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The Personal Tutoring service is a diverse and experienced group of doctors and administrative staff who all share the same goal - helping support our students to thrive on the course. You can read a bit more about each of the team members below.
Deputy Divisional Tutor
Our Deputy Divisional Tutor, Miss Stella Ivaz, manages our Personal Tutoring and Support services, monitoring and enhancing them to suit our students' needs.
Year 1 and 2 Personal Tutors:
Our team of Year 1 and 2 Personal Tutors conduct regular student support clinics and can offer support and guidance on coping with student life, achieving your goals, accessing support, and referring you to appropriate services.
- Dr Abhishek Bhattacharya
- Dr Sarah Cosser
- Dr Yulanie Desai
- Dr Jayne Kavanagh
- Dr Sheila Manning
- Dr Alison Sturrock
- Dr Rumana Lasker Dawood
- Dr Stefan Browne
- Dr Galina Vernon
- Dr Carolyn Paul
- Dr Sarah Bennett
Year 4 and 5 Site Senior Personal Tutors:
Our team of Year 5 and 5 Site Senior Personal Tutors manage and support the personal tutors on each site, as well as holding regular drop-in clinics for students who need advice or support.
- Dr Doug Pendse - UCLH
- Dr Judith Meek - UCLH
- Dr Tristan Barber - Royal Free
- Dr Saurabh Jain - Royal Free
- Dr Irene Gafson - Whittington
- Dr Kieran O'Gorman - Whittington
Professional Services Staff:
These are the administrative staff behind it all - they are available to provide advice on navigating the MBBS programme, signpost sources of help, and you can speak to them for advice, and in confidence, at any time.
Year 1 Student Advisers:
Student Advisers work with students in their first year at UCL to advise on achieving a positive well-being and signposting to the support and services provided by the university.
Deputy Divisional Tutor
Miss Stella Ivaz
Associate Clinical Professor and Deputy Divisional Tutor
Student well-being is crucial when it comes to your academic performance. I understand the need to treat any issues that you have in a sensitive manner and with an empathic approach. I like to create a trusting environment where students feel comfortable to come forward with any issues they may have, however small or big they might be. Identifying any problems early allows for appropriate support measures to be put into place.
At UCL in my Deputy Divisional Tutor role, I am responsible for Medical Personal Tutoring and Support service enhancement, and for supporting students in areas relating to the additional regulatory requirements for medical students to be able to train in the NHS. Outside of UCL, I am a Consultant Urological Surgeon with a specialist interest in reconstructive-urology, Female Urology and Andrology.
To arrange a meeting with Miss Ivaz, please drop the Divisional Tutor's Office team an email at medsch.mbbstutors@ucl.ac.uk.
Year 1:
Dr Abhishek Bhattacharya
I've spent the best part of a decade teaching in diverse environments, including a science camp in the United States, as a sports coach and special educational needs assistant at a school in North Wales, and indeed setting up teaching programmes for medical students in Australia and the UK. I am delighted to bring my experience to our fantastic team at UCL. If you don't find me here, I work as a GP at the Bloomsbury Surgery and at UCLH A&E, or you'll find me volunteering with YourStance or attempting to take wickets at a local cricket pitch!
To book with Dr Bhattacharya, please make yourself an appointment in Calendly here.
Dr Sarah Cosser
I'm a GP, personal tutor, and CPP tutor. I look forward to meeting my personal tutees.
To book with Dr Cosser, please make yourself an appointment in Calendly here.
Dr Yulanie Desai
Hi, I am a GP in North London. I am also a personal tutor and a dermatology tutor for 5th year students.
To book with Dr Desai, please make yourself an appointment in Calendly here.
Dr Jayne Kavanagh
I've worked at UCLMS for over 20 years. My roles have included Ethics and Law lead, co-chair of the EDI committee, and academic lead of Target Medicine, which I set up with a medical student in 2008. I work for two days a week in Sexual and Reproductive Health at Homerton Hospital in East London.
To book with Dr Kavanagh, please make yourself an appointment in Calendly here.
Dr Sheila Manning
I'm a GP and personal tutoring at the medical school. I look forward to meeting my personal tutees.
To book with Dr Manning, please make yourself an appointment in Calendly here.
Dr Alison Sturrock
I am a senior clinical lecturer in medical education with a background in medicine, diabetes and endocrinology. I was the Academic Lead for assessment from 2008 to 2023.
To meet with Dr Sturrock, please make yourself an appointment in Calendly here.
Year 2:
Dr Rumana Lasker Dawood
Rumana is a UCLMS graduate who works as a GP in North London. Her love for medical education started as a PALs tutor at UCLMS. As a junior doctor, she was a junior clinical teaching fellow at her foundation hospital and later, back at UCLMS and North Middlesex University Hospital, on her F3. Alongside training, she completed her post-graduate diploma in Medical Education. She balances her medical career alongside her other interests of craft and sewing, working as a freelancer. She is passionate about well-being and finding balance within medicine to sustain a happy and fulfilled career.
