Who are we?
The Nottingham Medico-Chirurgical Society (MedChi) is one of the oldest and most active medical societies in the country, originating in 1828 as a lending library for medical books. The Society provided medical education for many years, and has now evolved to become a networking group supporting Nottinghamshire GPs, Consultants, Senior Academics and Doctors in training. Medical students are welcome as guests.
What do we do?
The rules of the Society state: ‘The objects of the Society shall be: the cultivation and promotion of medicine and the medical community in and around Nottingham and the support of charities and of other charitable benevolent projects relating to the medical community’.
MedChi activities revolve around three strands: an evening lecture programme, a social programme and charity donations and awards.
Lecture programme
A series of lectures are held on a Wednesday evening at the Post Graduate Medical Education Centre (PGMEC), City Hospital, Nottingham. Although in-person attendance is very much encouraged, remote access via Teams is also available. The year starts in the autumn with the Inaugural Presidential Address and lectures usually happen on a monthly basis.
The topics are varied depending on the interests and expertise of the President who alternates on a yearly basis between Primary and Secondary Care. The lectures are preceded by an introduction and last about 45 minutes followed by Q&A and a vote of thanks. Some are medical but others are not.
A vibrant recent example was a meeting when three final year Med-Chi sponsored medical students gave illustrated talks about their ambitious overseas electives. One (now a Foundation doctor) presented from overseas in Zimbabwe, and this was followed by tales of an elective undertaken in 1988 by Miss Sharon Scriven (Consultant Urologist), in Africa at the onset of the HIV/AIDs epidemic.
Light refreshments from 6.30pm precede the lectures at 7pm and minutes of each meeting and a summary of each lecture are subsequently available for members. Further information is on the website www.medchi.org.uk
Recent speakers have included Professor Sir Jonathan Van Tam, Professor Kamila Hawthorne MBE, Chair of RCGP Council, Miss Ranee Thakar, current President of RCOG and Professor Scarlett McNally, President of the Women’s Medical Federation. Other speakers from the 2024/5 session included Professor John Beckett, Professor of Regional History at the University of Nottingham Dr Gail Allsopp, Chief Medical Advisor to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Dr David Selwyn, Director of The Centre for Perioperative care (CPOC) and acting Chief Executive of SFHT
Social programme
An active and varied social programme complements the lecture series. A book club meets monthly in a restaurant and the discussions are lively! Other regular events include a Burns Night Supper and Ceilidh, Quiz evening, and various workshops including willow weaving, origami and glass fusion designs. Music and sports events also feature. Partners and guests are most welcome.
Charity donations and prizes
The President chooses a charity to support each year and for 2025-6 this is ‘Doctors in Distress’. There are several generous MedChi awards for medical student overseas elective study which are keenly contested. There are also other prizes, one of which is awarded via the Medical School to the student with the top marks in the clinical course.
Why Join?
The Med-Chi Society aims for ‘education, entertainment, friendship and fun’ to support the development of a resilient, vibrant, diverse and inclusive local medical community.
The Society is hugely grateful to the President, Council and all contributors who enable this to happen.
Full Membership is available to all local Consultants, GPs, Senior Academics, and other specialists. An Associate Membership is available for doctors in training.
Medical students are welcome to attend lectures as guests. Please join our strong and active local medical society and help celebrate our 200 year anniversary in 2028.
For further details please contact admin@medchi.org.uk and please check out our website
September 2025