Category: Teaching

FaculTeach: A tool to connect people who want to teach with teaching opportunities

Education has always been part of universities’ identity, but with recent changes in how we teach students – both before and after the response to Covid-19 – we have transitioned from a lecture-based teacher-focused programme to a group-based student-focused programme. As such, our tutor requirement has increased at least four-fold. With more teaching opportunities, we need a way to widen access to these opportunities to our departmental staff and build bridges to School of Medicine activities.

Bridging the gap between departments and the School of Medicine

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Faculty of Medicine’s new IMPACTS Short Course – what is it?

Joana Dos Santos explains a new short course for Master’s students, IMPACTS (Inclusive Module on Professional And Critical Thinking Skills):

IMPACTS is an elective, non-credit bearing short-course for PG students in the Faculty of Medicine. 

What is the IMPACTS short course aiming to address?

As professionals, most of our skills have been acquired and refined through years of practice and interactions within our own scientific community. These essential skills to success notably include identifying key literature, critically engaging with different types of scientific publications, presenting data efficiently as well as interpreting and critically discussing complex data sets. Importantly, we might take some of these skills for granted and consequently expect our students to demonstrate them without having necessarily taught them, or taken into account the cultural, educational, linguistic or learning difficulties background of our students. (more…)

Faculty of Medicine’s new Attributes and Aspirations Module – what is it?

Dallas Alexandrou, project manager for the Attributes and Aspirations module explains this new module:

In parallel to the ongoing curriculum review, the Faculty of Medicine postgraduate team has identified the need to develop high-quality tools and activities to help our Master’s students take ownership of their professional futures and develop their graduate attributes beyond the mastery of their chosen discipline.

As a result, the proposed Attributes and Aspirations (AA) module has been approved by the College Pedagogy Transformation Committee and is currently being developed. It will use interactive pedagogical activities based on a blended, inclusive, innovative and active approach to supporting our students.

Critical to the development of the AA module is that it meets both students’ and employers’ needs. Research has been undertaken to identify the relevant topics and skills our students are keen to develop, together with the skills and attributes identified by employers as being critical graduate skills for current and future employment. Areas including effective career guidance, practice of selection processes and skills such as adaptability, communication, critical thinking, problem solving and effective team work have been identified as priorities.

Subject to the College’s standard approval mechanisms, a pilot delivery of the AA module will commence from Autumn Term 2019-20 in selected Faculty of Medicine MSc/MRes programmes. AA will be non-credit bearing and elective, with much of the delivery online to avoid interfering with students’ timetabled teaching and lab sessions.  Following evaluation of the pilot, there is an ambition to offer the module to students from all FoM postgraduate programmes and to students from Faculties across the College. (more…)

From the Vice Dean (Education): Supporting education in our Faculty

Martin Lupton
My appointment as Vice Dean (Education) was announced last month, and it is a great privilege to be asked to lead our community of creative and inspiring students and education staff. Since the Dean asked me to take on this role, I have been thinking about how I can best support those in the Faculty of Medicine involved in education.

We are in a time of great change and opportunity. As you know, we are currently involved in a comprehensive undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum review. We are also about to make a significant investment in our pedagogy and digital education capacity (initially funded through the Learning and Teaching Strategy). Furthermore, for the first time, there is a clear path to academic promotion based on a person’s scholarly and educational activity.

It is obvious that I cannot manage all this change alone. I propose two things: (more…)

The Active Classroom: Do less work, have more fun

The MBBS curriculum review coincides with a college-wide review of all taught programmes – MBBS, BSc, MSc, MRes. The college is dedicating resources to a learning and teaching strategy, with buy-out of academics’ time to plan their reviews, grants for new teaching initiatives, a promise to reward good teachers in promotion rounds, a seminar series on approaches to teaching, curriculum review workshops, and a heightened status for the Education Development Unit as a centre for research into teaching and learning. There are ambitious plans to encourage the diffusion of learning technologies throughout our programmes.  For a research-based university, there is a surprising level of chatter about teaching, together with chances to influence (and be influenced by) the renewed emphasis on education.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, see the Learning and Teaching Strategy. (more…)

Professor Desmond Johnston, Vice Dean (Education) – the year in review

 

The last year has been, even by our own ‘full-on’ standards, an extraordinarily packed year for the Faculty of Medicine in terms of educational development, both at home and internationally.

