Are you ready to become a Rare Disease Ambassador?

Apply to be an M4RD Ambassador today…

This is the moment you’ve been waiting for!  Our popular and successful Ambassador Programme is now open to new applications, giving you the chance to become part of our team as a rare disease ambassador!

About the programme

Our ambassador programme enables M4RD to work with the wider rare disease community, learning from the expertise and experience of those both living with and working in rare disease.

This programme is an opportunity to build on your advocacy skills and to integrate yourself in to the rare disease community. We usually offer places to people who don’t already have a platform to grow these skills.

We have a fully engaged cohort of Clinical and Lived Experience Ambassadors who we keep in touch with regularly using an online forum, a WhatsApp group, training session, events and online socials.

“The ambassador day really was better than I ever expected. I left feeling like I had a whole new sense of purpose and importance to carry the ethos of M4RD in my clinical work as a medical student and then as a doctor. I really enjoyed all the speeches and hearing the ambassadors discuss their work over the past year. It was great to hear from everyone!”

Amy Steele, Medical Student Ambassador

Our Ambassadors promote the work of M4RD and its message wherever possible, supporting the M4RD team in their aim to raise awareness of rare disease amongst medical students and doctors in training. This might include:

• providing blog posts and/or videos for M4RD to share on its social media platforms
• providing consultations on our activities from their own unique perspectives
• attending and promoting M4RD events and activities  
• identify learning resources for the M4RD website
• promoting the M4RD annual symposium and Rare Disease 101

“Even small efforts can have significant impacts when it comes to rare diseases. Doing what we can has the potential to make a meaningful difference and highlights the importance of collective and individual efforts in driving positive change.” 

Himani Sehgal, Medical Student Ambassador

The benefits of becoming an Ambassador

• Experience working with a professional organisation and opportunities to further connect with stakeholders in the rare disease area.
• The opportunity to write blogs that will be published on M4RD’s website
• Positive contribution towards changing/improving medical education or the lives of patients with rare conditions.
• Research and project opportunities.
• Free entry to the M4RD annual symposium and other rare events

What does it mean to be an Ambassador

Our work specifically targets doctors early in their careers, including medical students and doctors-in-training. We want to educate them on the common challenges faced by patients with rare diseases. M4RD was founded by doctors and so we have experienced the medical education system and identified areas where we feel rare disease education could be improved. We also understand the pressures of medical training and can design educational material specific to our target audience.

“Being an M4RD ambassador has given me the opportunity to meet other like-minded people who are interested in rare disease advocacy, and has allowed me to take steps to help improve rare disease education for medical students. If you have any interest in rare diseases, you should apply to be an ambassador!”

Leah Brooksbank, Medical Student M4RD Ambassador

Our ambassadors:

• engage with and support doctors in training to encourage their interest in rare diseases and to get involved in M4RD. 
• support rare disease events.
• promote the work of M4RD and its message in educational settings, e.g. ward teaching and informal teaching, etc. 
• provide basic education in rare disease and promote M4RD’s Rare Disease 101 learning.
• Share their rare disease stories
• Help, inform and share what we do based on experiences with healthcare
• Support other medical students

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to be a student ambassador for M4RD this year and I’ve enjoyed daring fellow medical students at Southampton University to think rare!” Lottie Mercer, Medical Student Ambassador

“Being an ambassador has given me a rare space where I feel seen, heard and understood. My confidence has grown  and I’ve had some brilliant opportunities to make an impact. The support I have received has also been fantastic!”

Corrinne Hepworth, Lived Experience ambassador

What next…?

If you like what you’ve read so far, why not take a look at the job descriptions:

1. Patient ambassador
2. Medical student ambassador
3. Clinical ambassador

You can always contact one of the ambassadors for more information, or get in touch with Jo McPherson jo@m4rd.org  

If you like the sound of our programme and you’re ready to become a rare disease ally, please apply here:

1. Patient ambassador
2. Medical student ambassador
3. Clinical ambassador

Applications are only open to UK residents.

The Ambassador Programme is now closed to new applicants and will re-open in Summer 2025!

Tenure

Ambassadors can stay on the programme for a maximum of two years, with recommitment at end of year 1.  Ambassadors can then reapply to the programme after 12 months.