To meet with Dr Lasker Dawood, please make yourself an appointment in Calendly here.
Dr Stefan Browne
I graduated from UCL Medical School in 2019 and now do most of my clinical work at Barnet Hospital. Alongside my personal tutor role, I am also a CPP tutor and COTM tutor. I am extremely passionate about medical education and am heavily involved in widening participation to medical school initiatives.
Outside of work, I love coffee, football, and exploring!
To meet with Dr Browne, please make yourself an appointment in Calendly here.
Dr Galina Vernon
I have been a GP since 2013 and since have developed a portfolio career which I love. I am very passionate about medical education and have been a CPP tutor for a long time.
I am also a GP appraiser and Medical Member in the Society Security Tribunal.
Outside work, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and especially travelling and exploring new places.
To meet with Dr Vernon, please make yourself an appointment in Calendly here.
Dr Carolyn Paul
I qualified as a doctor at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in 1988 and have been working at the Whittington Hospital as a consultant obstetrician, with an interest in fetal medicine, sin
I have been a student support tutor at UCL medical school for almost 3 years. As the mother of two teenagers I have some understanding of the pressures and demands facing students and young adults in London. I hope to be able to help students who need support, guidance or even just an opportunity to vent.
To meet with Dr Paul, please make yourself an appointment in Calendly here.
Dr Sarah Bennett
Year 2 Personal Tutor
I trained as a GP, but currently work full-time at UCLMS as the Admissions Tutor and Deputy Programme Lead. My office is in the Rockefeller Building (G41) so you are welcome to pop in! I have a very fluffy cream-coloured cat called Hobnob.
To meet with Dr Bennett, please make yourself an appointment in Calendly here.
Clinical Years:
Dr Doug Pendse
Site Senior Personal Tutor, UCLH
I am a Consultant radiologist at University College London Hospitals and a graduate of University of Birmingham Medical School (2001). Having completed surgical training in Oxford Deanery, I moved to UCL in 2006 to embark upon a career in imaging research. After doctoral-level research in image-guided ablation I was awarded the first NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship in radiology in 2007. Combining clinical training in radiology with translational MRI research, I was awarded FRCR and subsequently appointed as a post-doctoral NIHR Clinical Lecturer at UCL in 2012. Since 2014 I have been a Consultant at UCLH, specialising in urological imaging and interventional radiology.
With a long track record of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, I understand the importance of non-clinical teaching and coaching - something often neglected in medical training. I am committed to the belief that senior doctors can make a real difference to the careers of medical students and junior doctors through mentorship and personal development programmes.
I have been a personal tutor to students on the MBBS course for many years and now work as a Site Senior Personal Tutor at the Medical School.
To meet with Dr Pendse, please make yourself an appointment in Calendly here, or email him here.
Dr Judith Meek
Site Senior Personal Tutor, UCLH
I qualified from UCL in 1987. Before that I studied physics and then medical physics, resulting in a 12-year long student career! I love my job on the neonatal unit at UCLH and am lucky to have collaborated with several friends in UCL researching into perinatal neuroprotection and pain in the neonate. I have also been involved in developing a smartphone app to measure jaundice in African babies, and am a tutor for Vietnamese neonatologists working for a charity called Newborns Vietnam.
I am very committed to student wellbeing and I enjoy meeting students both as a teacher and a personal tutor.
To meet with Dr Meek, please make yourself an appointment in Calendly here, or email her here.
Dr Tristan Barber
Site Senior Personal Tutor, Royal Free
I am a Consultant Physician in HIV and Sexual Health at the Ian Charleson Day Centre, Royal Free Hospital, and Honorary Associate Professor at the Institute of Global Health, UCL. I am a British HIV Association (BHIVA) Trustee and Executive Committee member, as well as Chair of the BHIVA Education and Scientific Subcommittee. I am Chair of the European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) Young Investigatory Network (YING). I have a specialist clinical and research interest in frailty and ageing in people with HIV.
I love cooking, and the theatre, and I swim outdoors all year round, either in the sea or Hampstead Heath ponds. I am passionate about student wellbeing, and ensuring our personal tutoring system works as well as possible. I am always happy to meet with both medical students and fellow personal tutors. Do get in touch if there's anything at all I can help with!
To meet with Dr Barber, please drop him a line by emailing here.
Dr Saurabh Jain
Site Senior Personal Tutor, Royal Free
I am a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon and Director of Clinical Services at the Royal Free London NHS Trust and have recently stepped down as Training Program Director for the North Thames Deanery after eight years. I specialise in paediatric ophthalmology, strabismus, botox and cataract surgery.
