The latest blog is a conference report from Dr Shiras Patel, reflecting on the Teaching, Innovation, and Collaboration for CTFs (TICC) Conference, held in Bristol in April this year.
The Warm Welcome
On Friday 25th April 2025, the halls of the Wills Memorial Building at the University of Bristol were buzzing with activity—not only from students preparing for their final examinations, but also from the Teaching, Innovation, and Collaboration for CTFs (TICC) Conference. This year’s event was bigger than ever, building on last year’s regional success to welcome over 120 attendees from across the UK.
Even before the official welcome, the atmosphere was lively, with Clinical Teaching Fellows (CTFs) from various institutions exchanging ideas about their innovative teaching methods and the challenges they had overcome.
The conference began with a warm welcome from Dr David Rogers, Programme Co-director at the Bristol Medical School, and Dr Sam Chumbley, TICC Director.
This was followed by a captivating keynote delivered by Dr SanYuMay Tan (University of Oxford), focusing on sustainability in medical education. Her thought-provoking talk highlighted the crucial need to prepare medical students to be sustainable clinicians, capable of navigating the healthcare challenges of the future.
A New Addition for 2025
Inspired by their ASME sponsors, the conference introduced short communication presentations, providing CTFs with a platform to showcase their research and innovation projects. Topics ranged from gamification in learning to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), simulation-based education, and pastoral care. The impressive volume of submissions led to a four-room parallel session format, allowing attendees to curate their own experience based on individual interests.
Lunch and Networking
Over lunch, the energy remained high as attendees engaged in enthusiastic discussions about the morning’s presentations and how the ideas could be implemented within their own institutions. The high-quality catering certainly helped, but it was the lively, academic conversations that seem to fuel the room.
Afternoon Workshops
Three concurrent workshops kicked off the afternoon sessions:
- Dr David Rogers and Eliza Burdass (University of Bristol) led an insightful workshop on practical strategies for effective teaching amidst busy clinical schedules. The dual perspectives of a curriculum designer and a medical student offered a complementary and holistic view.
- Dr SanYuMay Tan returned with Dr Theresa Martin (University of Portsmouth) to run a workshop on integrating sustainability into OSCE station design, extending the themes from the morning keynote.
- Dr Ourania Varsou (University of Glasgow) delivered a hands-on, forward-looking session on AI in medical education, exploring its practical applications in everyday teaching.
Oral Presentations and Final Sessions
In the late afternoon, additional oral presentations highlighted outstanding work being done by CTFs nationwide, addressing some of today’s most pressing challenges in medical education.
The day concluded with two final parallel sessions:
- A powerful workshop on Teaching in Low Resource Settings led by Dr Julie Thacker and Dr Ian Fussell (University of Exeter), sharing inspirational insights into delivering medical education without the typical technological support many rely on.
- A popular Q&A panel featuring experienced educators who discussed career pathways in medical education, offering candid reflections on balancing academic and personal commitments.
Closing Moments
The conference wrapped up with a prize ceremony celebrating outstanding presentations, followed by closing remarks that set sights on the future—namely, the ambition to make TICC 2026 an international event, a goal that was met with great enthusiasm. A post-conference social offered a relaxed space for continued networking and reflection.
Final Thoughts
TICC 2025 was an overwhelming success. It showcased the strength, creativity, and dedication of the CTF community and left many—including myself—energised and inspired for the year ahead. I eagerly look forward to seeing how the conference evolves in 2026 and beyond.
If you want to learn more about TICC, you can visit their website at ticc.blogs.bristol.ac.uk
