During my first year of medical school, I began working with NIHR Bristol BRC (nutrition theme). The research I have been involved in is part of ongoing work where the team are examining the consumer nutrition environment at NHS venues. During my time there, I took part in conducting a study looking at the healthfulness of foods and drinks in vending machines, which refers specifically to quality statement 1 of NICE quality standard 94 entitled ‘obesity in children and young people: prevention and lifestyle weight management programmes’. I wrote an abstract discussing the results of the study and it was accepted to the “Nutrition Society Summer Conference 2018: ‘Getting energy balance right”. I presented the research in the form of a poster at the conference and the abstract is published in the ‘Proceedings of the Nutrition Society’. There was a vast interest in the topic at the conference and I was able to network with relevant individuals working in the field. NICE has also gained an interest in our research and we are currently working closely with them to further develop our tools. At the conference, I heard from inspiring and renowned researchers and professors about innovative, cutting edge nutrition science research. The diverse research presented were not only relevant to my work in nutrition but are also extremely relevant to my medical studies. I’ve realized just how closely related medicine and nutrition are and the importance of being well educated in the field of nutrition to become better physicians. Throughout my time at the conference, I have learnt a great deal and gained new skills as both a medical student and a researcher. I feel very lucky to have attended the conference and it was very rewarding to see my hard work being paid off and generate positive, tangible outcomes. I hope that I will be able to continue being involved in this area of research and make further progress and impactful contributions within the nutrition and medical community. I would also encourage any other medical students with an interest in a particular field of research to get involved, it is a unique opportunity not to be missed!
Julia Kan