E-Med News 20, December 2009 - Keele University

School of Medicine

E-MedNews 20, December 2009


Contents

Professor Wass joins School of Medicine
Busy CFR week @ Keele
Cakes consumed for charity
Keele well represented at medical education conferences
Royal College of General Practitioners Conference, Glasgow
Keele Widening Access to Medicine Society
Kirsty graduates
Our 'Good Samaritan' student
Application numbers on the increase
Pumpkin carving competition
Student prizewinners at Keele
Yette & Boris Glass Foundation Lecture
Jenny completes 82 mile run
Student careers fair
Society for Academic Primary Care, Northern Regional Meeting
Top prizes for Keele Medical Students
Sarah Hart's project at Keele
Hellos and Goodbyes

Val Wass image

Professor Val Wass joins School of Medicine

Professor Val Wass has been appointed as Head of the Medical School and Professor of Medical Education from early December. 

Professor Wass graduated from Guys, University of London then worked at the hospital for ten years in Paediatrics and Nephrology before an interest in holistic patient care led her to train in Primary Care.  She practised for 11 years as a GP in Kent before moving back into academic medicine at Guy's, Kings and St Thomas 's Medical School as a Senior Lecturer in Primary Care.  In 2003 she was appointed as Professor of Community-based Medical Education at Manchester Medical School and was responsible for the community programme as well as leading academic and international development of the course as a whole. 

Val has published a number of highly cited papers on evaluation, QA and assessment methodology, and contributed widely to PMETB guidelines during her period as convenor and chair of the Examination Board at the Royal College of General Practitioners.  She is currently International Development Advisor for RCGP involved in the development and assurance of undergraduate and postgraduate examinations in the UK, Europe and Asia .  Val holds a Masters and PhD from Maastricht University and was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2008.  Her current research centres on cultural diversity within medical training, professionalism and the development of health care education to meet the needs of globalisation.

 

Busy CFR week at Keele

Lottery Funded Logo
The return of students to Keele University saw first responders attending 14 Category A emergency calls during the week.  The team's lottery-funded response car was used to great effect, and didn't stop at the weekend when two team members carried out their blue light driving practical course with Minding Driving.  This will enable them to respond both off and on campus more efficiently, and was kindly funded in part by the university alumni.                              

The Keele Community First Responders team, consisting of medical students and local residents, aims to provide a 24 hour service covering Keele and the surrounding area.  It offers an unparalleled opportunity for medical students to gain first hand experience of pre-hospital care, which it is hoped will spur them on to gain further qualifications and volunteer for BASICS when they have qualified as doctors. Five more volunteers are due to join the team of 14 in the new year, boosting the number of hours they cover.

The new co-ordinator for the Keele CFR team is Elizabeth Holmes. If you would like to find out more about the service, please contact email@keelecfr.org

Keele Community First Responders Car  

Liz Holmes (left) and Samantha Powell, with the lottery-funded response car

 

Cakes consumed for charity

Staff and students at the medical school at Keele once again showed their dedication to raising money for charity, when they bravely ate their way through a delicious pile of cakes in aid of Children in Need. Thanks to everyone who baked and ate, the school raised £300.

 Cakes for Children in Need

 

Keele well represented at medical education conferences

Over the summer there have been two medical education conferences - the ASME meeting in Edinburgh and the AMEE meeting in Malaga .  Several students and staff members from the school attended one or other of these, and presented papers and posters.  The best effort was probably the AMEE meeting, where we had three oral papers and five posters in the programme.  The students' poster at ASME received an unofficial award for the LONGEST poster ever seen.  I received positive comments from several delegates from elsewhere in the UK and from other countries, with some suggesting that Keele was very well presented for its size and age.  Of particular note was the attendance of our Clinical Teaching Fellows and some of our more junior academic staff.  Medical education conferences are a great place to learn and expand networks.  We should try to raise the bar even higher next year.

Richard Hays

Royal College of General Practitioners Conference, Glasgow  

Keele School of Medicine had plenty of representation at November's RCGP Conference in Glasgow . Three of the attendees have reported on their experiences at the conference for MedNews. Read on to find out more…

Milan Mehta  

Saturday 7th November marked a truly special day in my career as a doctor, for this was when I was awarded my certificate for qualifying as a GP and also for becoming a member of the RCGP.

The ceremony was held at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) in Glasgow and, slightly ashamedly, this was the first time I had ever been to Scotland . Apart from a tiny bit of rain initially, the ceremony was splendid and I found Scottish people to be extremely warm and welcoming. Sadly, I didn't quite get enough time to try the legendary deep-fried ‘Mars' bar which I hear is a local favourite treat.

