Tag: networking

BMERG Committee Profile

Posted on by andrew.bond

In the first of our BMERG Committee profiles, we shine the spotlight on Fiona Holmes, our School Education Director.

Fiona is Associate Professor in Health Science Education and School Education Director. She is Programme Director of MSc Clinical Perfusion Science and Co-Director of MRes Health Sciences Research. During her long career as a neuroscientist she enjoyed combining research with teaching, aiming to inspire the next generation of biomedical and clinical researchers. She has a particular interest in students’ academic and research skills development.

What was your first role or job as an educator?

I have been involved in teaching and supervising students for many years but my first formal role was as Co-Director of MRes Health Sciences Research over 10 years ago.

What inspired you to become an educator and/or education researcher?

I want to encourage and support the medical researchers of the future and hopefully instill a curiosity and passion for discovery science. I love working with students and see them achieve their full potential.

What challenges have you faced in your journey as a medical education researcher and how have you overcome these?

Making the switch from biomedical research (PhD and 20+ years of experience) to pedagogical research (starting from scratch, learning to appreciate qualitative research, developing more of a ‘social sciences head’ and finding my niche).

What is your current medical education research project on?

I am working with a colleague (Jody Stafford) on using desk-based simulation to support cardiopulmonary bypass training. With Gemma Ford and BMERG Committee members, we are piloting a project to embed the Bristol Skills Profile into academic personal tutoring.

Who are your medical education/education research role models?

My mum worked as a school lab technician and was full of ideas to add interest to the classroom (many projects were tried out at home from stick insects to eyeballs to hatching chicks). The school and university lecturers who stick in my mind (along with what they taught) were really enthusiastic and committed to our learning, with a bit of showmanship and eccentricity thrown in!

What would you consider your greatest academic success?

My first, first author paper – perhaps not my greatest academic success but it felt like it at the time.

Have you ever had a piece of work go wrong and how did you deal with this?

Yes! Who hasn’t?! This is particularly true of biomedical research which can be a roller coaster of highs and lows – you need patience and resilience and to try and let the highs carry you through the lows. You learn more from work not going the way you expect / hope – problem solving, criticality, insight. The important thing is that you do learn and don’t – to misquote Einstein – do the same thing over and over again and expect different results. I bang on about this a lot to my students!

What helps you to maintain your work life balance as a medical educator/researcher?

A nagging husband who thinks I love the University of Bristol more than him! To be more serious, work can be such a big part of your identity so it’s important to be doing something that you really care about. Prioritising family (I am bonus mum to 2 step-daughters – a primary school teacher and a nurse), friends and outside interests (travel, gardening and running) can enhance your A game at work.

What do you think will be the greatest change to medical education over the next decade?

At the moment I’m grappling with artificial intelligence (AI) and the challenges and opportunites it brings to teaching and learning per se. Besides this, it is essential to integrate understanding of the potential (and pitfalls) of AI to transform medical practice into medical education curricula.

What book are you reading at the moment?

I have recently read Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus – after being fired from her job as a lab tech, chemist Elizabeth Zott uses her new job hosting a 1950s television cooking show titled Supper at Six to educate housewives on scientific topics.

What job would you do if you were not a medical educator/researcher?

I probably would have done something clinical / patient-focussed. My retirement job idea is to be a florist.

What three top tips would you give to new medical education researchers?

  1. Collaborate: 2+ heads are better than one, there’s shared expertise and work-load and you are accountable to others which helps keeps you on track.
  2. Just do it: Make a start – fail, flounder – but do something. If you don’t start you will never have the opportunity to finish.
  3. Be a lifelong learner: Stay curious and open-minded, and being a student helps you put yourself in the shoes of your own students and be reminded of their perspective.

Where is your favourite place in the world and why?

Difficult to choose one favourite – lots of places hold special memories for all sorts of reasons – but I got engaged on the Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand which was pretty cool (literally!).