The year started with the Faculty welcoming its inaugural student cohort for the newly launched BSc in Medical Biosciences. Harnessing new technologies to deliver a blended syllabus of online and in-class learning,  the new interdisciplinary course also taps into the wide-ranging research programmes underway across the Faculty.  I congratulate everyone involved in creating and delivering this successful first year of the course.

Whilst innovative delivery has been an important cornerstone in the development of the brand new programme, the Medical Biosciences BSc has by no means had the monopoly on educational invention. Course and module leads from right across the Faculty have been hugely active this year in ensuring innovation and scientific opportunity underpins educational development throughout our existing course portfolio.

Innovation and progress

The College’s Learning and Teaching strategy has set a clear path for Imperial educational delivery, and we have seen the start of developments towards providing innovative teaching spaces which will support the utilisation of new pedagogical methods. Over the last several months, work has progressed on the establishment of major review programmes for the curricula of both our undergraduate MBBS/BSc and the postgraduate taught portfolio.  This is a really key and exciting time for educational opportunity in this Faculty, and it is one which holds important possibilities for engagement and skills development for all staff.

You can read more about the work underway for the undergraduate medicine curriculum review, and how you can be part of this key process, on Jo Harris’s recent FoM Staff blog piece.  We want to keep all Faculty staff updated on this important evolving process for both undergraduate and postgraduate provision right through next year so please watch out for further updates and do get in touch for further info.

Alongside our review processes, I’ve also been excited to watch opportunity grow for widening the reach of our education and expertise beyond our London campuses with the exploration and initiation of global online learning opportunities. Developments such as work within the School of Public Health to develop a ‘Global Master of Public Health’ create both exciting new formats for our educational provision and outstanding routes to achieving academic impact and spreading the benefits of our work.

Celebrating achievement

I would not want to let this review go by without noting the extraordinary hard work and many individual achievements that have contributed to the developments outlined above, as well as the quality and dedication that shows itself day-to-day in delivering our courses.  I would like to congratulate those who are recognised through the President’s awards for Excellence in Education and through our own School of Medicine Teaching awards.

Lastly, as I sign-off from writing this review, I cannot fail to mention that I am writing this not from my office, but sitting in Singapore awaiting the start of an event which truly demonstrates how much the innovation, dedication and talent to be found in our Faculty can achieve – the first graduation ceremony for our inaugural student cohort at LKCMedicine. A truly exceptional effort from two partner universities, from LKCMedicine school staff and, it goes without saying, from the students themselves has brought us to this very proud moment.

My thanks to all who have been part of this extraordinary year of opportunity for medicine education at Imperial.

MBBS Curriculum Review – why and how you should get involved

In response to an ever-changing landscape for medical education, Imperial College School of Medicine is undertaking a major curriculum review covering all aspects of our undergraduate medical programme.

If you’d be interested in being involved in delivering the new curriculum in any capacity or any of the below descriptions applies to you, or if you’d be interested in providing a research experience for the Clinical Research and Innovation module, please get in touch with the Curriculum Review team on curriculumreview@imperial.ac.uk. (more…)

NeurOn Topic – a new Imperial blog

A new Imperial blog entitled ‘NeurOn Topic: Learning and Teaching’ has launched this week.

The founder and editor of the blog is Dr Stefano Sandrone, Teaching Fellow within the Faculty of Medicine, and the contributors are Imperial’s MSc Translational Neuroscience students.

The key aims of this new blog are to enhance the curriculum, innovate pedagogy and inspire society.

With questions submitted by current Master’s students, the first blog post features an interview with Dr Magdalena Skipper, former Imperial alumna and new Editor-in-Chief of Nature. She is the first female Editor-in-Chief over the last 149 years and started her new role at the beginning of July.

