Profile
About
I am a fourth year medical student at the University of Edinburgh with an intercalated degree in Global Health Policy. Mental health has long been a curiosity of mine due to a combination of lived experience and observing the struggle it has had in achieving parity with physical health. As part of this, blogging has been an incredibly cathartic experience for exploring my own thoughts and those of others; often allowing me to understand insights I had previously not considered.
These interests have led to me working actively in peer support and compassion groups to encourage mutual understanding and open conversation around mental health. Through working with the medical school, mental health charities and Scottish government, I have found a particular interest in empowering young people to take an active role in the decisions which impact their own health and wellbeing. I hope to continue this well into my career as a psychiatrist working in government-level policy. I am also the president of Edinburgh Psychiatry Society and selected PsychStar at the Royal College of Psychiatrists for 2020/21.
In my spare time, I regularly travel to a wide variety of cultures all over the globe, alongside reading and attempting to keep my houseplants alive.
Heather McAdam
Psych Star