… at the …
Number 97
Monthly news
Hannah
Bland,
Clinical
Teaching
Gloucestershire Academy writes:-
Fellow,
A day in the life of a Clinical Teaching Fellow
A friend recently asked me “what is it like to be a Clinical
Teaching Fellow?” I had to stop and think, before
replying, “Where should I begin?”
My aim for this newsletter article is to answer that
question. I have been in the post now for just over two
months and each day has been completely different. I
hoped to show you a glimpse of what a day in the life of
a Clinical Teaching Fellow at Gloucestershire Academy
is like.
7:00am
My radio alarm beeps. As I hear Dolly Parton’s ‘working
9 to 5’ playing on the radio, it reminds me of when I first
heard about the job of a Clinical Teaching Fellow.
Teaching for a year, and being paid for it? Surely that’s a
hoax? But when I first spoke to Duncan Still, a Clinical
Teaching Fellow last year at Gloucestershire Academy
he confirmed that indeed it wasn’t. I also discovered that
the Clinical Teaching Fellows are involved in a variety of
different projects and not (as the name would suggest)
just teaching.
8:20am
I arrive at the Redwood Education Centre. I head up to
the office, which I share with two of the other Clinical
Teaching Fellows at the Gloucestershire Academy, Dr
Nicola Hannaway and Miss Jane Carter and Kate
Bartlett the Medical Education and Facilities Manager. I
am sill getting used to the idea of having an office. Nicky
and Jane are discussing the clinical skills session they
will be running with the help of Hannah Chant the
Undergraduate Clinical Skills lead.
I turn on the laptop I have been given for the year by the
academy and on my desktop pops up an email from Ben
King regarding SIM Training for the fifth year medical
students. Ben King is the resuscitation officer, along with
Adrian Guy who is the AV Technician. It looks like
exciting. We will be using a simulated patient to teach
the fifth year medical students about managing an
acutely unwell patient. Dr Davies, Deputy Dean and
consultant in Emergency Medicine is also heavily
involved. I am sure the 5th years will find these sessions
invaluable.
1st December 2011
9:00am
I meet the third year medical students as they arrive
for their bedside teaching. They arrive and smile as
they come in. They have been in since 8am taking
histories from and examining patients, and as the
door closes, they start telling me excitedly about an
interesting case. I remember being a third year
medical student, and how daunting it was being in
the hospital as a student for the first time. They seem
to have taken it in their stride and are very keen to
learn which certainly makes our job a lot easier! We
set off to the respiratory ward, as I have prepared a
session on how to perform a respiratory examination.
12:00pm
We have just finished the morning session. The
students really enjoyed the patient contact and are
heading off to their various clinics around the
hospital. I make my way back to the office where
Jane and Nicola are discussing their clinical skills
session. Angie Coulson, the undergraduate medical
education coordinator and Emily Singleton Smith the
University of Bristol Undergraduate Administrator
knock on the door to the office. They both have the
arduous task of creating the timetables for the third
year and fifth year medical students. However, Angie
and Emily somehow make it look easy! They each
give us a copy before heading back. They each have
a lot more to do.
1pm
I start to have a look at online journals for my current
medical education research project. It is to be based
on Harri Nageswaran’s project last year, which
became a platform presentation at ASME in
Edinburgh in July 2010. Harri and Duncan worked
extremely hard last year and managed to accomplish
a lot of new and exciting projects. It will be difficult to
follow their high standard, but we are hopeful that we
will also produce some new and interesting project
ideas too.
Lunchtime!
1:30pm
We have a meeting with our supervisors Dr Fletcher,
the University of Bristol Medical Dean for
Gloucestershire and Miss Rodd Consultant General
and Vascular Surgeon and Year 3 Unit Co-ordinator.
They have arranged to meet with us so we can discuss
our projects. I have never taken part in research before,
but both Dr Fletcher and Miss Rodd are extremely
supportive. They give us enough guidance and keep us
on the right track, whilst at the same allow us to work
independently. It is a useful session and our chance to
discuss everything we have been doing.
2pm
I have a clinical skills session today with the third year
medical students and Hannah Chant the undergraduate
clinical skills lead is running the session. Today, the
students are learning how to perform venepuncture. The
students will be using manikins to practice their
technique. Last year, the Clinical teaching Fellows Harri
Nageswaran and Duncan Still developed a video which
they will also watch in addition to assist their learning.