Some of the topics that will be covered in future blog posts include the relationship between brain science and spirituality, the neuroscience behind the ‘perfect’ morning cup of coffee, and the neuroscience of revision. There will be also space for notes on the cognitive changes in depression and on the neurological aspect of HIV, as well as on the important role the anterior part of our brain plays in learning and cognition.

Furthermore, other interviews with special guests have already been planned.

Stay tuned! Visit the blog at: https://blogs.imperial.ac.uk/neuron-topic/

Inclusive Module for Professional And Critical Thinking Skills (IMPACTS) Teaching Fellow

What is IMPACTS?

The Inclusive Module for Professional And Critical Thinking Skills (IMPACTS) is a project funded by Imperial College Excellence Fund for Learning and Teaching Innovation for a year. Its aim is to develop – for all postgraduate taught programmes in the Faculty of Medicine – a blended online/face-to-face module to introduce our Masters students to the professional skills and critical thinking required to undergo their research project.

Inspired by the daily practice of the scientific community, IMPACTS will be a blended and inclusive learning approach to these professional skills, such as efficient article reading and data presentation as well as claim analysis or problem-solving. The teaching will be delivered through an interactive online pre-session element and a subsequent face-to-face element, relying on active sessions directly integrated into individual programmes’ curricula. Through its interactive, blended and inclusive nature, IMPACTS fits nicely within the College Learning and Teaching strategy.

New Teaching Fellow Post

To support this project, we are recruiting a Teaching Fellow (TF, 0.5FTE level 3b for 12 months) who will, by working alongside our students, postgraduate programmes and the IMPACTS team, coordinate the design, development and timely delivery of the IMPACTS module.

More details about the post can be found in the Job Descriptionincluding a link to the application page.

If you have any queries about the role, please contact Sophie Rutschmann.

Applications should take the form of a CV and a cover letter outlining the skills and experience you would bring to the role and should be sent to me by 12 noon on Wednesday 4 July. All application received will be acknowledged.

Advertisement for academic leadership position – Head of Assessment and Feedback – BSc in Medical Biosciences

Sadly for us, Gabby Da Silva will be leaving us and I’m sure you’d like to join me in thanking her for her support of our students, particularly in her leadership roles of Exams Lead and Senior Tutor for Medical Biosciences, and in wishing her well in the future. We are now seeking a replacement for Gabby as Head of Assessment and Feedback for the BSc in Medical Biosciences which commenced last October.

Reporting to the Head of Programme, the post holder will play a key role in ensuring the reliability and validity of assessments and in supporting staff to develop and continuously improve assessment and feedback. The appointee will be an experienced teacher with in-depth knowledge of undergraduate biomedical science education. S/he will have enthusiasm and passion for the teaching and assessment of undergraduates in addition to the ability to develop strong working relationships

The job description and person specification can be found at https://bb.imperial.ac.uk/bbcswebdav/xid-3781226_1

Applications should take the form of a CV and covering letter outlining the skills and experience you would bring to the role and should be sent to me, s.english@imperial.ac.uk, by 12 noon on Friday 25th May. All application received will be acknowledged.

Susan English
Director of Education Management

Currently recruiting: eModule Content Writers – deadline for applications 8am 11 May 2018

BSc Medical Biosciences

The BSc Medical Biosciences (BMB) launched in October 2017 using blended teaching methodologies, sometimes referred to as flipped learning. This involves individual on-line learning using eModules and face-to-face sessions where most learning activities are carried out in group. We are currently developing the learning assets for Year 2 and wish to appoint subject matter experts to develop bespoke eModules.

Successful candidates

This opportunity is open to both internal and external candidates.

We are looking to appoint content writers to assist with the development of 55 online eModules across eight subject areas, namely:

  • Genetics & Genomics (GEN)
  • Stem Cells & reproductive Biology (SCRB)
  • Pharmacology (PHAR)
  • Microbiome in Health & Disease (MHD)
  • Cancer Biology (CBIO)
  • Immunology & Inflammation (IMI)
  • Neurobiology (NEURO)
  • Cardiovascular and Thoracic Biology (CTB)

Successful candidates will have a proven record and be very knowledgeable in at least one of the areas listed above. The role is likely to suit teaching fellows or postdocs but we welcome enquiries from other similarly qualified individuals.

