Teacher FAQs

Below are a few FAQs that help explain the event.

General information

How do I apply?

When is the next activity?

What’s the benefit for students?

Who can take part?

What is a ‘Zone’?

How much time will it take?

How much will it cost?

Will I need any special IT software or equipment?

How secure is the site?

How can I get in touch?

Taking part in the activity

How do I book a live chat?

How can students ask a question?

What are student profiles?

I’m having trouble accessing the live chat, what can I do?

Can I get a transcript of my live chat?

Can my students log in outside of their lesson times?

General information

How do I apply?

Click here and fill in the registration form. We’ll email you before the next activity starts to ask if you want to take part with your students.

When is the next activity?

I’m a Medic returns for three weeks 21st January – 8th February 2018.

Read the latest activity info here.

What’s the benefit for students?

Your students see that healthcare workers are normal people too, with hobbies and interests similar to their own. Students begin to identify with those working in the NHS and gain a more positive and realistic view of careers in the NHS.

Running I’m a Medic with your students will:

  • engage the whole class, regardless of their academic ability and attainment
  • give all the opportunity to interact with a diversity of NHS staff from receptionists, pharmacists, nurses, and doctors
  • improve attitudes towards the NHS in general and give students a more positive and realistic view of careers in the NHS
  • help young people see that healthcare careers are a realistic possibility for them.
  • raise students’ aspirations in general towards STEM.
  • make young people more enthused to study; especially those who “could try harder”
  • let students ask the questions they really want answered
  • create a ‘buzz’ in the classroom

Who can take part?

Students lead the conversations in I’m a Medic, which means young people of all ability levels and backgrounds are able to get something out of taking part. The activity is open to schools in England and classes that are:

  • Year 9 to Year 13
  • In sixth form colleges, special schools, pupil referral units and other non-mainstream educational settings

There are a maximum of 40 student logins assigned per class, but schools can apply to have multiple classes taking part — in fact, we recommend it. Getting a whole year group involved with the activity means bigger benefits and widespread change in attitudes towards science and STEM careers.

What is a ‘Zone’?

The I’m a Medic activity is divided into Zones. The Zones are either themed, where all healthcare workers will come from a field connected to the theme, or ‘general’ Zones featuring healthcare workers from a across the NHS.

Your class will be allocated a Zone and students are able to log in, ask questions and live chat with the healthcare workers in that Zone.

How much time will it take?

We provide all the resources and materials needed, whether you’re running I’m a Medic with just one class or a whole year group; including suggested lesson plans and modifications to suit different students’ abilities.

We recommend spending at least 2 hours on the event. This will usually be one introductory lesson, one piece of homework (we suggest reading profiles and posting questions in ASK) and one lesson of live chat with the healthcare workers.

How much does it cost?

The activity is fully funded for all state-maintained secondary schools and colleges in England, Year 9 to Year 13.

Do I need any special software or equipment?

All you need are computers with internet access for your students. The live chats are text-based (no video or audio needed) and run through this site.

We have had reports that some school networks have been blocking the live chat. To make sure they will work on your system, ask your IT department to add these URLs to your school network whitelist:

*.imascientist.org.uk
*.imascientist.ie
*.imanengineer.org.uk
*.imamedic.uk
*.googleapis.com
*.gserviceaccount.com
gstatic.com
firebaseapp.com
firebaseio.com
*.firebaseio.com

How secure is it?

No personal details are shared on the site, and we moderate all content. The only students who can log in are those who’ve been given access by their teacher. Take a look at our safeguarding statement for more information.

How can I get in touch?

We’d love to hear from you! Contact Michaela via email: michaela@mangorol.la or call the office on 01225 667922.

We’re big Twitter fans, so if you’ve got a quick question, or one you think other teachers might also want to know the answer to, you can tweet us @imamedic_uk.

If an event is running, you can also contact us through the staffroom.

Taking part in the activity

How do I book a live chat?

Once you’ve received your log in details from us and we’ve confirmed your place on the next event, you’ll need to visit the Live Chat Booking page and fill in the form found there.

You can book one 30-minute live chat per allocated class. It’s a good idea to book your session as soon as you can — slots get filled up quickly and the scientists need enough notice to sign up.

To cancel or rearrange your chat booking for any reason, please get in touch by email: michaela@mangorol.la or phone us on 01225 667922 ASAP. We need to let the healthcare workers know and allow them to get back to their day jobs!

How do students ask a question?

Students need to be logged in to send a questions through ASK. Once logged into their Zone, students can click the ‘ASK’ button to type their question and choose which of the healthcare workers to send it to.

Watch the video to see ASK in action:

What are student profiles?

Every student has an unique log in and profile on the site. There, they can choose a profile picture and write a little bit about themselves. Any answers they’ve received to their ASK questions will also appear on their profiles.

This video explains more about student profiles:

I’m having trouble accessing the live chat. What should I do?

Students can access the chat by clicking the ‘Chat’ button at the top of the page. They need to be logged in to be able to type. You can also join in the chat through your teacher account.

We open the chat five minutes before the booked start time. If your booked chat hasn’t opened on time, or you can see the chat but your students can’t type, let us know as soon as possible by calling 01225 667922.

You can ask students to do a hard refresh (Ctrl + F5) on the live chat page and make sure they are all using their individual logins.

Watch the video to see how students use CHAT:

Can I get a transcript of my live chat?

Yes! Once your live chat has ended, you’ll be taken to a page where you can click a button to download the full transcript. You need to be logged in as a teacher to do this.

If you close the page before you get a chance to download the transcript, drop Michaela an email (michaela@mangorol.la) with your school’s name, the name of your Zone, and the date and time of your live chat.

Can my students log in outside of their lesson times?

Certainly! They can log in anywhere with an internet connection to ask questions, read answers and post comments.