We are currently developing new teaching sessions this
year.
5pm
It is nearing the end of the day, but I am still surprised as
to how quickly the day passes. I am certainly beginning
to appreciate the meaning of the phrase, time flies when
you’re having fun. I have just enough time to read an
extract from a medical education journal. I am hoping to
complete the Teaching and Learning for Medical
Practice Certificate at Bristol University and have already
been to two training days at Bristol. My colleagues Jane
and Nicola have also enrolled onto the course. Hopefully
this will give us the skills to become better lifelong
teachers!
5:30pm
I start to collect my things and make my way out of the
office towards home. It has been another really
enjoyable day at work. As I leave, I realise with a smile
on my face that I am already looking forward to
tomorrow.
DATES FOR YOUR
DIARY
2011/12 Finals OSCE-training examinations
5th December 2011
Redwood Education Centre – Gloucester
2011/12 Finals OSCE examinations
9th December 2011
Bristol; at Southmead and BRI
5th Year Students Long Case Examinations
2nd Exam: 16th – 27th January 2012 – GRH/CGH
3rd & Final Exam: 6th March 2012 – Redwood Education
Centre, GRH
If you are interested in taking part in any of the above exams
please email: Emily.L.Matthews@glos.nhs.uk
University of Bristol
D.J.Cahill@bristol.ac.uk (MB ChB Programme Director)
Nigel.Rawlinson@bristol.ac.uk (Director of Student Affairs)
Andrew.Blythe@bristol.ac.uk (Deputy Programme director)
Nicki.Cohen@bristol.ac.uk (Deputy Programme Director)
trevor.thompson@bristol.ac.uk (Vertical Themes Lead)
http://www.bris.ac.uk/medical-education/tlhp/
Teaching and Learning for Health Professionals Certificate course
tlhp-enquire@bristol.ac.uk
TLHP Enquiries Mailbox
Peter.Fletcher@glos.nhs.uk
Medical Dean University of Bristol at Gloucestershire (G x6230)
Hannah.Chant@glos.nhs.uk
Undergraduate Skills Lead (G x5635)
Angie.Coulson@glos.nhs.uk
Undergraduate Medical Education Coordinator (G x6231)
Emily.Shingleton-Smith@glos.nhs.uk
Undergraduate Administrator (G x6233)
Abigail.Samuels@glos.nhs.uk
Jane.Carter1@glos.nhs.uk
Nicola.Hannaway@glos.nhs.uk
Hannah.Bland@glos.nhs.uk
Clinical Teaching Fellows
Unit Coordinators & leads within Gloucestershire
Caroline.Rodd@glos.nhs.uk
Year 3 Junior Medicine and Surgery
Philip.Davies@glos.nhs.uk
Year 3 Musculoskeletal Diseases, Emergency Medicine &
Ophthalmology ‘MDEMO’ & Deputy Dean
Attila.Sipos@glos.nhs.uk
Year 3 Psychiatry (2gether NHSFT)
Royse.Murphy@nhs.net
Year 3 Ethics
Philip.Kaloo@glos.nhs.uk
Year 4 O&G and neonates (‘RHCN’)
Simon.Ackroyd@glos.nhs.uk
Year 4 Paediatrics (‘COMP1’)
Tom.Millard@glos.nhs.uk
Year 4 CoE & Dermatology (‘COMP2’)
Anne.Hampton@glos.nhs.uk
Consultant Senior Lecturer General Practice
Rebecca.Frewin@glos.nhs.uk
Year 4 Pathology
Mahesh.Parmar@glos.nhs.uk
Daniel.Evans@glos.nhs.uk
Year 4 Anaesthesia
Kim.Benstead@glos.nhs.uk
Year 5 Oncology & Unit Coordinator PPP
Cath.Blinman@glos.nhs.uk
Year 5 Palliative Care
Tripti.Mahajan@glos.nhs.uk
Christopher.Custard@glos.nhs.uk
Year 5 Senior Medicine (G & C respectively)
Mark.Vipond@glos.nhs.uk
James.Wheeler@glos.nhs.uk
Year 5 Senior Surgery (G & C respectively)