Content Writer responsibilities include:

  • Gathering appropriate resources (e.g. videos, images etc.)
  • Writing engaging course content including knowledge checks and audio scripts
  • Editing content in response to feedback
  • Collaborating with Module leadership to ensure consistency across Module content
  • Ensuring content is aligned to session and module learning outcomes
  • Meeting all agreed-upon turnaround times for deliverables and deliverable reviews

Time commitment

Each subject area requires a different number of eModules to be developed; with between 4 and 10 eModules in each subject area. Each eModule will take roughly a week to draft the content for storyboarding and up to 2 days to finalise the review of developed eModules.

We anticipate that the content for Term 1 eModules will be completed by mid-June and the content for Term 2 eModules will be completed by end-July; with review following in August onwards.

Please contact the Instructional Designers to discuss the exact timings for each eModule and how they can provide support if applicants have not had any previous experience in writing eModules.

Payment

You will be paid £750 per eModule developed and can apply for as many eModules as your time allows.

Successful applicants will be responsible for managing their time to meet the agreed deadlines. Internal applicants should discuss with their line manager before applying. The table below shows the number of eModules per subject area.

TERM 1 Modules No of eModules Content Writing deadline Review period
Genetics and Genomics 6 Mid-June Aug/Sep
Stem Cells and Reproductive Biology 6 Mid-June Aug/Sep
Pharmacology and Toxicology 8 Mid-June Aug/Sep
Microbiome in Health and Disease 6 Mid-June Aug/Sep
TERM 2 Modules
Cancer Biology 9 End-July Oct/Nov
Immunology and Inflammation 10 End-July Oct/Nov
Neuroscience 6 End-July Oct/Nov
Cardiovascular and Thoracic Biology 4 End-July Oct/Nov

 

How to apply

If you are interested and would like to discuss this further, please contact Agata Sadza (a.sadza@imperial.ac.uk) or Emma Blyth (e.blyth@imperial.ac.uk)

To formally apply, please send your CV and information about the eModule that you’re interested in working on to bmb.development@ic.ac.uk.

Closing date is Friday 11 May at 8am.

IMPLEMnT: Teaching, technology and community

What is IMPLEMnT?

Last year James Moss and I (Katie Stripe) of the National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) and Alexandra ‘Chippy’ Compton, medical student and ICU president, received a grant from the Excellence Fund in Learning and Teaching Innovation to develop a tool that will help educators navigate their way through today’s technology-saturated world in order to more effectively use digital methods in their teaching. Ultimately we hope to create a tool that will help anyone in a teaching role, be that a lecturer, a doctor teaching at the bedside, a lab demonstrator, or any one of the huge variety of educators we have in the faculty and across college, to make informed decisions about which technologies are most appropriate for the type of teaching they are providing. There are many sites listing the myriad technologies that can be used in learning but none, so far, that have combined that information with teaching methodology to give practical advice on what to use and when.

Embarking on this project we rather naively thought it would be simple to curate a list of technologies and teaching methodologies then join them together. We were wrong, very wrong! Once we began looking at the technology used in teaching it became clear that there an overwhelming number so we hope to make this into a college-wide community project by asking colleagues and student partners which technologies they use and how. We can then build a bank of technologies that grows dynamically as technology develops but is also relevant to our teaching community.

We have already constructed a framework at implemntproject.com where we have so far compiled a small number of technologies, however, we have a list of over 300 more unfinished plus the thousands that we have not yet encountered. Since IMPLEMnT aims to be a tool that works for people from across college it seems fitting that those teachers should be able to contribute. If you have ideas or suggestions you can contact us through the site, via twitter @implemntproject or you can join us for a mass online co-authoring session on 25 April at 12pm. This event will have two face-to-face sessions running at the South Kensington campus where staff can come together and contribute technologies, methodologies and case studies via post-it notes, marker pens and other more traditional means, and running alongside this there will be several online rooms which you can drop in and out of depending on experience and interest: (more…)

Medical Education Research Unit launches 2018 programme

The Faculty of Medicine Medical Education Research Unit (MERU) launches its 2018 programme of events today, and all are invited to the launch event this evening to find out more about MERU’s work and to network with current members.