Reflections from ASME 2025, AI, Assessment & Agency in Health Professions Education

Posted on by andrew.bond

In this weeks blog, Dr Dani O’Connor shares reflections from the ASME Annual Scholarship Meeting 2025, exploring key themes of Artificial Intelligence (AI), assessment, and agency in health professions education. It highlights insights from presenting on AI’s impact on critical thinking, engaging workshops, and the importance of learner empowerment, inclusion, and wellbeing in educational spaces.

“Reflect Reflection” by Pietro De Grandi/ CC0 1.0

I recently had the privilege of attending the ASME Annual Scholarship Meeting 2025 in the vibrant city of Edinburgh. Held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) from July 1st to 3rd, the conference brought together educators, researchers, and healthcare professionals from across the globe to explore the theme, “The A’s of ASME – AI, Assessment & Agency.”

One of the most rewarding aspects of the conference was the opportunity to present alongside my colleague, Zuzana Deans, on a topic that is both timely and complex, the use of AI in education and its impact on critical thinking. Our session explored how generative AI tools are reshaping the way students engage with academic tasks, and what this means for the development of independent, analytical thought. We discussed both the opportunities and the risks, how AI can support learning, but also how it might inadvertently deskill students if not integrated thoughtfully. The discussion that followed was rich and reflective, with attendees sharing their own experiences and concerns around AI in the classroom.

Among the many thought-provoking sessions, one that particularly stood out to me was the interactive workshop provocatively titled “The Death of the Essay.” This session invited us to critically examine the traditional essay as a dominant form of assessment in health professions education. Through group discussions and live polling, we explored whether the essay still serves its intended purpose in an age of multimodal learning, digital fluency, and diverse learner needs. The session didn’t just critique the essay, it opened up space for imagining alternative, more inclusive forms of assessment that better reflect the skills and creativity of today’s students.

Throughout the three days, the programme was rich with intra-conference sessions, oral presentations, and e-poster discussions, all of which highlighted innovative approaches to assessment and learner empowerment. I was particularly inspired by the emphasis on learner agency, how we can better support students from diverse backgrounds to take ownership of their educational journeys. This resonated deeply with BMERG’s mission to amplify underrepresented voices in academia and research.

One of the standout moments for me was the sound bath sessions, a unique wellness initiative woven into the conference schedule. These short, guided meditations provided a welcome pause amidst the intellectual intensity, reminding us of the importance of mental wellbeing in academic spaces.

Networking was another highlight. The Welcome Reception on the first evening offered a relaxed setting to connect with peers and mentors. I had the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations about inclusive curriculum design, decolonising medical education, and the role of community in shaping equitable learning environments. ASME 2025 was a space where critical conversations about equity, representation, and systemic change were not only welcomed, but actively encouraged. I left Edinburgh with a renewed sense of purpose and a notebook full of ideas to bring back to my team and wider networks.

Author Biography

Dr Dani O’Connor is a Lecturer in Medical Education at the University of Bristol, where she teaches across a range of programmes within Health Professions Education and leads the online MSc. Her research explores gender bias and relational autonomy in clinical decision-making, as well as the impact of AI on critical thinking in education. She has published in the Medical Law Review and presents her work nationally and internationally.

Introducing the BMERG blog editors and the new series of BMERG blogs

Posted on by andrew.bond

It’s the beginning of a new academic year and our BMERG blog series kicks off with an introduction to our new BMERG blog editors – and a call for blog writers.

“Blog Text” by Words as Pictures/ CC0 1.0

Following a refresh of the BMERG Committee and the opportunity to take on new roles, Dr Sally Dowling and Dr Andrew Bond have volunteered to be the new BMERG Blog editors. They will be doing this under the expert supervision of Dr Sarah Allsop. Sarah has overseen the blog brilliantly for the past few years, and Sally and Andrew are very grateful to have her expertise to draw on as they take on the role.

Who are we?

