The Medical Student Competition 2025, run by the General Medical Council (GMC) and Medical Schools Council, called on students from across the country to highlight why doctors have a responsibility to manage and use NHS resources effectively.
For Shahid, this was the perfect opportunity to combine his creative flair and strong passion for sustainability.
One anecdote, in particular, highlights the waste he says is endemic across the NHS. Shahid was at a training session recently where he was asked to carry out a procedure called a dipstick test. Usually done to check the contents of urine, this dipstick test was being simulated with apple juice. The consultant in charge asked the students to wear full PPE – but Shahid refused. Throwing PPE away after testing apple juice seemed a waste.
“I had an internship in Brazil and spent time delivering healthcare in the Amazon rainforest. It was so resource limited there, and chucking out PPE over apple juice seems such a waste in comparison. Luckily, the consultant understood where I was coming from,” Shahid said.
Shahid, who is part of King’s Extended Medical Degree Programme, has long balanced creativity with the more academically-inclined parts of his life. He studied fine art in school, but was unable to pursue it at A Level because it clashed with the STEM-heavy programme of subjects required to study medicine. However, he still taps into his creative pursuits as a way to destress from the busy lifestyle of a King’s medical student.
Whether it’s backpacking trips with friends or messing about with his little brother, Shahid is often on the lookout for moments to whip out his camera and start filming. When he heard about the competition, he thought it was the perfect opportunity to combine his creativity and video skills with his desire to make the NHS a more sustainable environment.
He roped his 12-year-old brother into helping him film around Guy’s campus and Guy’s hospital, before he set to work editing and adding effects. What emerged was an energetic video bursting with ideas and playful animations. The judges were so impressed, they awarded him the top prize and £500. Shahid has promised his brother £100 from the prize pot.
The opportunities available at King’s have helped Shahid flourish – he never could have imagined himself confidently presenting an award-winning video just a couple of years ago.
“I was a very shy person before university. I never talked to people. Then when university started, I went out of my way to talk to as many people as possible. It opened up my mind to so many things, so many subjects.”
And in his particular style, Shahid is brimming with ideas and possibilities about where his interests could take him next. He’s especially excited about ways he can bring his love of history into his medical degree, and also where his fascination with international medicine could land him.
“We’re taught the NHS way of practicing medicine, but other countries do things slightly differently. My plan is to later go to Asia and practice medicine there. The UK will always be medically advanced, but other countries don’t have the same advantages. I want to learn about them and help them.”
Watch the video below