DoME NEWS
July 2008
DIVISION of MEDICAL EDUCATION
Welcome to DoME News, the termly
newsletter from the Division of Medical
Education (DoME) that aims to keep medical
school staff updated about developments in
the Medical School and the MBBS
(undergraduate) curriculum, and to enable
sharing of good practice between medical
educators.
There have been many changes to the
Faculty of Biomedical Sciences in the last year
and these of course have an impact at
Divisional level. At DoME it has been a period
of rapid reorganisation and expansion. This
has been an enormous amount of work for all
involved but has meant that we have been
thinking strategically. We have recently
submitted a Teaching and Learning Strategy
to UCL for the MBBS Programme and a
Strategic Plan for the Division to the Faculty of
Biomedical Sciences. This has allowed us to
look very closely at what we do and why and
has been very helpful in defining our vision.
Our Teaching and Learning Strategy and
the DoME Strategic Plan can be found via the
links on the DoME homepage:
www.ucl.ac.uk/dome
This edition contains many examples of the
‘external communications’ that DoME works
hard on to maximise the profile of teaching
and learning across the Faculty. The poster
‘Studying Medicine at UCL’ (page 3) and The
Bell article (page 2) are particularly targeted at
students as the MBBS Review revealed a lack
of sense of belonging among the medical
student body. We hope this communication
endeavour will help. We are also currently
working on a new and improved website that
will help both staff and students to interact with
DoME staff and keep up to date with what
DoME has to offer them as teachers and
students. So watch this space!
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE
WINNERS OF THE PROVOST’S
TEACHING AWARDS
We are delighted to announce that three of our
teachers heavily involved in the MBBS
programme have won Provost's Teaching Awards
this year. These prestigious awards are granted
annually to colleagues who are making
outstanding contributions to the learning
experiences of UCL students.
As well as extensive
teaching in the Faculty of Life
Sciences , Peter is Module
Coordinator for the Infection
and Defence module, David
is Module Coordinator for the
Foundation Module and
Sub–Dean for education
(phase 1), and Greg is
M o d u l e
Dr Peter Delves
Coordinator
for
the
Movement and Musculoskeletal
Biology module.
Applications are evaluated
against the following criteria:
contribution to curriculum
innovation and development;
contribution to the wider student
experience; contribution to
Dr David Bender
UCL’s strategic commitment to
educate
for
'global
citizenship'; engagement in
the
development
of
interdisciplinary programmes;
innovation in support for
learning and development of
the use of new technologies
in teaching and learning.
Our warmest congratulations
Dr Greg Campbell go to all three of our award
winners in recognition of this significant
achievement.
DoME News ~ Editor: Dr Deborah Gill ~ Layout & Design: Lee Standen
Tel: 020 7288 5964 Fax: 020 7288 3322 Email: l.standen@medsch.ucl.ac.uk
URL: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dome
DIVISION of MEDICAL EDUCATION
The Division of Medical Education
by Dr Deborah Gill
I was asked by the editor of the medical student magazine, The Bell, to write a a regular
piece—a kind of official view from the Medical School.
I thought it would be was useful to share with teachers and curriculum planners what we have
told students. You may find that this is the most accessible document to come out of DoME!
is to ensure a fruitful and productive experience
for all students as they pass through the MBBS
programme.
One of the first roles of DoME has been in the
extensive MBBS Review that took place over the
Autumn and Winter and our first big challenge is
to begin to coordinate and support the implementation of the recommendations of this review.
There has been a lot of organisational change at
the Medical School in the last year with the arrival
of the new Executive Dean, the incorporation of
the Postgraduate Institutes into the Faculty of
Biomedical Sciences and working towards the
requirements of the last GMC quality review.
One of the outcomes of these changing times
has been the new divisional structure of the
whole Faculty, bringing together smaller Departments and the Postgraduate Institutes into large
configurations. All this may seem a little dull and
administrative to the average student, but the
creation of a new Division of Medical Education
has the potential to impact greatly, and hopefully
positively, on the medical student experience.
