Further particulars for BM4 Teaching Fellow Post within MEDU
The Medical Education Development Unit (MEDU) is an active group within the Academic Unit of Medical Education in
the Faculty of Medicine.
The Faculty has an effective team of educationalists, teachers and support staff who all work together to develop and
enhance the curriculum. The Academic Unit of Medical Education (AUME) comprises the Medical Education
Development Unit (MEDU) and the Centre for Learning Anatomical Sciences (CLAS).
MEDU members are educators and researchers with backgrounds and expertise in the basic sciences,
medicine, sociology, law and ethics, computational sciences, ICT, project management, communication skills, pastoral
care, professionalism and the humanities. Some staff are specialists in education theory and the development of
pedagogic and education leadership skills. Some members are practising clinicians in areas that include anaesthetics,
elderly care, pathology, surgery, general practice and complementary medicine.
MEDU is based in the award winning Life Sciences building on the Highfield site of the main University campus. Ten
MEDU staff are based at Southampton General Hospital.
The Academic Unit of Medical Education has strong links with all other Academic Units within the Faculty to enable
promotion of high standards in teaching. The Faculty regards the quality of it educational provision as one of its major
strengths and so attaches great importance to educational staff development programmes. The faculty is the only
medical Faculty in the UK to hold an International ASPIRE award for Student Engagement and it is very proud of the way
it works with students in partnership. This is particularly evident in the BM4 Programme.
The BM4 Programme
The BM4 programme was developed to draw on the existing strengths of graduates, which include effective study and
time management skills, the ability to think critically, and written and oral communication skills. Four year
programmes of study for graduate entrants to medicine are standard in the United States of America and Canada.
The programme also built on the strengths of the five year programme (BM5). The overall aims and learning outcomes
for both programmes are identical and BM4 students take the same final examination as BM5 students, ensuring
equivalence at completion.
The first cohort of BM4 students started on the Programme in 2004 and so 2013/14 saw our 10th cohort of students
coming through the Faculty.
The programme is underpinned by three key educational principles which have both informed and guided its
development. These are that the curriculum should:
1. Enable students to relate their learning to future practice;
2. Encourage students to understand concepts and principles rather than merely reproduce factual knowledge;
3. Encourage students to adopt independent thought and self-direction in learning.
Medical students need to study a wide range of science and social science disciplines that underpin medical
knowledge, understanding and practice. The BM4 curriculum has been designed to encourage students to link their
knowledge and understanding across disciplines and to integrate the theory and practice of medicine.
In the first two years, all learning is structured around clinical topics, and students learn in small groups, using ‘trigger
materials', relevant clinical experience and a small number of lectures to achieve stated learning outcomes. The
learning structured around clinical topics has some features in common with problem-based learning (PBL) courses.
The additional skills and life experience brought by graduates to the course have enabled the development of an
innovative curriculum which enables achievement of the BMBS degree in four years.
In order to build on the graduates’ independent study skills and previous learning, students spend a significant part of
their first two years working in small groups. These graduate groups meet on Monday and Friday mornings, with a
facilitator who may be a social scientist, scientist or a clinician. The Monday sessions focus around various types of
‘trigger material’, for example a paper case or a video, selected to help students to identify their learning for the week,
and the Friday sessions aim to encourage students to clarify what they have learned and what they still need to learn.
They also have two to three sessions of clinical experience each week, in hospital and primary care settings, and two
sessions of lecture based teaching. Learning is supported by a variety of other learning resources, including teaching
staff, paper and electronic materials.
The role of the post holder
It is anticipated that the successful candidate will:

Become a key member of the programme team and attend regular meetings as appropriate

Give a limited number of lectures on topics relevant to their expertise.

Act as a graduate group facilitator

Act as a resource for the course co-ordinators, students and teachers to provide subject expertise in their
subject area.

Lead, manage and co-ordinate a component of the programme (most likely Module Leadership (level 4) or Year
Leadership (level 5).

Help students (in groups or individually) with topics related to their subject area which they find difficult.

Contribute to the curriculum development, assessment, evaluation and development of learning resources for
the BM4 programme.

Complete the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (if not already a holder of an equivalent
qualification), which is a requirement of all new lecturers/teaching fellows in the University
The BM4 team are very proud of the BM4 Programme and there is a strong team spirit and positive working culture
within the team. Support for the role will be provided by the Programme team, who currently comprise:
Shelley Parr, Principal Teaching Fellow
BM4 Programme Lead & Head of the Academic Unit of Medical Education
Ben Chadwick, Consultant in Acute Medicine
BM4 Deputy Programme Leader, Year 2 leader and Assessment lead
Steve Wimbush, Consultant in Anaesthetics and Intensive Care
BM4 Lead at Winchester & Module Leader
Rohan Lewis, Reader in Physiology
Yr 2 Assessment Lead, Physiology Subject Lead & Deputy Module lead
Chris McCormick, Lecturer in Immunology
Yr 1 Assessment Lead, Immunology Subject Lead & Deputy Module Lead
Ben Marshall, Consultant in respiratory medicine
Graduate group coordinator & Module Leader
Nick Evans, Associate Professor in Bioengineering
Deputy Graduate Group co-ordinator & deputy Module leader
Deborah Rose, General practitioner
Primary care coordinator & Deputy Module Leader
Tom Cecot, Senior Teaching Fellow in Anatomy
Anatomy Tutor
Roxana Carare, Associate Professor in Cerebrovascular Ageing
Anatomy Tutor
Kathy Kendall, Associate Professor in Social Science
Sociology as applied to Medicine Lead
Laura Dennison, Lecturer in Psychology
Psychology as applied to Medicine Lead
Julie Parkes, Senior Lecturer in Public Health
Public Health subject Lead
Ele Jaynes, Consultant in Pathology
Pathology subject Lead
Melissa Turner, Member of the Student Admin team
Named person to support BM4 within student administration team