There were many highlights of the day. Firstly, I shared this auspicious moment with my family. Secondly, I was awarded my certificate by Professor Steve Field – Chairman of the RCGP (and also a fellow Black Countryman!). He even said he knew the practice I work at in Stoke-on-Trent. Finally, I felt a tremendous sense of pride seeing all my peers, who came from all walks of life, being awarded for qualifying as GPs too.

We were told that we are now the future of general practice and we will do our best to keep the spirit of general practice alive and moving from strength to strength.

Milan Mehta, Teaching Fellow, Keele

 

I presented a poster on the effectiveness of asthma clinics in primary care, with the support of Dr Kevan Thorley and finance from the medical school. The conference was interesting and included up-to-date research in many medical fields. Well worth the visit if you get a chance to escape from the hustle and bustle of the wards!  

Michael Friel, 5th year medical student  

 

This year's RCGP conference saw the first Student Forum since the event began in 2007, a move generally acknowledged by delegates as a positive step forward for the image of General Practice at universities.

The Student Forum involved representatives from eight different  universities, and focussed on sharing ideas and experiences of setting up GP societies at medical schools. Careers advice and the progression from medical student to GP were topics also outlined by recently qualified GPs.

In order to maintain the numbers of current GPs in the UK, over 50% of medical students must choose this career pathway. For Keele University , this was a valuable opportunity to obtain ideas about setting up a GP society in the near future, which will enable students to be more aware of this possible career path.

Sinead Hanley, 3rd year medical student
 

 

Keele Widening Access to Medicine Society  

Plans for the Keele Widening Access to Medicine Society (KWAMS) are pushing ahead and volunteers have already helped out with a school visit to the Health  Academy at UHNS. Medical students worked with school health and social care students to help them take blood from a mannequin and use blood pressure monitors. They also introduced them to basic life support training, and showed them the importance of good hand hygiene. If you'd like more information or can offer your help, please contact Ishfark Ahmed on m6a50@mga.keele.ac.uk   

 

Kirsty graduates  

 Kirsty Graduating

Normally to be seen at our own medical students' graduation ceremonies, Kirsty Hartley this time had her own ceremony to attend. At the end of November, Kirsty graduated with a Postgraduate Certificate in Leadership and Management from Keele. Congratulations!  

 

Our 'Good Samaritan' student

The school does not receive many letters from the general public about our students, but I received a particularly nice note from an elderly man who was walking recently in the Brecon Beacons.  He fell, injured his ankle and could not walk.  Along came a nice young woman who stopped, assessed his injury and advised him to sit tight while she ran back down to get emergency help.  A little while later she returned and waited with him until the rescue team arrived.  She did not give her full name but let slip that she was a medical student at Keele University .  The person she helped is very grateful.  Thanks to Kirsty Hartley's incredible knowledge of our students, we worked out who she is from the description given. We should all congratulate Jenny Hands (Module 2) for putting her professionalism into action.  Nice one, Jenny!  Although you do not want a fuss made of what could be seen as a small thing, you deserve recognition for doing your duty in a world where not helping is seen by some as an option.

Richard Hays    

 

Application numbers on the increase

Total applications across all three entry routes to medicine at Keele have increased by 30% on this time last year, against a national picture of a 13.7% year on year increase. Nationally, applications from women, particularly from overseas and other EU countries continue to outstrip men.

National applications to medicine for 2011 entry cycle -

   Male  Female  Total
 2010 entry  9,521  11,868  21,389
 2009 entry  8,334  10,471  18,805
 % change  14.2  13.3  13.7

   
Source: UCAS

 

Anatomy pumpkin carving competition

Medical students used all their scalpel skills this year to take part in the first ever Anatomy Pumpkin Carving Competition. They were charged with carving a pumpkin ‘of anatomical relevance' and were also judged on technical ability and artistic merit.  The prize-winner was carved by first years in PBL group 7.

Student prizewinners at Keele  

Congratulations to the following Keele medical students who were awarded prizes this summer:  

Meenakshi Bhanot (Module 1 prize for best performance in the summative assessments)

James Blackburn (Module 1 Ian Gray Memorial Prize for best performance in module 1 skills examinations)

Thomas Kwan (Module 1 Wilfrid Kirkham Anatomy Prize, for best overall performance in Anatomy)

Matthew Roughley (Module 2 prize for best performance in the summative assessments)

Anup Gupta (Year 3 Donald Kemp prize for best performance in June OSCE)

Annabelle Machin (Year 3 Progress Test Prize for best overall performance in the 2 progress tests)

Stephen Lord (Year 4 Medical Institute Prize for best overall performance in 2 OSCEs)

Catherine Hunsley (Year 4 Progress Test Prize for best overall performance in the 2 progress tests)