The new division, headed by Professor Jane
Dacre and ably supported by Gaynor Jones and
her team in Medical School Administration, acts a
kind of deanery for education; ensuring, supporting and maintaining the quality of the education in
the other Divisions and bringing together all the
functions and faculty members that make a medical school work such as welfare, admissions,
education resources etc.
What’s DoME got to do with me?
We hope that DoME will be a student friendly and
student oriented organisation. We are interested
in the things that are important to you at medical
school: good quality teaching and support of
learning; appropriate learning resources; a welfare system that supports students properly; good
facilities at the NHS Trusts. We aim to involve
students in all our decisions and activities; students have been heavily involved in the MBBS
Review and have started to get involved in new
areas such as NHS site quality visits. We will, of
course, get some things wrong; and we are
happy for you to tell us this – forcefully if necessary. However, we hope we will get a lot of things
Below are the answers to some of the questions right; by having the student and their learning
that instantly spring to mind for students (and experience at the heart of our decisions. We aim
to be the best Division in what is undoubtedly one
staff) who are not sure what DoME is all about.
of the best medical schools in the country!
Who is in DoME?
You will without doubt have more questions to
All those well loved characters that you bump into ask which we are more than happy to answer,
regularly on your journey through medical school; just contact me at d.gill@medsch.ucl.ac.uk or
myself and my colleagues in the Academic Cen- send your queries to the editor at who will pass
tre for Medical Education, the Faculty Tutors
them onto me.
Peter Raven and Brenda Cross, and Sub-Deans We will also certainly have more things to say,
like David Bender and Anita Berlin.
and so we will keep you regularly updated in this
column or, if you are really interested, you could
visit the DoME website www.ucl.ac.uk/dome
What does DoME do?
The staff of DoME are responsible for a wide
range of activities such as admissions, student
progression, quality assurance of education,
learning resources, teacher training, education
research and innovation. The idea behind DoME
Tel: 020 7288 5964
Fax: 020 7288 3322
Email: l.standen@medsch.ucl.ac.uk website: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dome
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DIVISION of MEDICAL EDUCATION
Tel: 020 7288 5964
Fax: 020 7288 3322
Email: l.standen@medsch.ucl.ac.uk website: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dome
3
DIVISION of MEDICAL EDUCATION
ACME NEWS
Don’t worry if these activities don’t sound exactly like
your cup of tea; the ACME team are welcoming and
flexible. If you took up the placement you would definitely be supported and helped to get involved in any
aspect of teaching, assessment and associated reACME is very privileged to have an academic FY2 search that you wanted.
doctor on placement for 4 months each year with an
One of the best things about
interest in medical education. Below is the feedback
working at ACME was the refrom our last FY2, Mel Gardner. I expect we will hear
laxed, open and collaborative
more of Dr Gardner in Medical Education.
way of working. I couldn’t have
a chat and cup of tea without
To be honest, I’m slightly daunted by writing this
leaving with more ideas or havsummary of the medical education placement being signed myself up to a new
cause I’m worried that I won’t do it justice. I’ve never
project that I wanted to help
enjoyed a job more. I would recommend it without
Dr Mel Gardner
with.
hesitation to anyone from those who have an established interest in medical education to those who simply enjoy teaching. The academic component was Testament to all the above is that I now consider mybased at the Academic Centre for Medical Education self a doctor and a teacher. I’m definitely going to
(ACME) at the Archway Campus, and the clinical stay involved in medical education and hope to get a
component was across the road with the rheumatol- postgraduate teaching qualification; and this is as a
ogy firm at the Whittington Hospital. You will find direct result of the placement. I still keep in contact
more than enough projects to keep you interested for with the lovely, friendly staff and it would be an honour to work there again.
