XClose

UCL Medical School

Home
Menu

Good Practice examples 2019-20

Below are some examples of good practice, which were identified from the winning applications of the Excellence in Medical Education Awards 2019-2020. The good practice has been identified in 7 main categories:

1. Quality of teaching & the facilitation of student learning

My approach to teaching recognises medical students as adult learners. It is based on progressive attitudes to education, where my role is a facilitator for learning, rather than a more traditional, pedagogical teacher. I am involved in lecturing, clinic-based teaching and clinical skills tutorials. I have designed a new ophthalmology lecture on ‘red eye’. To engage students and enhance their critical thinking skills, I have incorporated online Mentimeter questions throughout the lecture, which allows students to respond to questions on their iPads and compete for points.

Dr Samuel Burridge, Clinical Teaching and Research Fellow in Ophthalmology, Royal Free Hospital

My lecture-based finals-preparation programme "Tips and Tricks" employed interactive games and activities to give students a framework to approach their future patients in both examination questions and real life, whilst directing students to the best learning opportunities around the hospital: empowering students to learn independently.

Dr Ariella Midgen, FY2 Doctor, Watford General Hospital

As the ID-CEF, I am required to create teaching resources including interactive seminars, handouts, aides-memoire, grey cases and an activity-log, aligned with the curriculum…. To promote independent and peer-to-peer learning I introduced the ‘ID sign-off session’, requiring students to identify a clinical case, pertinent to the examinable curriculum, generating a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation for their peers. During these presentations, students must describe the ‘presenting problem’, in the context of medical comorbidities and medications, discussing serological and radiological results, postulating differential-diagnoses, eliminating these based on clinical information gathered. This process promotes analytical thinking, whilst enhancing oral and written communication skills.

Dr Sophie Roberts, Education Fellow in Infectious Diseases, UCLH/Hospital for Tropical Diseases

We have ensured that the renal module includes both an excellent breadth and depth of learning experiences…. Learning is further broadened and made holistic through MDT learning by sitting in with clinical nurse specialists in peritoneal dialysis and low clearance; renal dieticians, and learning from renal psychologists and renal pharmacists. Students with a particular interest can arrange to watch a live donor kidney transplant, meeting both the recipient and the donor beforehand.

Renal team, Royal Free Hospital

2. Quality of course design

As Patient Safety and Patient Experience CPP Lead, I have written a new PSPE curriculum including a mix of large and small group work. Small group sessions engage students in interactive case and problem-based learning. Larger group sessions include reflective analysis and group participation.

Dr Jane Lowery, Consultant Anaesthetist, Royal Free Hospital

To improve student-experience, I changed the structure of the ID-firm, moving the ‘introduction the ID’ seminar to an earlier time slot, modifying content to include a pre-course quiz. To close the learning-loop, I introduced the ‘ID sign-off’ session.

Dr Sophie Roberts, Education Fellow in Infectious Diseases, UCLH/Hospital for Tropical Diseases

I collaborated, designed and implemented a new, more integrated curriculum for Module 5C for 2019-20, which created a more holistic learning experience within the module which addressed negative feedback in oncology. Students furthermore benefit now by gaining experience in sub-speciality geriatrics and frailty syndromes to prepare them for the challenges of an ageing population.

Dr Johnny Swart, Consultant Physician and Geriatrician, Whittington Health NHS Trust

The most major change we have made in the design and planning of the placement is establishing a two-week stand-alone renal placement. We have all been huge advocates for the teaching of renal medicine and for improving the student experience, moving away from a confusing 4-week split between renal and endocrinology when students often complained about excessive travel between sites and frustrating timetabling…. This change has required a huge increase in renal resource and buy-in from the whole department as we have more than doubled the number of renal teachers contributing to undergraduate teaching.

Renal team, Royal Free Hospital

3. Approach to assessment

To foster student learning I have introduced formative assessment into the ID firm in the form of a pre and post-course ID-quiz and student presentations in the ID-sign-off session. In this way, I have developed an innovative way of providing feedback to students on the ID-firm, which also serves to inform the efficacy of teaching delivery.

Dr Sophie Roberts, Education Fellow in Infectious Diseases, UCLH/Hospital for Tropical Diseases

The themed ward round documents themselves provide regular means of self-assessment that is performed in the presence of clinical teachers, who can both support and extend learning from it. Presentation and hands-on tasks also facilitate consistent, direct feedback throughout the ward round.