Dr Sally Dowling is a Senior Lecturer who has worked in health professions education since 2007, following a career in the NHS. She came to work in Bristol Medical School in January 2022 and currently holds positions in PGT programmes (Health Professions Education and as co-Programme Director for the MSc Reproduction and Development). She also works as Year 1 Student Choice Academic Lead on the MBChB programme. Sally has been a BMERG Committee member since 2022. She has been involved in several BILT-funded associate projects, including one looking at inclusive assessment. In 2024-25 and continuing in 2025-26, she is part of the Pedagogic research and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) culture project, working with colleagues across the university. She has an interest in supporting staff and student in writing for publication and has run workshops and written blog posts relating to this.

Dr Andrew Bond is a Lecturer in Cardiovascular Medicine, in Bristol Medical School, and Co-Director of MSc Cardiovascular Perfusion. He has over 20 years of experience as a scientific researcher in UK academia, undertaking and publishing a variety of research into atherosclerosis, paediatric heart surgery, islet transplantation for Type I diabetes, and bioengineering of blood vessels for heart bypass surgery. In 2023 he switched to the Teaching and Scholarship Pathway at the University of Bristol, and his teaching role predominantly involves developing and delivering content on the MSc Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, MSc Clinical Perfusion Science and MSc Cardiovascular Perfusion. He is co-lead for various units on the three courses. Andrew recently joined the BMERG Committee, and sees it as the beginning of his pursuit of pedagogical research, and the chance to better understand how students learn and thrive. His hope is to integrate insights from this research into his own teaching practice, so that research and practice continually inform one another.

What is a blog post?

Blog posts are short pieces of writing highlighting topics of interest, usually written in an informal, accessible or conversational style. Some blogs are focussed on a specific issue; others are more general. Writing a blog is a way of sharing your ideas, experiences and opinions – it also gives you a permanent URL from which your writing can be accessed.

What can I write about for in a BMERG blog?

The BMERG blogs are aimed at the medical education community at the University of Bristol and beyond. In the past some have been themed – for example about “Writing for Publication” or reporting on papers discussed at the BMERG Journal Club. We have had conference reports (such as this one) and advice on Academic Careers and Researcher Skills, and other staff development and teaching practice issues. Individual BMERG members have written about their research projects, events they have attended or activities they’ve been involved in. If you look at the BMERG Blog page of the BMERG website you can see the latest Blog posts, and search by topics or categories.

What will we be doing?

This post relaunches the BMERG Blog. Following this we hope to have a new blog published on alternate Fridays. To open the new series, we will publish topic blogs once each month and introduce a member of the Committee in the second blog. To whet your appetite – we have forthcoming blogs on the ASME conference 2025 and the Assessment in Higher Education Conference 2025, a blog on ‘Starting out in pedagogical research’ and introductions to the new BMERG chair and others on the committee. We’ll also be re-posting some earlier blogs about writing for publication and understanding Open Access publication.

Can I write a blog post?

Yes please! We would love to hear from anyone who would like to write a blog post for BMERG. We ask that you use this form to submit your details and the text of your blog. We will review all blogs submitted and let you know if any (usually minor) edits are needed. We’ll also let you know when we are scheduling the publication of your blog. Please let us know if you think there is a reason to publish your blog as soon as possible (for example, if it’s addressing a particularly current or timely issue).

In the next BMERG blog post Dani O’Connor will be writing about ‘Reflections from ASME 2025, AI, Assessment & Agency in Health Professions Education’.

Building Community: BMERG Journal Club Review, Co-learning and Co-teaching

Posted on by sarah.allsop

Contributing to our BMERG blog series on building community, our BMERG Journal Club lead Dr Claire Hudson reflects on the discussions at our journal club about co-learning and co-teaching.  

Paper reviewed: Claessen, Roy J M et al. “Co-learning and co-teaching in a newly introduced research learning community.” The clinical teacher vol. 21,3 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.13683 

I really enjoyed discussing and reflecting on this paper. It captures what is great about our Journal Club; taking a small break in your day to chat about research with colleagues, and generating new ideas that could be applied to your own teaching practice at the same time! 