the 4 months and more…
TRAINEE 4 —
ACADEMIC PLACEMENT:
MEDICAL EDUCATION
By the end of the placement, I felt comfortable teaching small groups and giving lectures as I had initially
hoped. There were also many opportunities to get
involved with much more…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Giving introduction lectures to year 1 medical
students
Helping with medical student OSCEs and organizing a year 3 revision workshop from scratch
Teaching and supporting final year students
taking the Peer Assisted Learning SSC
Planning and facilitating revision workshops for
final year students retaking finals
Facilitating evening sessions for Dick Whittington Summer School students (aged 16-17
years) to help with their university applications
Working with the GMC to develop their fitness
to practice assessments
Writing undergraduate and postgraduate examination questions
Learning more about teaching by watching experienced teachers at work and by taking TIPS
courses about teaching skills
Teaching on TIPS 1 courses for clinical teachers myself
Being a stand-in year one PDS tutor for a couple of modules, which was the highlight of the
placement
Tel: 020 7288 5964 Fax: 020 7288 3322
HIGHER EDUCATION ACADEMY
In March and April this year Deborah Gill and Jane
Richardson, HEA advocates for the medical school,
ran a series of workshops for those wishing to become Fellows of the Higher Education Academy by
the Individual Entry Route.
Many of the sixteen participants had intended to apply for some time
but likened the
process of reflecting on and
documenting
their educational
activities to completing
those
difficult sections
you always find
on job applications! Congratulations to the ten participants who jumped through the hoops and completed
the application process and a particular mention to Dr
Jeremy Nathan and to Dr Luci Etheridge who were
quickest off the mark and can now proudly add the
post nominal letters FHEA to their names.
X continued on page 5
Email: l.standen@medsch.ucl.ac.uk website: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dome
4
DIVISION of MEDICAL EDUCATION
ACME NEWS
X continued from page 4
The Higher Education Academy aims to enhance the professional standing of teaching and
learning support activity in UK higher education.
The achievement of Fellow status through the
Academy is one of the most effective and widely
recognised ways of achieving this for individuals. For more information visit the website at
www.heacademy.ac.uk
If you would like to know more about training
workshops to become a Fellow of the Higher
Education Academy, please contact either
Deborah Gill or Jane Richardson at the Teaching and Professional Development Unit, ACME.
j.richardson@medsch.ucl.ac.uk
d.gill@medsch.ucl.ac.uk
BECOME INVOLVED IN PILOTING
ASSESSMENT TOOLS FOR THE
GMC
One of the larger projects in ACME is the GMC
Performance Procedures Unit. There have been
assessment procedures for investigating poorly
performing doctors for the last 10 years. The Academic Centre for Medical Education, with the
GMC, is currently reviewing these procedures. To
help us create a reliable and fair test, we are looking for fully registered doctors to take a written test
and 12 station OSCE and for experienced doctors
to help assess these. This is a valuable insight
into methods of assessment for anyone interested
in this area. All volunteers will receive written
feedback about their performance.
Participants will receive a fee of £350 plus
travel expenses. CPD credits will be given.
Email t.acme@medsch.ucl.ac.uk for more information and an application form.
Upcoming Dates:
2008:
Sept 15-17:
Sept 18-19:
Oct 6-7:
Oct 8-9:
Nov 10-11:
Nov 12:
Nov 13-14:
Paediatrics
Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Anaesthetics
Surgery
Paediatrics
GP
Psychiatry
TIPS 1 COURSE DATES FOR AUTUMN & WINTER
Tues 21st & Wed 22nd October 2008
Mon 27th & Tues 28th October 2008
Thurs 30th & Fri 31st October 2008
Mon 8th & Tues 9th December 2008
Tues 10th & Wed 11th February 2009
Thurs 12th & Fri 13th February 2009
For Further TIPS information, contact: Ricky Kemp, TIPS Administration Assistant:
r.kemp@medsch.ucl.ac.uk
Tel: 020 7288 5964 Fax: 020 7288 3322
Email: l.standen@medsch.ucl.ac.uk website: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dome
5
DIVISION of MEDICAL EDUCATION
DoME NEWS
CURRICULUM NEWS
THE TEACHING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT UNIT
MSC IN CLINICAL AND PUBLIC
HEALTH NUTRITION
DoME welcomes Lee Standen to the team.
