Themes Under Development
Careers choice
Medical education projects tend to sit in either the undergraduate or postgraduate camps. This division is unhelpful: medical students become doctors in training, and there is evidence that issues identified at undergraduate level are likely to remain throughout training and in post. Jennifer Cleland is collaborating with NES on the Scottish Careers Cohort Study, a national longitudinal survey of all Year 1, 3 and 5 medical students, and FY2, ST3 doctors in Scotland, following up participants to first trained job. This project has received pump-priming money from NES and support from the Scottish Medical Dean's Assessment Group. The aim of the project is to identify factors which influence career destination, both in terms of locality and specialty, in order to ultimately design effective interventions for medical education and training.
Portfolio Learning
The undergraduate PPD portfolio is a new addition to teaching and learning at the University of Aberdeen Medical School. The portfolio has been designed to encourage reflective learning and the development of adult learning styles. It is also envisaged as a tool for formative assessment. Although portfolios are becoming widely used within undergraduate medical education, many questions remain about structure, purpose, assessment and essential elements for success.
The theme Lead is Dr Sarah Ross, s.ross@abdn.ac.uk
Ross S, MacLachlan A, Cleland JA. Introducing a Personal and Professional Development portfolio: Students' views on potential barriers and facilitators. BMC Medical Education, 2009; 9: 68.
Critical Care
An ongoing project, with NHS Education for Scotland (North Deanery), has rationalised the interface between critical care teaching across the final year of undergraduate medicine and Foundation Year 1. Evaluation of the project involves focus groups with Foundation Year doctors, course tutors and educational supervisors. This project is lead by Dr Rona Patey (Rona.Patey@arh.grampian.scot.nhs.uk).
Dentistry
The new University of Aberdeen Dental School offers the first graduate entry, four year, BDS programme in Scotland. The first cohort of students start in September 2008. Suggestions and opportunities for comparative and joint research across the School of Medicine and Dentistry will be welcomed and supported.