First, I’ll give an overview of the publication, followed by key takeaways from our discussion.  

What was the research?

The research is based within a Dutch Medical School, and the paper evaluates the move from traditional research project supervision (one-to-one) to a more collaborative model involving co-learning and co-teaching, something they call Research Learning Communities (RLCs). The format paired small groups of students with two teaching staff and a floating ‘research expert’ (visualised in one of the paper’s figures). This idea arose from the flip to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, however the emphasis of the paper is on collaborative, rather than online, learning.  

Before reading the full article, I checked a couple of definitions to ensure I fully understood their approach. Here they are, in case you are also unsure! 

  • Co-learning – breaching the traditional teacher-student hierarchy, and everyone is considered a learner. Knowledge is constructed together, with all participants contributing their expertise and experience. 
  • Co-teaching – multiple educators collaborating to plan and deliver teaching based on their different expertise. This enhances the student experience and supports ongoing professional development for staff. 

Essentially, the RLCs are a highly collaborative approach in which students learn from teachers, teachers learn from students, students learn from each other, and teachers also learn from each other – that’s a lot of learning! I really liked the idea and was keen to read on. 

What were the findings? 

The study assessed both student learning (in terms of research skills) and the perceived value of the collaborative learning. They collected research reports and reflections from students and conducted focus groups with both staff and students.  

Learning goals around research skills were met. Students found the structure supportive and valued peer-learning, reporting that they learned beyond their individual topic. Educators also reported that the structure supported their professional development and recognised benefits for students; although they were unsure whether the approach was time-efficient overall.  

Why did this study resonate?

The co-learning model mimics a real-world research team, supporting the development of teamworking and research skills in authentic contexts. Co-creation with students, peer-learning, and authentic learning align with current pedagogic trends, and also with the ‘student-centred’ pillar of our institutional education strategy. 

At the same time, there are ongoing discussions about reducing staff workload while maintaining the quality of teaching, plus an increased demand for research projects. The study sparked particular interest as it suggested ways to rethink research supervision while increasing authenticity.  

How could this model be applied or adapted for our own practice? 

Many features of this approach are already evident within teaching in the Bristol Medical School, such as case-based learning, group projects for ‘Student Choice’, and other small-group activities. After identifying these, we applied similar principles to research projects in both undergraduate and postgraduate contexts: 

  • Facilitating group themes: A group of students work on a broad, overarching theme, with students pursuing individual but linked research questions within that theme. The collaborative work could involve exploring the wider topic and co-creating individual sub-projects.  
  • Adjunctive research collaboratives: Alternatively, collaboratively learning groups could be created for students undertaking similar types of research (e.g. systematic review, data analysis or lab projects). The collaborative group would foster development of research skills, but the projects themselves could be different.  

Potential benefits:  

  • Multiple ‘supervisors’ and peer-interactions may improve student support and mitigate the common issue that some primary supervisors are less engaged than others….. 
  • I often find myself saying the same things again and again in one-to-one supervisory meetings with students—group formats could definitely reduce this inefficiency! 
  • Research projects can feel isolating and lonely for students, as they often involve extended periods of independent study. Collaborative models would introduce peer interaction and support. 

Additional reflections and comments 

Describing the activities: Details of the group activities were somewhat vague, at least to me. Specific examples of how a single research project was supported within the RLCs would help readers understand how this model could be applied. 

Inclusivity concerns: We questioned whether all students would benefit equally from this approach, or whether it inadvertently disadvantages more introverted students or those who prefer more structured guidance. 

The digital context: While the redesign was partially in response to COVID-19, the digital aspects were not well explored in the paper. 

Overall reflections

This paper invites us to explore co-learning and co-teaching in greater depth, and has already prompted me to generate ideas that could be integrated into my own teaching practice. The overall approach aligns well with contemporary trends in education and facilitated valuable conversations about sustainable and inclusive project supervision in higher education. 

If you already integrate collaborative elements into student research projects, I’d love to hear about your experiences and what works well for you! 

