BSA Medical Sociology Conference
Jorge Crespo
This September, I travelled to Newcastle for the BSA Medical Sociology Annual Conference (MedSoc), hosted at Northumbria University. I’d often heard MedSoc described as an energising and intellectually rich space, and experiencing it for myself this year definitely lived up to that. The three days were filled with stimulating talks, lively discussions, and numerous opportunities to reflect on the role of sociology in healthcare.
A highlight for me was presenting my paper, “Negotiating Roles and Medicalisation: Psychologists in Chilean Primary Mental Health Care”. Sharing my research with an international audience was an exciting experience, and the feedback and questions I received were invaluable. Colleagues drew interesting comparisons with the UK and other contexts, which helped me think differently about how to position my work. It was a confidence boost to see how my research connects with broader debates in the field.
Over the course of the conference, I attended more than twenty presentations. The breadth of work being shared was striking, ranging from studies of professional hierarchies and healthcare regulation to research on patient safety, mental health, and the politics of care. I was especially drawn to sessions that examined everyday practices — such as the organisation of medication after hospital discharge or sociological reflections on suicide — which highlighted the richness and sensitivity of qualitative research. These talks provided fresh perspectives and reminded me of the wide-ranging scope of medical sociology.
What stood out most, though, was the sense of connection. Conversations in between sessions and over coffee were as valuable as the formal programme, and meeting both peers and more experienced academics made me feel part of a supportive community. I left Newcastle with constructive feedback, new ideas for my project, and renewed enthusiasm — a reminder of how important spaces like MedSoc are for professional development and for sustaining the collective spirit of sociological research.
Jorge Crespo is a PhD candidate in Public Health Sciences and a member of the Centre for Biomedicine, Self & Society, USHER Institute, the University of Edinburgh. He holds a degree in Psychology from the University of Havana and a Master of Public Health from the University of Melbourne. His research sits at the intersection of medical sociology and global mental health, examining how psychologists contribute to the expansion of mental health care in healthcare systems. He brings extensive experience as a primary care psychologist in Chile and other contexts. His main research interests include professions and clinical practice, power relations, and processes of medicalisation in public healthcare settings.