I started my ophthalmology career at Kings College Hospital and subsequently underwent specialist training at the Leicester Royal Infirmary and fellowship training at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. I run a full time clinical service at the Royal Free, Whittington, Barnet General and UCLH hospitals, which includes clinical work, training junior surgeons and allied clinical professionals, research and educational activities.
I have a particular interest in teaching and training and have been a personal tutor and examiner for many years. I am a keen runner and an aspiring cook!
To meet with Dr Jain, please drop him a line by emailing here.
Dr Irene Gafson
Site Senior Personal Tutor, Whittington
I am an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Whittington Health and a Clinical Lecturer at UCL. I am the undergraduate placement lead for Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Whittington Health. I have a strong interest in medication education, and undertook the UCL master's in Health Professions Education whilst working as a teaching fellow at UCL with a special interest in freedom to speak up and raising concerns. I helped to set up the apprenticeship model during the pandemic.
I helped to offer pastoral support to UCL students volunteering and working at Whittington Health throughout the pandemic and have now been working as a student support tutor for a couple of years. I fully understand the challenges of navigating student life with the current pressures on young adults in London.
I balance working as a doctor and educationalist with being a mother to two girls and a boy.
I am a keen cold-water swimmer and love to be creative when time allows!
I hope to offer students support and guidance with anything that might be troubling them, and help to navigate them to the right people and support channels.
To meet with Dr Gafson, please make yourself an appointment in Calendly here, or email her here.
Dr Kieran O'Gorman
Site Senior Personal Tutor, Whittington
I am a consultant geriatrician and the Acute Frailty Service Lead at the Whittington Hospital. My interests include community geriatrics, Parkinson's disease, and delirium.
I graduated from UCL Medical School in 2008 and have a particular interest in global health, having volunteered in both Uganda and Nepal, as well as completing a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
I have a keen interest in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, as well as teaching the wider multidisciplinary team. I enjoy the supportive role that being a tutor brings and am very happy to help with any concerns or worries that students may have.
Outside of work I am an avid runner and I try to be a competent footballer, with limited success.
To meet with Dr O'Gorman, please make yourself an appointment in Calendly here, or email him here.
Professional Services Staff:
Alison Crook
Head of MBBS Student Support and Records
I have been with UCLMS for over 20 years and have long experience and in-depth knowledge of curriculum and assessment administration as well as medical student support services and records, having worked closely with the MBBS Senior Leadership Team and Divisional and Support Tutors for many years.
Ellie Weale
Medical Student Records and Personal Tutoring Manager
I joined the UCLMS team in November 2020, and before that I graduated in July 2020 with a degree in Ancient and Modern History. Having been a student somewhat recently myself (and finishing in the pandemic no less), I really empathise with the challenges that students face, but also know how amazing the student experience can be when you are well supported.
I am responsible for Medical Student Records, as well as administrating the Personal Tutoring service. I'm always happy to advise you about what we can do to help, or where to go for further support.
Year 1 Student Advisors
Sanya Saleem
I joined UCLMS in August 2021 as the Year 1 Student Adviser, having just completed my Masters in Research, where I studied collective intelligence in emergency medicine in detail (very interesting!). I have also worked as an Assistant Psychologist in the NHS, where I supported doctors and nurses on wards, observed a sleevectomy (I didn't faint at the sight of blood, thankfully!) and worked across services like Brain Injury/Stroke.
I have a massive interest in mental health and wellbeing, particularly in those who work tirelessly to support us in our times of need, and in our lowest moments. Can you pour from an empty cup?
I am here to support/advise students in any issues they could possibly face whilst at university, and just listen to what you have to say. I have a genuine interest in students, and always take a proactive approach in assuring students are as best supported as they possibly can be!
In a nutshell, I am here to ensure your time at university is as exciting, comfortable and safe as it possibly can be. There is nothing you can say which would surprise me, and my door is always open!
To contact Sanya, you can book yourself an appointment here, ring her on 0203 108 4368, or log an enquiry in AskUCL (under the 'Life at UCL' category).
Nichole Dunne-Watts
I joined UCL in November 2023. I have worked in Higher Education for 10 years, and I am currently completing an Advanced Diploma in Humanistic Counselling. I understand the challenges studying a professional course can bring with finding a balance between work, life and study, but I am here to offer an empathetic, listening ear and support you through your first year of medical training. I have an interest, willingness and commitment to supporting students' mental health and wellbeing.
In my role as Student Adviser, I am responsible for supporting and advising you on any issues relating to your wellbeing and/or student experience that you may be facing whilst at UCLMS. I am here to help you identify solutions to questions and challenges, and discuss any aspects of university life that you are not sure about - whether that's policies, assessments, or finding the right kind of support. Alongside 1:1 supportive conversations, Sanya (your other Student Adviser) and I also run events, activities and workshops throughout your first academic year to help you stay well and make the most of your time at UCLMS.
To contact Nichole, you can book yourself an appointment here, or log an enquiry in AskUCL (under the 'Life at UCL' category).