Author Biography  

Dr Claire Hudson is a Lecturer on the Teaching and Scholarship Pathway within the Bristol Medical School. Claire’s early research career was in biomedical sciences, but she has now made a transition to pedagogic research. She has a special interest in student autonomy and the use of reflective practice in developing academic and feedback literacy skills, as well as exploring MSc student skills development in different demographic groups. 

Conference Report: TICC 2025

Posted on by sarah.allsop

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

Building Community: Spotlight on the Incubator for Clinical Education Research

Posted on by sarah.allsop

This weeks BMERG blog is a spotlight on the Incubator for Clinical Educator Research (ClinEdR). Hosted by the University of Newcastle, the Incubator is an NIHR initiative launched in 2020 to develop ClinEdR as an academic field.

Image (c) UX Indonesia on Unsplash

What is the Incubator?

The mission and aim of the ClinEdR Incubator is to support and promote careers in clinical education research through building a multi-professional community of practice. It extends across all health professions and aims to bring people together to develop their ideas, build collaborations and provide a network of developing experience in the field.

What is Clinical Education Research?

This is one of the most fundamental questions and tends to have a myriad of different definitions and terms including clinical, medical, and healthcare professionals education research to name just a few. Often the word ‘clinical’ can drive the idea that this sort of research must have a direct impact in clinical practice and thus can seem to exclude certain areas of research in education.

The team at the Incubator have tried to broaden this idea, embracing all sorts of different research that can and does have an impact on societal health needs by “enhancing the education, training and development of health and social care practitioners, and the organisations within which they work and learn“. They highlight a number of different areas in which individuals and teams may be undertaking clinical education research such as:

  • Pedagogical research
  • Planning and design of educational programmes
  • Regulation processes
  • Organisation context of learning, such as learning environments and workforce inclusivity
  • Learner experience and careers

They also consider that this whilst this type of research may have a direct clinical impact for patients it may achieve impact in other ways such as benefiting clinicians in their training, influencing health and education systems and through challenging and developing standards.

How can the Incubator help those who want to engage in Clinical Education Research?

The incubator is a fantastic place to start regardless of where you are in your ClinEdR journey. It offers a variety of resource and links via it’s website such as:

So why not take a look at their resources, find out who works in ClinEdR in your area and sign up to be part of the growing Incubator network!

You can learn more about the Incubator at clinicaleducationresearch.org/ on Twitter/X at @ClinEdResearch or email the team at clinical.education.incubator@newcastle.ac.uk

BMERG News: Award win for one of our Bristol Educators!

Posted on by sarah.allsop

We are thrilled to share that one of our BMERG Medical Educators, Dr David Hettle has been recently awarded one of the ASME/GMC Excellent Medical Education Award 2023!

Photo credit: Brett Garwood on Unsplash

The “Excellent Medical Education” Programme was established by ASME to supporting capacity building of high-quality medical education research. David is part of the team that has won this award in the postgraduate category for their submission: Exploring the experiences and perspectives of junior doctors in Entry-Level Medical Education Roles (ELMERs) that promote pursuit of a medical education career in the United Kingdom.

WINNER OF THE POSTGRADUATE CATEGORY

Lisa Jayne Collage

L-R: Lisa-Jayne Edwards (University of Warwick), Claire Stocker (Aston University), Julie Browne (Cardiff University), Cara Bezzina (University of Glasgow), David Hettle (University of Bristol)

We look forward to hearing more about this work from David and his colleagues in the future.

Read more about this Year’s Excellent Medical Education Award Winners: ASME announces winners of the ASME/GMC Excellent Medical Education Award 2023

Building Community: Attending, presenting and networking at Conferences

Posted on by sarah.allsop

Sarah Allsop

Medical education research is an increasingly active field, with conferences happening throughout the year across the globe. In this blog Bristol medical educators and researchers, Dr Santiago Rodriguez and Dr Sarah Allsop reflect on how to identify when and where these events happen.