Lee has replaced Leonie Hayes as the Divisional Taught Course Administrator / Assistant
Divisional Manager. He will oversee all administrative matters relating to the Teaching and
Professional Development Unit (TPDU) including the various Student Selected Components
(SSCs). Lee has a background in Higher Education administration and has previously
worked elsewhere within the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, at the Eastman Dental Institute.
This is a new course, designed for medically
qualified graduates, nurses, dieticians, pharmacists and nutritionists who are interested in the
relationship between disease and nutritional
deficiency and nutritional therapy and disease
outcome. It offers specialised training in the
clinical and scientific basis of under- and overnutrition, and
aims to provide candidates with a sound basis
for successful career in the clinical, public
health or research spheres. The course would
suit both international and UK students. For UK
students, the course will especially suit those
who are planning or have completed SpR training. The course directors are :
l.standen@medsch.ucl.ac.uk
The remit of the
TPDU includes the
delivery
of
the
Teaching Improvement Project System
(TIPS), associated
short courses, the
one to one training of
individual teachers,
support on curriculum
development
and the support and
training of students
who act as Peer Tutors in the MBBS
programme.
* Dr George Grimble (Senior Lecturer, Division
of Medicine)
* Professor Alastair Forbes (Department of Gastroenterology & Nutrition)
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medicine/gastroenterology/
staff/af.html
The practice of gastroenterology at University
College London Hospitals group is internationally renowned and the course will be taught
largely by clinicians and scientists based there
and at University College London. The course is
located on the Bloomsbury campus of University college London.
Lee Standen
For further information please contact George
Grimble: g.grimble@ucl.ac.uk
In addition to running basic teaching training (TIPS 1) twice monthly, we also run
courses on clinical and bedside teaching
(TIPS 2), teaching large groups (TIPS 3),
teaching ethics and law and teaching communication skills.
Course dates for all courses to be run during the next twelve months will be posted
online as soon as possible.
If you are interested in attending the TIPS
courses or would like more information please
contact Ricky Kemp, TIPS Administration Assistant;
r.kemp@medsch.ucl.ac.uk.
Tel: 020 7288 5964
Fax: 020 7288 3322
Email: l.standen@medsch.ucl.ac.uk website: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dome
6
DIVISION of MEDICAL EDUCATION
CURRICULUM NEWS
NEW CHAPLAIN
She is also available as a point person for all the
religious groups to refer students and staff to particular faith leaders when requested. In helping to
foster community, she envisions various forums to
discuss topics of interest ranging from the personal
to the global, from ethical to social.
The Reverend Philippa Turner is the new Chaplain to the Royal Free and University College
Medical School. Although born and educated in
England, she comes to us from New York City, where
she has spent the last twenty years as a parish priest
at Church of the Heavenly
Rest and a Hospital Chaplain at New York HospitalCornell Medical School. At
her parish she had oversight
for the entire Pastoral Care
Program as well as programs for Children and
Youth. As a hospital Chaplain she first trained at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and then became
Chaplain to the Program for
Children with AIDS at the
New York Hospital. She
was also active after 9/11,
volunteering her time as a
Chaplain with the temporary
morgue at the World Trade
Center site, blessing human
remains and ministering to
the Recovery workers.
She will also participate in the student induction to the DR and will
organise a yearly service of
Thanksgiving in Southwark Cathedral for families of those who have
donated their bodies for medical
research and learning.
She believes it to be important that
such a venerated and vital place of
training and research in medicine
has a Chaplain, recognizing not
only the spiritual element of life, but
also the stresses and challenges
put upon those in this field which
call upon many resources to respond to the emotional, spiritual,
physical and ethical issues which
are part and parcel of this exciting
but challenging and competitive
milleau.