Medical Education Research Unit event

Now entering its fourth year, MERU conducts and supports innovative educational research activity to evaluate and enhance Imperial’s teaching and curriculum.

It aims to build a community, including both staff and students, uniting them through an interest in medical education research. Made up of a multidisciplinary group of staff from Imperial, its NHS partners and sister unit at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine in Singapore, the Unit also recruits and encourages interested students to become involved in existing research projects and to consider conducting their own research.

The Unit also supports members by offering financial support to those attending medical education conferences, and advises on ways to develop research questions into feasible studies that yield publishable data, as well as guidance on ethics applications.

Over the past three years, MERU has funded more than a dozen original research projects, made 64 travel awards allowing members to attend conferences, and delivered monthly meetings and workshops to small groups of interested staff. The Unit also offers one-to-one support to any members requiring it, and brings together those with similar research interests to allow them to assist and advise one another in their various projects. (more…)

TOAST SURVEY 2018

The College’s ‘Original Academic Staff Time’ (TOAST) survey is currently in progress for 2017/18. So far, the Faculty of Medicine has achieved a response rate of 76% compared to 85% for the College. All Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, Readers and Professors will be sent a total of three survey invitations throughout the year with guidance and a link to the online survey. Your participation in this anonymous survey is essential for the College to fulfil its responsibilities to demonstrate a transparent approach to costing.

Find out more

Imperial medical students recognised in GMC professionalism teaching resource competition

Two final-year Imperial medical students have been acknowledged jointly by the General Medical Council and the Medical Schools Council for their design of a teaching session on professionalism.

Sixth-year MBBS students, Luke Reader and Sam Easdon, created a lesson plan which aims to ‘introduce students to a discussion on honesty and integrity in interactions with peers, colleagues and patients’.

Initially shortlisted, the two were then awarded a runner-up position, claiming one of the top spots from the 97 overall entries to this year’s competition.

The lesson suggests beginning by asking students, ‘What is honesty and integrity to you?’, and facilitating a discussion encouraging students to reflect on their personal definitions of these themes. (more…)

Imperial College School of Medicine recognises excellence in undergraduate teaching

The undergraduate School’s annual awards ceremony took place on Wednesday 15 November at Imperial’s Charing Cross campus.

Awards table
The awards are presented jointly by the School of Medicine and the School of Medicine Students’ Union

In conjunction with the Medical Students’ Union, teaching staff of all levels and disciplines are recognised with a variety of awards, spanning both clinical and non-clinical teachers, personal tutors, teaching fellows and student support roles.

Students who nominate staff members are invited to speak about the recipient prior to each award’s presentation. This year, each noted in particular the care and attention given to individual students, and the emphasis put on the importance of learning, by the staff members recognised. (more…)

Innovative teaching spaces built at Charing Cross’s lab block

Over the summer months, three lecture theatres in the Lab Block at the Charing Cross campus underwent extensive refurbishment. The changes are in line with the College’s Learning and Teaching Strategy, and the spaces have been redesigned to facilitate different, more effective teaching methods, and better accommodating small group teaching.

While the 10th floor space remains in a tiered, theatre structure, it has been fully redecorated and includes new seating and brighter lighting.

10th floor space before and after

(more…)

Medicine Teaching Awards 2017


Since 2003, Imperial College School of Medicine, together with Imperial College School of Medicine Student’s Union, have held an annual awards programme recognising the valued contributions of clinical teachers and support staff in delivering its undergraduate medicine course.

Teaching was recognized with the following awards:

  • Teaching Excellence Award – Clinical Teachers
  • Teaching Excellence Award – Non-Clinical Teachers
  • Teaching Fellow Teaching Excellence Award
  • Distinguished Teacher Award
  • Supporting the Student Experience Award
  • Associate Dean’s Award

Find the full list of this year’s winners on the School of Medicine website.

Revolutions in Biomedicine summer school

The third Revolutions in Biomedicine summer school will take place in in the Faculty of Medcine during July 2017. Undergraduate students from over 20 different nationalities will stay at Imperial for four weeks and learn from our academic community about research strengths in the Faculty of Medicine and the wider college.

