January often brings pressure to improve — to fix gaps, sharpen skills, and somehow be better than the year before. Done badly, that drive can become another source of burnout.

This third episode in the Best Bits of 2025 series focuses on how improvement actually works in emergency and acute care — and how to do it in a way that is realistic, sustainable, and kind to the people doing the work.

The clips in this episode are drawn from full St Emlyn’s episodes released during 2025 and reflect some of the most practical conversations about learning, feedback, and professional development from the year.

In this episode, we explore

Why clinical skills fade faster than most of us realise — and why teaching is not the same as training
How debriefing and video review can drive learning safely, when the culture is right
The impact of artificial intelligence and algorithm-driven information on how clinicians learn and make decisions
Why conferences, community, and being “in the room” still matter in medical education

This episode is designed for listening on the way to work, on the way home, or during a quieter moment when you’re thinking about how to improve practice without adding more weight.

Featured episodes

Clips in this episode are taken from the following full episodes:

Episode 259 — Skills Fade with Nathalie Pattyn (Tactical Trauma 24)
Episode 265 — Excellence in Debriefing with Richard Lyon (London Trauma Conference)
Episode 267 — Social Media and Artificial Intelligence in Medicine with Peter Brindley
Episode 274 — What Medical Conferences Offer in 2025 and How They’ve Changed

All full episodes are available in the podcast feed.

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Ep 281 - Best Bits of 2025: Getting Better the Sustainable Way

The St.Emlyn’s Podcast

Ep 281 - Best Bits of 2025: Getting Better the Sustainable Way