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

Conferences are a staple in the calendar of academics and healthcare professionals, and help us all to share practice and learn from our wider community. Whether you are a student or a medical education researcher, if you are looking to network with experts in their fields across the world, or present your work, conferences can be a fantastic way to do this.

In healthcare education, all of the leading associations have events running throughout the year, two of the largest in Europe are the ASME and AMEE conferences each summer. In addition, there are many other opportunities to present medical education research, but one of the challenges is to know when and where these events are happening.

One resource that may be helpful is this list of major worldwide medical education conferences from Elsevier’s Osmosis blog team. Published on Feb 20, 2023 (and updated on May 4, 2023), this blog lists the details of around 20 high-profile conferences where you could consider submitting your work, as well as including a summary description of the conference and a link to their main website. We think it is a great starting point to find out what’s out there and look forward to sharing the abstract calls for many of these events as they are advertised during late 2023 and into 2024.

www.osmosis.org/blog/2023/02/20/a-comprehensive-list-of-major-medical-education-conferences-in-2023

Another way of finding out about conferences and events is to join one of the MedEd Associations, read more in Sarah Allsop’s blog “Building Community: Networking Opportunities through joining a MedEd association“

What are your favourite #MedEd events and conferences? Add your thoughts to the comments below!

Conference Report: AMEE 2023 Conference 26-30th August 2023, Glasgow UK

Posted on by sarah.allsop

“Inclusive Learning Environments to Transform the Future”

In our third report from this year’s conference season, Dr Carys Gilbert reports on the International Association for Health Professions Education conference held recently in Glasgow, UK.

Natalie Eraifej, Gloriana Suri, Carys Gilbert at AMEE 2023

The AMEE 2023 conference took place this year at the Scottish Events campus in Glasgow. Medical educators from all over the world joined together, with the main theme centred around ‘Inclusive Learning Environments to Transform the Future’. From medical education musicals to motivational speaking symposiums and the effects of war on education in countries such as Ukraine and Myanmar, this was an exciting opportunity to gain a global perspective on medical education.

Dr Natalie Eraifej, former CTF reflected:

‘I really enjoyed attending AMEE this year. It was interesting to learn from about the delivery of medical education within differing cultural and political contexts. Especially inspiring was hearing about the current delivery of medical teaching in war torn countries.’

The University of Bristol was well represented with students, former CTFs and senior members of staff presenting and sharing their work.

Dr Joseph Hartland participated in a symposium discussing their work on what it means to have LGBTQ+ identities in health education. They were joined by people from all over the world, from Canada to Thailand providing an interesting perspective on approaches to LGBTQ+ inclusive healthcare across the world.

Former clinical teaching fellows also presented their work. Dr Natalie Eraifej and Dr Carys Gilbert presented on lessons learnt from a near-peer mentor scheme introduced at the Gloucester Academy between year 5 students and Foundation Year One doctors.

Former Clinical Teaching Fellow Dr Mary Claxton presented a poster on work done with Dr Jessica Reyer, Dr Billy Scott and Dr Ian Hunter on the use of virtual reality in simulation which was completed whilst working as teaching fellows in the Taunton Academy.

Year 4 medical student, Gloriana Suri presented her work completed with Dr Dowan Kwan and Dr Ed Luff and Dr Melina Kellerman which evaluated the use of ethnicity descriptors in an MCQ question bank. This prompted discussion within the room on learned biases and unhelpful stereotyping.

Bristol Medical Student Gloriana Suri presenting her work on ethnicity bias in Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Gloriana Suri, year four medical student reflected on her conference experience:

‘AMEE 2023 was the first conference I presented at, in the EDI category, with our project being about ethnicity use in MCQ banks and how this can impact learning and stereotyping. It was well received in a welcoming and supportive environment followed-up by great questions and discussion. AMEE was a great place to learn about the current research in medical education and reducing healthcare inequalities which, as a medical student, has been hugely eye-opening and something I’d like to continue being involved with. I was inspired by talks, met people from around the world and feel much more confident with presenting skills too. Overall a great opportunity that I will massively value going forwards.’

