Sharp Scratch

Sharp Scratch has been around since 2009, which in podcast years makes it practically ancient, and the fact that it's still going strong after 154 episodes says a lot. Published by The BMJ (that's the British Medical Journal for the uninitiated), the show pairs medical students and newly qualified doctors with expert guests to talk about everything medical school sort of forgets to mention. Hosted currently by Zaynah Khan, the conversations feel candid without being reckless. One episode tackles what it's actually like working night shifts as an FY1, another asks whether the GMC is silencing young medics, and there's a genuinely memorable Halloween special about dissection horror stories. The format varies between interviews, panel discussions, and more intimate two-person chats, usually running 20 to 40 minutes. It's biweekly, which gives you enough time to process one episode before the next lands. What sets Sharp Scratch apart from other junior doctor podcasts is the institutional backing combined with real vulnerability. These aren't polished PR segments; they're honest conversations about navigating deafness in medicine, dealing with surgical anxiety, and figuring out your identity as a new doctor. The show earned a 4.8-star rating on Apple Podcasts, and the 150th episode celebration in January 2026 featured a retrospective on whether a universal medical school experience even exists. If you want something that respects your intelligence while acknowledging that being a junior doctor is genuinely hard, this is the one to start with.