Pippa is a member of the Anglican
She sees her role as takRev. Phillipa Turner
Chaplaincy to the Universities in the
ing on various facets, from
Diocese of London, and her time will be shared beoffering pastoral care and support to the entire
tween the Royal Free and University College Medicommunity of the RFUCMS, no matter what faith
cal School and the Royal Veterinary Society.
background or none, as well as helping students
She can be reached on 020 7679 6255 or on her
and staff access their spiritual and religious remobile
07525 234 382 or by email:
sources when requested, and providing support to
build up fellowship and community within and bephilippa.turner@medsch.ucl.ac.uk
tween all areas of the Medical School.
Tel: 020 7288 5964
Fax: 020 7288 3322
Email: l.standen@medsch.ucl.ac.uk website: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dome
7
DIVISION of MEDICAL EDUCATION
CURRICULUM NEWS
about what they had to learn and their worries of
being very rapidly introduced to a new kind of patient contact. This was particularly evident from
Peer Assisted Learning (PALS) is an important part watching the examination skills sessions and also
of the medical undergraduate curriculum. There are talking to the nurses before and after the sessions.
many PAL projects in action: those run by DoME,
those in individual departments such as Anatomy, I have greatly enjoyed my time as a peer tutor and
feel I have developed many skills that I will carry
and those run by the students themselves.
Jennifer Dickson was a ‘PAL’ with DoME during an forward to my foundation training, in particular the
SSC last year. Here she outlines her experiences... importance of working together to achieve success.
Teamwork has been a key element of the past four
weeks, as I know it will be in our future work. I hope
Peer Assisted Learning is a scheme where fifth year
that the teaching skills I have learnt will enable me
UCL medical students teach clinical examination
to help other medical students when I am working
skills to other medical students and also theory and
as an F1 and that I myself will be able to build upon
examinations to senior nurses training to be indethem to teach more in the future.
pendent practitioners. Students in their final year
must complete two four-week Special Study Components for which it is possible to select PALS.
Over the past four weeks I have been working as
PEER ASSISTED LEARNING
part of the PALS group. We started off with a twoday teaching course (TIPS), which was extremely
OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEDICAL
helpful for all of us. I personally had previous swimSTUDENTS AT UCL
ming teaching experience with children but this was
a completely different branch of teaching putting
Presentations (group and individual): within the
things in a more academic context and also with
Professional Development Spine, Drug Projects,
adults rather than young children. We spent time
Junior Clinical Case Presentations and clinical
discussing various different methods and strategies
firm presentations
of teaching and also were taught about lesson planning and time management within a teaching setPeer led assessments OSCE’s in the ICCM,
ting. We had an afternoon to brush up on our own
rheumatology and surgery attachments.
examination skills for those systems that we were to
be teaching over the next few weeks and then had
Student led initiatives: Target Medicine – a
the task of planning lessons for first years, second
widening participation project with local seconyears and senior nurses.
dary schools and Sexpression - sexual health
education in local secondary schools
Being a peer tutor has taught me a great deal about
time management, in particular the importance of
Student Selected Components: in all phases
planning. We have spent many hours planning our
of the curriculum.
lessons, in particular the three-hour senior nurse
In the early years: learning about teaching; prestheory lessons. This was due to the large amount of
entation skills; teaching in Camden and Islington
content to be covered in the three hours and also
College; a UCL wide initiative with the Institute
because we were re-visiting topics that we have not
of Education to utilise students as teaching supcovered in some time and therefore have had to
port staff in local schools in the 14-19 curriculum
refresh our own knowledge before planning the lesand The Dick Whittington Project - mentoring
son and then teaching it to others. We have learnt
groups of sixth from students during a week long
how to adapt our teaching styles for different audisummer school for local school students.
ences with senior nurses differing greatly from first
In the final year: Peer Assisted Learning Student
year medical students but also recognised some
Selected Components including peer teaching in
similarities that we were not necessarily expecting.
the clinical introductory course, in early clinical
We were all feeling apprehensive about teaching
skills, and on the physical assessment module
the nurses owing to their overwhelming clinical exof a nurse practitioner course run by Middlesex
perience compared to us. It was only once we
University.
started teaching that we appreciated their concerns
PEER ASSISTED LEARNING
Tel: 020 7288 5964
Fax: 020 7288 3322
Email: l.standen@medsch.ucl.ac.uk website: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dome
8
DIVISION of MEDICAL EDUCATION
CURRICULUM NEWS
SEXPRESSION
Earlier this year, the Academic Centre for Medical
The TIPS course was very much enjoyed by the
Education (ACME) met with Sexpression UCL to
students who’s only real criticism was that it
form a partnership between the two organisations
should be scheduled earlier in the year so that it
that is mutually advantageous.
could also help them to gain a perspective about
where the knowledge-based sessions fitted in!!