To showcase the amazing contributions made by those within the medical school, we have created a Sway which contains information about all the work presented by those associated with Bristol Medical School.* Access the sway via this link: BRMS at AMEE 2023. 

A copy of AMEE 2023 presentation and poster abstracts can be found here.

AMEE 2024 will take place in Basel, Switzerland. This was a fantastic opportunity to meet medical educators from all over the world and I would strongly encourage anyone with an interest in medical education to take the opportunity to submit their work and/or attend.

For more information about joining AMEE visit: www.amee.org/AMEE/Membership/

* We have done our best to ensure that all work presented at this event has been included here, but if you think we have missed yours and you would like it added, please get in touch.

Read Ed Luff’s Conference Report on the July 2023 ASME Conference here

Building Community: Developing as an early-career medical educator + the Developing Medical Educators’ Group (DMEG)

Posted on by sarah.allsop

In this blog, one of our BMERG committee members David Hettle, an honorary senior teaching fellow and specialist registrar (SpR) in infectious diseases and medical microbiology, talks about the winding journey to becoming an educator and how the Academy of Medical Educators Early Career Educator group ‘DMEG’ can support you on this journey.

Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash

The route to becoming a medical educator, it is fair to say, is not clear, linear, or uniform. Indeed, medical educators may come from medicine, education, other healthcare professions, basic science or other backgrounds.1 This diversity brings with it wide variation in perceptions of what being a medical educator is.

The most recent definition available from the Academy of Medical Educators (AoME) is:

“Medical educators and clinical teachers develop, deliver, and manage teaching programmes and engage in scholarship and research into all aspects of teaching, learning and assessment. Within this definition, the daily work of medical education (MedEd) relates to the teaching of students, doctors, physician associates, vets and dentists about all aspects of patient care, the management of health services, the promotion of health and the prevention of disease.” 2

Clearly, this definition covers a vast spectrum. Individually identifying as a medical educator can range from being central to one individual’s professional identity,3 or may be a secondary identity, potentially at odds with another part of training such as clinical or academic progression. Education may also be merely an activity that professionals undertake rather than being a true part of their owned identity.4-5

The process of ‘becoming a medical educator’ has increasingly become a topic of interest as the profession learns how to support the development of educators. However, much research focusses on educators towards the end of their careers, who often view their involvement and roles as having occurred serendipitously, and have taken much of their career to finally identify as an ‘educator’.3,6

But…why does this matter?

Of course, we are all developing as educators day-by-day, but for those who see themselves at the beginning of their medical educator journey, looking forwards trying to see what the career looks like can be a huge challenge. The fear can be that it is an uncertain, meandering path, with opportunities by chance, rather than planning or good intentions.

Despite this, each year large numbers of junior doctors take time out of training and choose to undertake teaching fellowships,7,8 with numbers increasing all the time. Currently between 70-90 teaching fellows are employed across the NHS trust academies paired with the University of Bristol medical school each year. With an ever-increasing pool of potential career educators completing entry-level posts in MedEd, such as clinical teaching fellowships, there is a need for the world of MedEd to promote, drive and enhance the development of these healthcare professional educators.

Several recent publications suggest routes through which supporting the development of educators should happen including: 5,9-10

  • making teaching visible through events and activities which celebrate the significance of educators’ roles
  • creating transparent and replicable MedEd reward and development structures (such as career pathways – both stand-alone and potentially integrated with clinical training)
  • building communities within MedEd offering role-modelling, a sense of connectedness, and a forum for sharing stories, experiences and frustrations

In 2020, AoME launched the Developing Medical Educators’ Group. This is specifically aimed at those junior and early-career educators shaping their futures in the world of medical education – whether they have held formal posts in MedEd or not.

It recognises that early-career educators are often trying to balance their educator identity with their clinical identity, and that their development can be challenging to integrate in clinical settings where teaching is not always valued as highly as clinical service or research. Communities such as DMEG are therefore crucial to this group of educators, as the “future of medical education” across the UK.