Stephen Lord (Year 4 Chris Wilkins Memorial Prize for best performance in Families and Children module)

Catherine Hunsley (Year 4 Medical Women's Federation Prize for best project option in the field of Obstetrics and Gynaecology)

Sam Creavin (Year 5 Nigel Eastwood Memorial Prize for best overall performance in Year 5)

Rachel Lewis (Year 5 Elective Prize for best photo, with accompanying paragraph of text, taken on elective)

Student Prizegiving

Tom Kwan receiving his anatomy prize from Dr Bashford

 

Yette & Boris Glass Foundation Lecture

5th February 2010

Historical and contemporary images of ageing have generally reinforced negative stereotypes of old age. An examination of painting, sculpture, poetry, literature and film, as well as television, advertising, newspaper stories, birthday cards and road signs reveals that old age is often shown as a time of loneliness, depression and physical decline.  

These conditions do occur but their prevalence and severity have been exaggerated. There are many myths of ageing that have been influenced by these representations: that old people with physical or cognitive decline are social problems; that families no longer care for their elders; that geriatrics is an unglamorous specialty. The challenge is to question these inaccurate assumptions.

Everyone is welcome to come and hear more at a lecture on ‘The Myths of Ageing' given by Professor Graham Mulley, President of the British Geriatrics Society, Developmental Professor of Elderly Medicine University of Leeds and Consultant Community Geriatrician St James's University Hospital Leeds.   The lecture will take place at Keele Hall at 4pm on 5 th February 2010 . Watch out for more information nearer the time.  

The Yette and Boris Glass Foundation was established in 2005, with the objective of promoting and advancing a better understanding of the integration of psychosocial approaches with new technologies in medicine. The aim is to excite young minds, draw out their full potential and provide opportunities to explore novel ideas. The Foundation organises an annual lecture and an annual competition for travel scholarships to undergraduate medical students undertaking intercalated degrees or elective periods in particular areas of study. This will be the third lecture undertaken by the Foundation. Previous speakers were Professor Robin Murray - Professor of Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, University of London and Professor David Nutt – Professor of Psychopharmacology and Head of the Department of Community Based Medicine at the University of Bristol .

More on the Foundation and previous lectures can be found at http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/ms/news/glass_foundation.htm
 

Jenny completes 82 mile run

 Jenny fundraising run

It had seemed like such a good idea at the time: have a bit of a run and raise some money. I knew things had got out of hand when I realised I was about to run 82 miles, ITV Central News wanted to run a feature, and one friend was talking about flying back from Sierra Leone to run with me!

The event I had chosen to do was an 82 mile run along the Ridgeway National Trail - Britain 's oldest road. It was broken down into 28 miles on the first day and 27 miles on the second and third days. Having previously run just 2 marathons I was justifiably apprehensive.

My plan was to stick to a steady 10min/mile pace which I managed to do. Everything was going really well until about mile 42 on day 2 when I had a bit of a ‘black' moment. I was tired, my legs hurt and there was so much still to do. Whilst shuffling along feeling sorry for myself I took a wrong turn and managed to run 2 miles down the wrong path. The only way back on track was to turn round and run another 2 miles back. And yes, I did seriously consider quitting at that point!

However I carried on and 81 miles into the race I started to hear the faint sounds of civilisation (boredom and loneliness are big factors on the run!). A very tiring 15 hours and 20 minutes later I crossed the line to see a group of my friends who'd driven from all over the country to see me finish.

At the time of planning the challenge my father was in the terminal stages of cancer but still hoped to have another 6 months left. Sadly he passed away just 2 weeks before I did the run. He wished me luck just before he passed away and told me he'd still be watching me do it. In the end I raised £2300 for Cancer Research and I'm still collecting donations for another few weeks at www.justgiving.com/jennyhands

Jenny Hands, 2nd year medical student

   

Student Careers Fair

Over one hundred medical students and foundation doctors attended a careers fair in September at the Clinical Education Centre. The event was also supported by organisations which provided stalls with advice, information and resources for attendees to take away.

We had numerous talks on different medical and surgical specialties, as well as general practice and academics, to give students a flavour of what that specialty would be like to work in, and how to get there! The foundation application talks were very well attended, mostly by final year students who were in the midst of the application, and some third and fourth years wishing to get some early advice.


We would like to thank everyone involved for making the day such a great success. We would especially like to thank the West Midlands Deanery for providing the lunch and refreshments. We hope to organise more careers fairs and careers events for the future and want to ensure that all Keele medical students get the career support they need in every year at medical school. To do this we need your ideas and participation. If you would like to get involved please email m5a72@mga.keele.ac.uk to be added to our mailing list.