Sexpression UCL are a local branch of a national
Ideas for next year also include possible sessions
programme who aim to educate the local commuon tackling a difficult and
nity about achieving and
unruly class and an extra
maintaining good sexual
microteach session for
health. Sexpression uses a
the students where the
team of senior medical stuemphasis is placed more
dents and local expert
on the teaching skills and
speakers to train a group of
less on the sexual health
sixty preclinical medical
knowledge, this can be
students (and a further fifachieved by asking stuteen voluntary clinical students to teach, for examdents) in teaching methods
ple, about how to bake a
and sexual health and relacake rather than how to
tionship advice knowledge.
put a condom on corThis qualifies them to conrectly.
duct sexual health and relationships education in
Sexpression’s current
local secondary schools.
project is a sexual health
The training is done over a
awareness
booklet,
12 week programme as
Nikki Dearnley, Karim Keshwani and Sophie Relph
which is currently being
Sexpression Presidents
part of the preclinical stufinalised for publication.
dent selected component
Permission has been
of their medical education.
gained to distribute this in the University Union
pack to all new students entering halls of resiThis year, the new Sexpression team including codence in September 2008. The book contains vital
presidents Nikki Dearnley, Karim Keshwani and
information about avoiding sexual disease and
Sophie Relph, have considerably improved on the
unwanted pregnancy, as well as tips on personal
previous teaching programmes. Improvements
safety when living in a new city for the first time,
include the addition of a TIPS course designed
and local services applicable to both of these
especially for Sexpression students (as taught by
fields. Sexpression are currently looking for fundstaff from ACME), opportunities to test these new
ing for this very exciting project, a booklet that they
skills out in assessed microteaches before going
wish to continue, alongside their very successful
into schools, a talk from an Islington education
sexual health programme, for many years to
consultant about teaching methods which make
come!
sex education fun, and new knowledge-based sesIf you would like to contact anyone at Sexpression
sions about the sexual health clinic, selfor would like a copy of SHAG, the Sexual Health
examination and religious and cultural attitudes
Awareness Guide, please contact the Sexpression
towards sex (as well as the usual sessions on
team at sexpression.rums@googlemail.com
STIs, contraception, body image & self esteem
and tackling homophobia, among others).
Tel: 020 7288 5964
Fax: 020 7288 3322
Email: l.standen@medsch.ucl.ac.uk website: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dome
9
DIVISION of MEDICAL EDUCATION
DoME CONTACTS
Director of DoME: Professor Jane Dacre
Welfare/Fitness to Practice Lead:
Director of ACME : Dr Deborah Gill
Dr Peter Raven
TPDU Lead: Ms Jane Richardson
Admissions Lead: Dr Brenda Cross
Curriculum Management & Assessment
Lead: Prof Irving Taylor
Learning Resources Lead:
Ms Deirdre Wallace
Medical Student Administration Lead:
Ms Gaynor Jones
Quality Assurance Lead: Dr Anita Berlin
SIFT Office & Finance Lead:
Divisional Manager: Heather Mitchell
Divisional Taught Course Administrator /
Assistant Divisional Manager:
Lee Standen
DoME,
Level 4, Holborn Union Building,
Whittington Campus,
Highgate Hill, London N19 5LW
Tel: 020 7288 5964
Email: l.standen@medsch.ucl.ac.uk
Professor Jane Dacre
Tel: 020 7288 5964 Fax: 020 7288 3322 Email: l.standen@medsch.ucl.ac.uk website: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dome
10