, being able to do this sooner is a great opportunity!


As I have mentioned, but truly want to emphasize, it is difficult as an early-year medical student to get experience in any area of psychiatry except for a few lectures on the basics of depression. This is something that scares me as, as much as I love the field of psychiatry, I’ve had no real hands-on experience.

Photo from Unsplash by Emily Underworld

If it wasn’t for the Psych Star programme, it would take me until 5th year of University to truly discover if Psychiatry is what I wanted to do. This is why I’m so thankful for all the people who have taken me through this experience, from the team who run the Psych Stars, to my mentor, and the Psychiatrist giving me the opportunity to shadow him.


Finally, I have not one, but two, conferences lined up for the rest of this year. The first one is the Royal College of Psychiatrists International Congress in Edinburgh, which we are automatically given tickets to through the Scheme. I haven’t ever been to Edinburgh before, so it is all a new experience for me. I am also attending the 2024 annual Intellectual Disability conference to do a talk on my time as an Intellectual Disability Psych Star, which is the first time I will have done public speaking on such a big scale! I typically have a fear of public speaking, so starting my public speaking journey with a personal presentation on my amazing time as a Psych Star, will be an amazing step in helping out these anxieties!


My Conclusions


Overall, being a Psych Star has been an unforgettable experience, and there is still so much more to come. While it has been stressful around exams and placement, I am happy for the understanding of all of those involved to be able to still make the most out of it. I could not thank the Royal College of Psychiatrists more!


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