Cheryl Bennett, 5th year medical student and Chair of the Keele Medical Student Careers Committee

 

Society for Academic Primary Care Northern Regional Meeting

Despite early concerns about the wet weather, the SAPC meeting in Kendal went ahead in late November. Being my first academic conference I was somewhat overawed initially but the friendliness of all delegates soon put me at ease.

Professor Neil Jackson opened the meeting with a review of “Practices as teaching organisations” and all papers throughout the rest of my day there proved both interesting and thought provoking. I'm sure that the second day would have been just as good.

Keele's Helen Derbyshire, speaking on CRB checks, found ready allies in the audience when she encouraged the application of common sense and avoidance of paranoia in dealing with such checks.

My own paranoia was heightened by Bruno Rushforth's presentation on “ UK Doctors Prestige Rankings of Medical Specialities & Diseases: How does General Practice fare?” So I work in a speciality with low prestige and my own chronic problems (usual for a 50 year old) are also perceived as having low prestige…….. Perhaps depression in GP's of a certain age is to be expected.

“Why are hospital prescription forms not standardised?” is a question I keep asking myself since Kurt Wilson's paper on prescribing safety. The paper encouraged a proactive approach in teaching students safe prescribing, the model described providing realistic time pressure, all we need to add is the incessant bleep interrupting and a selection of ‘phone calls to provide an extremely realistic scenario. The conclusion was that errors can be reduced by appropriate education.

Philip Burns touched on the assessment of professional behaviour in students. The paper demonstrated the complexity of this assessment, how subjective it can be and the unease tutors feel about the validity of their judgements. This paper has added significantly to the debate on the subject.

David Pearson's work on a single practice that was heavily engaged in undergraduate teaching opened up concepts that enhance engagement,these being: recognition, respect, relevance and emotion. This concept seems applicable to any teaching practice and I suspect will become a useful model we all use in the future.

Fortified by coffee and doughnuts, the research workshop by Anne-Marie Martindale “Sickness certification: Necessary but not necessarily straightforward” followed. The title summed up the next 1 hour and 40 minutes of wide ranging debate from a range of GPs. The final conclusion as Bob Hoskins used to say was “it's good to talk”. I look forward to the final published paper and its conclusions.

Rob Jones, Lecturer in Academic General Practice, Keele

 

Top prizes for Keele Medical Students

Two of Keele's final year medical students have won prestigious prizes at regional meetings.

James Rigby won the prize for the Best Overall Presentation at the Midlands Gastroenterology Meeting in Walsall, beating specialist registrars and research fellows from East and West Midlands.  His presentation on "Are patients 'at risk' of malnutrition being identified in hospital?" presented data from his fourth year project option, undertaken in summer 2009, at UHNS with Dr Fiona Leslie.

Jocelyn Male presented "The use of cavity biopsies makes the assessment of margins safer after breast conserving surgery" at the West Midlands Surgical Society meeting in Wolverhampton and won the trainee prize for the best presentation at the meeting, beating specialist registrars from around the West Midlands region. Jocelyn and Beth Squire had analysed 18 years of breast conservation surgery data for Mr Robert Kirby.


Sarah Hart's project at Keele

Sarah Hart has recently joined the medical school as a lecturer in bioscience. She is also currently funded by an EPSRC International Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship at the Life Science Interface. Her project title is ‘Development of Advanced Mass Spectrometric Approaches for the Analysis of the Proteome of Serum from Women with Pre-Eclampsia'.

Prior to her arrival at Keele, Dr Hart worked at the Michael Barber Centre for Mass Spectrometry, a research grouping within the School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, where she worked on a variety of gas-phase ion chemistry and proteomics projects. Her current research focuses on developing novel methodologies in protein chemistry that help us to fully exploit the analytical capabilities of mass spectrometers, within the study of blood and urine samples taken from pregnant women, with specific application to developing a panel of diagnostic biomarkers for pre-eclampsia.

Sarah undertook doctoral studies within Michael Waterfield's group at the UCL branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and undergraduate studies at Bristol . She actively seeks to engage ISTM members in new collaborative projects and welcomes any enquiries.

Hello to…

Dr Rob Jones , Lecturer in Academic General Practice

Sue Halsall , Administrator to the Senior Management Team

Rachel Berkson , Lecturer in Bioscience at Keele Campus

Andrew Morris , Teaching Assistant at Keele Campus, from January

Sarah Lockey , Teaching Assistant at Keele Campus, from January

Vicki Hawley , Skills Administrator (part-time), UHNS Hospital Campus Darshi Bandara , Demonstrator in Multi-User Labs at Keele Campus  

And farewell to…  

Tracey Meigh 

Kat Ibison

Jane Gray