Minutes of the meeting of the Warwick Medical School Intra-School
Committee.
2nd February 2010, 18:00
Medical Teaching Centre, University of Warwick, CV4 7AL.
In attendance:
Jack Jouanny – ISC Chair (JJ)
Michael Lodge – Secretary (ML)
Michael Hall – ISC Year 2 Representative (MH)
James Rothwell – ISC Year 2 Representative (JR)
Sumaiya Khaku – Education Officer / Deputy President of Warwick SU (SK)
Lara Cartwright - Careers consultant (LC)
Emma Rivers Fletcher – (WMS staff representative) (EF)
Jen Ronnie – work close w/careers society (JeR)
Bhavin Bhakrania – Medsin Representative (BB)
Amit Rama – Sexpression Representative (AR)
1. Introduction and welcome
The chair thanked members for attending and introductions were made
Links to societies and discussion of ISC role in university as umbrella committee
2. Apologies for absence
James Chambers (Warwick Surgical Society President)
Emma Stansfield – ISC Year 3 Representative (ES)
Helen Eisenhower – Medsoc President
3. Follow up of preceding meeting (J Jouanny)
3.1 Queries from last meeting – no issues were raised from the group
3.2 Parking disabled permit – arranged for those requiring and qualifying for permits
3.3 First year rep – CEF role capacity questioned – Email received from Phil McTernan
updating people on the role of CEF’s and will feed back to first year rep
3.4 More practical and suitable induction to hospitals for phase II - Sue cooper and Colin
McDougall have been informed and awaiting reply at present
4. Agenda items
4.1 Phase II administration (J Jouanny/ A Rama/ B Bhakrania/ J Rothwell)
JJ outlined issues for the meeting and initially highlighted that there had been “teething
problems” at the beginning of Phase II such as links not working and a lack of up to date
pages on the Warwick medical school website. JR and AR highlighted areas of poor
Phase II coordination such as lack of the Phase II handbooks and only a link to a 2007
cohort PDF file on the school intranet.
BB also highlighted the disparity of communication between block specialties and the
confusion over objectives for the modules. JeR requested that in future that block
information should be revealed at least a week before starting and not the weekend before
to give students time to read up.
4.1 Action = ER would look into webpage’s being updated for Warwick med school and
the respective societies (Medsin and Sexpression) represented in the committee would
also ensure their information was kept up to date.
4.2 Phase II introduction lectures (J Rothwell)
JR questioned the suitability of timing the introduction lectures to Phase II mid way
through the first rotation and requested that these be earlier in the academic term before
teaching starts to provide the most benefit to the students.
4.2 Action = Information and request forwarded to Colin McDougal and Sue Cooper so
arrangements may be made for next cohort entering Phase II
4.3 Phase II clinical partner allocation (J Jouanny/ J Rothwell/ M Hall)
JJ highlighted the problems with this year’s clinical partner allocation and explained the
process to the committee. Some individuals missed the deadline and random allocation of
partners was issued creating far reaching concerns for students’ education and welfare.
4.3 Action = Discussion with med school administration and phase II staff to provide
better publication and information of the deadline for next years students and hopefully
circumvent this problem for successive cohorts.
4.4 Widening participation scheme (J Jouanny/ J Ronnie/ E Rivers-Fletcher/ S
Khaku/ B Bhakrania/ L Cartwright)
JJ Highlighted the widening participation group for medicine, an initiative fronted by Dr.
Fraser to encourage 6th form students into medicine and wanted to widen its participation
by perhaps involving Medsoc and other Warwick medical societies. JeR and SK also
mentioned that Sam Cook puts on days in April with a similar motive for GCSE students.
ER hoped that this experience could be widened by putting students from deprived social
areas in contact with medical students to help them consider a career such as one in
medicine and this was agreed with by BB who thought that a clinical skills rather than
interview introduction may be more beneficial in this instance.
4.4 Action = Forward notes from Dr. Fraser and Sam Cook to LC and ER to help expand
this programme and inform them of what Dr. Fraser is attempting to achieve. JW emailed
to see if who could provide more information on this mater to feed into the process. LC
would discuss the mater with colleagues who may have some influence over matters
within their remit and feed back to committee. Also forward information from the
Warwick inspire scheme from “Teach First” who offer information on university
applications to GCSE students.
4.5 Speed specialty event (J Ronnie)
JeR informed committee of speed specialty event to show students the variety of medical
specialties in small groups with consultants for 10 minutes each. It will be running on
26th April for the first years and wanted to look for GP and Social societies to help out
with any contacts and email interested parties about the event.
