Interviewing the 2026 UCL Medical Society President - Amrit Kaur

Written By Anya D. Roy

From the devotional peace of Kirtan to high-stakes neurology wards, Amrit Kaur leads with an unwavering "service-first" mindset. Steering MedSoc to record-breaking engagement, she has navigated the complexities of student politics while prioritising cultural integrity and collective empowerment to ensure every member feels seen and supported. In this interview, she provides a candid look at the state of student elections, her self-care non-negotiables, the importance of community and what it truly means to lead with the heart.

Q1: Why did you run for president?

“I initially didn’t even think of running for president! At first, the plan was to just be a Pre-Clinical Education Chair in third year”. As Pre-Clinical education Co-Chair 2024-2025, she organised the high-quality MedSoc tutorials that so many of us second years deem the saving grace of our first year.

This meant solving lots of administrative issues – like creating a comprehensive tutorial spreadsheet to centralise communication with the entire subcommittee. Working closely with the then-president, Dev Murugesan, she learned to harness her natural drive and communication skills to tackle large-scale society-wide challenges. This period of growth sparked a deeper desire to serve. She saw firsthand “how fulfilling this work was and really just wanted a way to give back”, seeking new ways to expand the impact of the society that had taught her so much.

Q2: What were your goals when you began and have you achieved them?

Amongst her numerous achievements this year, Amrit and her team accomplished their goal of “boost[ing] membership numbers”. They are at 450, “the highest in MedSoc history”. Increasing Medsoc’s visibility was one of her top priorities, especially “ensuring members know how many events and opportunities they can access for free, with a membership.” To increase accessibility, she considered “reducing the membership fee”, but after much deliberation, she realised this wouldn’t be possible. Instead, she’s helped improve its value for money by ensuring each speciality runs discounted events year-round - “we’re definitely guilty of adding to all the group chat spam”, she laughs. Beyond this, she’s set up portfolio clinics and upheld the society’s longstanding collaboration with the medical school, overseeing the organisation of mOSCEs that I can personally attest to!

 Q3: What’s your take on the whole campaigning process and elections?

“I think the current system works, but we do need some changes. Right now, it’s far too easy to win a role based on popularity rather than how hard you’ve actually worked”, she observes. She hopes to see a more courageous electorate, one that doesn’t just 'collude' but votes based on who they’ve seen delivering results in the past.

“We also need to lower the barriers to candidacy. It shouldn't feel 'embarrassing' to put yourself out there, and when more people run for the role, it reduces this feeling of alienation”. Regarding the 28-day membership rule for voting eligibility, she agrees that the right to choose future leaders must lie with those directly affected, but points out that “there are people who may not have full membership, despite attending events and tutorials, who know exactly how much work you’ve put in, but they can't support you because they missed a cutoff.” These societies have a reach far beyond immediate members, so she hopes this will be represented in the future. 

Q4: What advice would you give to your successor?

“Make sure you have clear goals and a system for delegating tasks to help you achieve them. There may be times when you have to pick up the slack, but this is what it means to support your committee and their well-being. Always stick to your promises”, she reinforces.

Q5: Do you have any work-life balance advice for students entering clinical years?

Coming straight out of the rigorous Neuroscience iBSc, she found the clinical focus of Year 4 more rewarding, despite the new challenge of balancing hospital placements with her presidency. Her secret to staying afloat? Maintain your non-negotiables. "Society work is endless, it’s so easy to get carried away in the pursuit of perfection. So, you must prioritise and set your own firm boundaries," she warns. Strategies like time-blocking, i.e., identifying the parts of the day best suited for specific tasks, have really helped her. Her leadership style is rooted in delegation, organisation and mutual respect: every weekend, she creates a comprehensive weekly plan for her core committee, ensuring that deadlines are clear and the workload is manageable. These strategies are 100% transferable to your own revision – make study groups, create weekly revision plans and tackle work in small chunks!

Q6: What’s your personal mantra/value that you live by?

For her, it’s always been a commitment to integrity: “do the right thing, and good things will follow”. This belief stems from a desire to work as hard as possible personally, but also value the work of others, giving credit where credit’s due. “As president, there’s often a temptation to take the easy route for quick wins – I was advised to organise a centralised pan-speciality MedSoc conference, complete with CPD points for attendees, which in past years had been quite successful and highly commended. Instead, I decided that my subcommittee chairs deserved their own chances to shine, advocating for them to continue their work with organising their amazing speciality-specific events”. Always keeping her promises and leading with a 'service-first' mindset, Amrit has undoubtedly empowered her society to flourish.

Q7: What speciality are you interested in?

Neurology, although her fourth-year clinical rotations have unearthed a wealth of new interests, exposing her to specialities that previously weren’t on her radar. "It really broadens your interests," she explains, noting that seeing different specialities live on the wards exposes one to nuances like different working styles that she wouldn’t otherwise know about. “I think I’m becoming more and more indecisive as I go!", A candid admission that speaks of her genuine fascination with the "job" itself. For her, every new speciality makes its own unique offering – be it work-life balance or high adrenaline rounds - making the final choice both harder and more exciting.

Q8: What’s the most underrated medical specialty?

“Respiratory medicine! The doctors are so happy and organised. They have a great work-life balance, like anaesthesia.” She mentions that the job can sometimes be repetitive, treating the same conditions, but this could be the case with any specialty. “Maybe it was so interesting because it was my first clinical rotation”, she jokingly speculates. 

Q9: Outside of medicine and MedSoc, what is something you are passionate about?

“Kirtan. I’ve even played the harmonium competitively!” For those who don’t know, Kirtan is the traditional Sikh practice of communal, devotional hymn-singing, often accompanied by Indian classical music and performed daily in the Gurdwara. “It helps me feel connected to my religion”, she says. She also enjoys dancing, “but only at home with my sister!” she laughs. “I’m also a big fan of the gym, or at least I try to be. With how intense work has been lately, finding the time to get a workout in has been my biggest challenge”, she admits. Honestly, same here!

Q10: What’s your idea of success after med school?

“Looking back, I’ve already achieved so much that I’m grateful for - as a kid, I wanted really long hair, and I’ve achieved that!”, she chuckles. In the past few years, she says she “never used to feel enough”, neglecting sleep and health in the rush to get assignments done. But this year, she’s learned the importance of self-care and rest – and wants to prioritise this going forward. “I want to be a good doctor, the reliable kind that gives out positive energy and makes my patients feel safe, comfortable and heard always. But at the same time, I want to be happy with the way I’m treating myself – so that I have the energy to ensure this high standard of care for people at their most vulnerable”.

At her core, she’s an altruist.  Her father set a standard of selflessness that she aspires to uphold – prioritising his children’s future in an English-speaking country over his own professional dreams, by moving from Italy to the UK. For her, becoming a doctor isn't just a personal milestone; it is a way to honour her father’s journey, inspire her younger siblings, and ultimately keep her family as happy and comfortable as possible.

Q11: What’s your Myers-Briggs personality type and star sign?

ENFJ-A, Pisces

Q12: What would you do if not medicine?

“Anything that would help me make people’s lives better or fight against injustice – law, most likely!”

Read the rest of the edition here.