Welcome to the Let’s Talk: Life in Lockdown series of podcasts from the UoE and Edinburgh Student Association, keeping us together and sharing experiences in this extraordinary period of Covid19 social distancing. The University is continuing, but in ways never before known. Most of us are working and studying away from University buildings, and in isolation from one another. We are all in this together, but in vastly diverse circumstances, and it is so interesting to hear from one another about these.
I’m Harriet Harris, The University Chaplain, and in each short interview week I’m joined by students or staff of the University who talk about what they are doing in the lockdown, from being fast-tracked into medical practice, supporting NHS staff with childcare, returning to a ‘silent’ household with profoundly deaf parents, meeting the sudden imperative to deliver all teaching online, being in Edinburgh with family abroad, being abroad with family in the UK, having COVID19 in the household, and more.
We also talk in each interview about how the distancing and self-isolating is affecting us: what are the challenges for us, and what are the new discoveries, what are we leaning about our mental health and wellbeing, and what is happening for us that might never have happened otherwise?
I’ve loved having these conversations with our wonderful students and staff, who have been so open, thoughtful, reflective, everyone has given something personal, and we’ve learned a lot together.
Kritika, fast-tracked into medical practice
6thyear medic Kritika Kalia tells us how her graduation was brought forward by three months so that she is able to join in the frontline NHS work. Final year medical students are finding their training needing to kick in earlier than expected. Kalia is in an interim period, as so many of us are – in a waiting game. Kritika's interim is between graduation and being given her posting. She will come back and tell us how it is going, once the ward work begins. She also talks about the pressures of social distancing even on the spacious beaches of Norfolk, and how taking up the harp has become a fantastic new hobby that may never have happened without the social response we are needing to make to COVID19.
If any of the issues in this broadcast have affected you and you’d like support, here are some helplines.
If you feel that you or someone you are with is in danger right now, please call 999
A 24/ hour emergency mental health service, Mental health assessment service
us on 0131 537 6000.
· Breathing Space 0800 83 85 87
· The Samaritans 08457 90 90 90
· Edinburgh Crisis Centre 0808 801 0414
For University support
Nightline
Student Counselling Service, https://www.ed.ac.uk/student-counselling
Staff Counselling Service, https://www.ed.ac.uk/counselling-services/staff
The Listening Service (for students and staff), chaplaincy@ed.ac.uk, 0131 650 2595
