Diagnose this! Think like a doctor

Ever wondered how doctors figure out what might be causing a patient's symptoms?

In this interactive workshop, you'll step into the role of a clinician and tackle a series of medical mystery challenges. Working in small groups, you'll examine clues, discuss possibilities and decide what information you need to solve the case.

You'll experience first-hand how doctors use observation, reasoning and teamwork to make decisions, while navigating uncertainty and avoiding common thinking traps. No medical knowledge is required, just bring your curiosity and a willingness to explore different ideas.

Through discussion, reflection and problem-solving, you'll discover that diagnosis is rarely as straightforward as it appears in television dramas. By the end of the session, you'll have a greater understanding of how healthcare professionals think, make decisions and work collaboratively to provide safe and effective patient care.

Important points to note

• This event is suitable for age 16+

• Event format: This event is a workshop and may involve some audience interaction. This could involve group activities, individual activities, quizzes or hands-on activities.

• Content warning: This event explores clinical reasoning and diagnostic thinking for educational purposes only. It does not provide medical advice, healthcare training or guidance for personal health concerns. The workshop includes discussion of fictional health-related scenarios and medical decision-making.

• Filming: Photography may take place at this event. Please let a member of the RSE Public Engagement team know if you do not want to be photographed.

SPEAKER

Clinical Senior Lecturer, Universities of St Andrews and Dundee, CLIC Lead, ScotGEM, MBChB Phase One Placement Lead, University of St Andrews

Dr Panna Muqit is a medical educator and GP, and Clinical Senior Lecturer at the Universities of St Andrews and Dundee. She is the Clinical Interactions Course (CLIC) Lead for the ScotGEM graduate-entry medical programme and serves as MBChB Phase One Placement Lead at the University of St Andrews. Her work focuses on helping future doctors develop clinical reasoning, communication skills and professional judgement in real-world healthcare settings. Alongside her educational leadership roles, she is a member of the Young Academy of Scotland and is passionate about making medical thinking more accessible to the public. Through teaching, public engagement and collaborative learning, she aims to demystify how clinicians make decisions, manage uncertainty and work with patients to navigate complex healthcare problems.

About the Curious festival

The RSE’s free Curious festival of knowledge is back, from Saturday 5 − Sunday 13 September 2026!

Curious is Scotland’s annual festival of knowledge. Across its seven-year history, Curious has welcomed over 10,000 attendees into its yearly programme of talks, workshops, discussions and exhibitions – all covering different topics and subject areas. There’s no need for you to have any prior specialist knowledge before coming along, just bring your curious self! With plenty of events both in person and online, you can take part from anywhere.

You can check out the full programme of events here.

Accessibility

We aim to make events as accessible as possible. If you have any accessibility requirements or have any questions related to how we can support this event, please contact [email protected]. Accessibility information for the RSE building can be found on our website.

• Step-free access: Ramped access for visitors is available via 26 George Street through Lakeland. Upon arrival, please call 0131 240 5000 and a member of staff will meet you and guide you to the event. Please note that the entrance ramp has a steep gradient (1:12).
• Main lift: The lift’s door has a width of 79cm and a depth of 143cm. Please note, that access to the lift is limited by a narrow 77cm width corridor. You can find further details and images of the lift on our website.

• Wheelchair spaces: If you would like to book a space as a wheelchair user, please select the ticket type 'wheelchair space ticket' during the booking process. If this is sold out, please contact the Curious team on [email protected].

Privacy Policy

Please note that any personal data that is submitted to the RSE will be stored and processed in accordance with the RSE’s Privacy Policy. We will only use mobile numbers provided to contact you in the event of a cancellation.

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