Teach Paediatrics and Inspire QI Team, Royal Free and Barnet General Hospitals

We have introduced a renal activity log with a single reflection suggested for each learning experience or opportunity. This helps to make sign-off more meaningful and can provide a useful focal point for discussion.

Renal team, Royal Free Hospital

4. Student support & guidance

Many students have approached this year with an interest in pursuing ophthalmology as a career. I have met with students outside of teaching sessions to discuss ophthalmology and recommend professional activities to support future specialty applications. I feel students appreciate this from me as a relatively 'near peer', rather than consultant, as they can ask what they might consider silly questions.

Dr Samuel Burridge, Clinical Teaching and Research Fellow in Ophthalmology, Royal Free Hospital

I email the students weekly to consolidate learning objectives and always offer my assistance to students if they have failed to grasp the key concepts. Many find fluid management confusing. I have run several extra sessions running through clinical scenarios to help students feel more confident. We also offer additional drop-in workshops for cannulation and airway management. This gives students who are less manually adept to take up additional practice in a safe environment with experts in these techniques.

Dr Jane Lowery, Consultant Anaesthetist, Royal Free Hospital

I believe being a near-peer educator has put me in a good position to advise and support my students. I made myself available to them by letting them know which ward I was working on and that they were always welcome if theirs was quiet. As a result, I have had many students find me when their ward team did not have any more activities for them, and some even joined me on my on-call shifts.

Dr Ariella Midgen, FY2 Doctor, Watford General Hospital

5. Professional development

I value observation and feedback from my peers. In January, I asked one of the clinical teaching fellows to observe my clinical skills session. He provided some interesting insights for me to reflect on and I have since made some adjustments to the running of session. I also attended one of his teaching sessions and provided feedback as well.

Dr Samuel Burridge, Clinical Teaching and Research Fellow in Ophthalmology, Royal Free Hospital

Within the teaching department, I am part of the Simulation Faculty at Watford General Hospital, but as one of the more junior members of the team see my role more as one where I am learning than mentoring others. However, through ensuring the sustainable handover of my programmes to the next generation of junior doctors I have developed an informal mentoring role over some of them, guiding them as they embark on their medical education careers.

Dr Ariella Midgen, FY2 Doctor, Watford General Hospital

In 2016, I completed a survey of junior doctors I’ve supervised. Although almost all the feedback was extremely positive, there were some comments on the delivery being too fast. I reflected and am now conscious of giving enough time for students to think, rationalise and answer questions/perform the task. I also now adopt a strategy of asking the next student for an answer before launching into the explanation and adopt different designs and delivery methods for teaching.

Dr Johnny Swart, Consultant Physician and Geriatrician, Whittington Health NHS Trust

6. Innovation

Introducing high-fidelity simulation to highlight the importance of non-technical skills has been my greatest innovative change. I identified creating simple scenarios could allow focused constructive feedback on these essential attributes.  By emphasising these skills early in clinical training students can observe how teams work in future placements and reflect on their performance. Knowledge is one component of high functioning teams, excellent non-technical skills is often what sets them apart.

Dr Jane Lowery, Consultant Anaesthetist, Royal Free Hospital

In 2019, I recorded COOP introduction videos, available on Moodle, for students to view prior to starting their placement. This gives students the opportunity to familiarise themselves with their placement prior to starting, which has been well received.

Dr Johnny Swart, Consultant Physician and Geriatrician, Whittington Health NHS Trust

Our themed ward round documents at both sites deliver focused, interactive content that covers a significant proportion of the core paediatrics curriculum. They have been instrumental in engaging and involving students in the ward rounds, providing a foundation for deeper learning. The documents contain a series of tasks designed to engage students in different learning media: these range from quick-fire questions on the topic of the day, hands-on tasks like holding the baby or prescribing on the drug chart and more detailed case focused problems requiring preparation and presentation. They also include a series of online QR codes links to annotatable PDF documents that students can easily access on their iPads or smartphones. Each of these contain interactive activities and resources tailored to the particular theme of that day. The booklets have so far received very positive feedback from the students.

Teach Paediatrics and Inspire QI Team, Royal Free and Barnet General Hospitals

7. Teamwork

Once a month all three members of the leadership team sit together, assess results and plan for the future… The site leads and undergraduate teaching leads meet regularly to ensure smooth running of the project and integrate what we’ve learned from feedback to constantly improve with each cycle.

Teach Paediatrics and Inspire QI Team, Royal Free and Barnet General Hospitals