4.5 Action = Send out minutes and ask people at meeting who weren’t present to feed
into this process. Advertise in the news letter and put out flyers advertising to the first
years as they may be off around this time.
4.6 BMA initiatives (J Jouanny/ E Rivers-Fletcher)
JJ informed committee of JW absence but opened the discussion for any issues on the
matter if they needed to be discussed. ER mentioned the school management team
meeting and assured that she could relay any relevant information back to the committee
and see if they had any issues to be raised.
4.7 Issues on campus (S Khaku)
SK Announced the upcoming Warwick referendum and the problem of low voting
numbers meaning very few votes where normally required for a majority as only 1% of
the student population was voting. Issues with Warwick’s sponsorship affiliation with
McDonalds and the twinning with University of Gaza were also mentioned.
5. Matters arising
5.1 Warwick sports vision 2015 (E Rivers-Fletcher/ L Cartwright/ J Jouanny)
ER highlighted Warwick sports vision for 2015 initiative wanting to increase people’s
participation in healthy eating and getting people more active. ER queried if there was
any sports societies with a similar vision and if healthy food options where being offered
in university in vending machines and in the canteens and if so if these where at all being
subsidised by the university.
The committee discussed hospital staff using pedometers to increase activity as they
didn’t want to just highlight activity through “sport” and wanted to involve students in
phase II and the hospitals as well as the Warwick campus.
It was queried how the med school could be involved to help improve this and that if key
individuals could be identified from Warwick with David Moorecroft to create a focus
group on this issue.
5.1 Action = JJ would spread information using the email system and Warwick MBCHB
newsletter and also announce the initiative in JAHD and gain involvement through this.
Would have a talk with Greenwing society to see if they would share interest as they have
an environmental link to healthy eating and increased sporting participation.
5.2 Warwick active week (E Rivers-Fletcher/ L Cartwright/ J Jouanny/ J Ronnie)
ER discussed Warwick active week on the 26th June with different themed days, nutrition
and weight loss day and daily runs organised by Dave Moorecroft on campus. Requested
ongoing events after this week to follow on and continue initiative.
5.2 Action = An ideas generating session would take place with Warwick students to see
which sporting committee’s and students would be interested in supporting this initiative
and a discussion would take place with Medsoc. The psychiatry, GP societies and Msc
Public Health students would be notified to look for interested members. Ideally two
people would volunteer to represent this matter as part of a society led initiative (not just
people led).
ER would put information into a newsletter to help look for new reps.
5.3 Warwick advantage and global reward (J Ronnie)
JeR discussed Warwick advantage reward as a way of recognising students’
achievements within university and its contribution towards the “Global award”. LC
identified that Inter cultural objectives were also recognised and it wasn’t just to praise
academic performance, it was a way of giving back value from the university to students
so should be advertised more to students. The deadline to apply for 2010 is 19th for the
Warwick advantage and 26th for Warwick global award which would be good for medical
students in the foundation application process.
5.4 Learning grid supplies (J Jouanny/ L Cartwright)
JJ questioned an issue concerning the learning grid mentioned by the first year
representative that it required a list of supplies students required so this could be chased
up and students’ requirements identified. LC queried if 1st years were spending more time
at the learning grid on campus or at the Biomedical sciences building to help ensure the
needs where met.
5.5 ISC and society website updates (J Jouanny/ B Bhakrania/ A Rama)
JJ Requested for committee member photos to be sent to him for the ISC website for
completion and for BB to find when societies meet together to see which ones are active
and which ones are now closed. BB informed committee that Greenwing was closing due
to fourth year representatives leaving. AR Suggested that several new projects were
starting and would find out further information for next meeting. AR also informed the
committee he would be updating the Medsin website in due course.
5.6 Medsin committee updates (B Bhakrania)
First Medsin committee on 01/02/10 and the process of sorting committee issues and
ensuring a smooth handover had begun. BB informed the committee of Cancer research
week starting 26th April a social on the subsequent Friday and advertising the race for life
happening on the 4th or 5th July was of current importance
6. Any Other Business
6.1 Next meeting
JJ made apologies for low committee numbers and urged all to chase up members for
next meeting which would happen on the 13th April (Sumaiya may not be present)
If any other issues or problems are raised then all are urged to refer to the email on the
ISC website to highlight these
Thanks given and meeting closed at 20.30