Through AoME, early career educators can apply to be recognised as educators through gaining associate or membership status of the Academy.2 Such accreditation can be hugely important to progression in clinical training and in promoting the value in MedEd as a specialty.

DMEG offers a community for early-career educators, encouraging engagement from anyone interested in MedEd, guided by peers and near-peers in the same boat (or very recently in the same boat!), as those navigating the dual world of medical, dental or veterinary training with educational development. Events are offered both through AoME and directly by DMEG including:

  • DMEG debates: a monthly, live online forum debating hot topics in MedEd (most recently ‘What does the rise of AI mean for MedEd?’).
  • Medical EducaTALKS: regular podcasts exploring aspects of MedEd with senior educators.
  • DMEG conference: A yearly event, this year on 4th October – Communities of Practice in Practise – an online conference discovering the work of early-career educators + hosting workshops and keynotes exploring the world of MedEd.

DMEG seeks to raise the profile of developing medical educators, validate and recognise their critical and important role and ensure that facilities and resources exist for training and development of early-stage educators.

From a personal point of view, having recently been a teaching fellow, DMEG offers me a friendly community to support and continue my development. I can share challenges and new ideas and explore what the MedEd world looks like across the UK and beyond, regardless of where I am currently working, or if/when locally there are no networks or collaboratives available.

I would encourage anyone interested in MedEd, and especially those in teaching fellow posts to have a look at DMEG and see what they can offer you as an educator. By being a group for developing healthcare educators, run by developing healthcare educators, they are always open to suggestions!

Whatever your interest and however long you have been involved in MedEd, DMEG invites you to come and explore the DMEG Conference 2023: Communities of practice in practise, on 4th October 2023.

References

  1. Huwendiek S, Mennin S, Dern P, Ben-David MF, van der Vleuten C, Tonshoff B, Nikendei C. Expertise, needs and challenges of medical educators: Results of an international web survey. Med Teach 2010; 32(11): 912-8.
  2. Academy of Medical Educators. Professional Standards for medical, dental and veterinary educators, 4th edition. Cardiff: Academy of Medical Educators.
  3. Hu WCY, Thistlethwaite JE, Weller J, Gallego G, Monteith J, McColl GJ. ‘It was serendipity’: A qualitative study of academic careers in medical education. Med Educ 2015; 49(11): 1124-36.
  4. Sabel E, Archer J; Early Careers Working Group at the Academy of Medical Educators. “Medical education is the ugly duckling of the medical world” and other challenges to medical educators’ identity construction: A qualitative study. Acad Med 2014; 89(11): 1474-80.
  5. Bartle E, Thistlethwaite J. Becoming a medical educator: motivation, socialisation and navigation. BMC Med Educ 2014; 14: 110.
  6. Browne J, Webb K, Bullock A. Making the leap to medical education: A qualitative study of medical educators’ experiences. Med Educ 2018; 52(2): 216-26.
  7. Wilson S, Denison AR, McKenzie H. A survey of clinical teaching fellowships in UK medical schools. Med Educ 2008; 42(2): 170-5.
  8. Edwards LJ, Hettle D, Stocker C. (2023, July 12-14). A review of Entry-Level Medical Education Roles (ELMERs) in the United Kingdom (conference workshop). Association for the Study of Medical Education Annual Societal Meeting 2023, Birmingham, UK.
  9. Van Lankveld T, Schoonenboom J, Kusurkar RA, Volman M, Beishuizen J, Croiset G. Integrating the teaching role into one’s identity: A qualitative study of beginning undergraduate medical teachers. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract 2017; 22(3): 601-22.
  10. Rees E, Guckian J, Fleming S. Fostering excellence in medical education career pathways. Educ Prim Care 2021; 32(2): 66-9.

Read more about other MedEd associations in our BMERG blog Building Community: Networking Opportunities through joining a MedEd association