Those who attend will further their understanding of topics such as metabolism, global health, genomics, big data, brain sciences and robotics via talks, demonstrations and interactive group work. They will also undertake a ten-day lab-based Mini Research Project, and attend keynote lectures.

A team of current Imperial undergraduate students will work as ambassadors during the programme, and will showcase the additional advantages of studying in London via an optional cultural and social programme. This programme will combine visitor highlights such as the Tower of London and West End theatre with hidden points of interest such as a street art walking tour of East London.

For further information, please see the Revolutions in Biomedicine website.  If you wish to be involved in any of the academic activities, please contact the Academic Coordinator Jeffrey Vernon, j.vernon@imperial.ac.uk.

WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Education and Training update

Geneva trip 2017

Like every year, WHO Collaborating Centre is organising a trip for MPH students to WHO Headquarters in Geneva. The trip also includes visits to the Global Fund, the IRC, MSF and the UN.

During the intensive three days, students will attend engaging and interactive talks led by experts in major public health fields such as health systems and innovation, evidence-informed policy, or health systems financing. They will also be given an informative insight into the jobs and internships recruitment processes within the WHO. The trip includes social activities such as dinners and walks around the city. (more…)

BSc Prize presentation evening

Students who completed their BSc in the 2015-16 year enjoyed an evening of prize-giving at the Drewe Lecture Theatre, Charing Cross Campus on Wednesday 9 November.

They were competing for the Charles Power Prize (for Best Overall Performance in the BSc), as well as the Evelyn de Rothschild Prize (for Best BSc Project). Three students were in competition for each prize, and each gave a 10-minute presentation on their chosen topic, which was followed with five minutes of questions from a distinguished panel of BSc Pathway Director judges and members of the audience.

Dr Sophie Rutschmann, Dr Mark Sullivan and Professor Barbara Bain were tasked with judging the Charles Power Prize, and awarded First Place to Daniel Ang Jia for his Immunity and Infection presentation entitled, ‘Vaccines: lessons in problem solving with basic science’. Second Place went to Janaki Desai for her Pharmacology-based ‘Do antidepressants actually work?’ presentation. Third Place was awarded to Florence Mouy, for ‘Myocardial Hibernation’ in the field of Cardiovascular Science.

The Evelyn de Rothschild Prize for Best BSc Project was judged by Professor Alison McGregor, Dr Chris John and Professor Louise Donnelly. After the three presentations, it was Sophie Glover who came out on top with First Place for her Neuroscience and Mental Health project, ‘Understanding the mechanisms behind ketogenic diet in gliobastoma multiforme’. A second appearance from Daniel Ang Jia was his project, ‘Immune thrombocytopenia and the MIF surrounding it’, based again in Immunity and Infection, which came in second. This was followed in Third Place by a Reproductive and Developmental Sciences project entitled, ‘The Use of Human Donor Milk in England: A Descriptive Study’ by Rita Marciano Alves Mousinho.

Dorrit Pollard-Davey
Curriculum Assistant (Educational Quality)
Imperial College School of Medicine

Department of Primary Care and Public Health update

diamondSAPC Madingley Hall 2017

The GP Teaching team are currently well underway with preparations for one of the highlights of the medical education calendar, the Society for Academic Primary Care’s annual Madingley Hall conference in Cambridge. This year the GP teaching team are very proud to be organising and hosting this conference.

Taking place on 26-27 January 2017, the conference brings together brings together some of the best and brightest minds in medical education and research for a varied and stimulating programme. Our programme includes workshops, prizes and speeches from Harvard’s esteemed Professor David Hirsh, and President of the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health Professor Neena Modi.

Our theme for Madingley 2017 is “Primary Care at the Coalface: Mining for Diamonds” – creating shining examples of Primary Care clinicians and academics from the pressures of the NHS and government cutbacks.

Residential and non-residential packages are still available – to register and for more information, please visit http://www.imperial.ac.uk/school-public-health/news-and-events/sapc/

You can also submit an abstract or apply to host a workshop via this Wufoo form: https://imperialmed.wufoo.com/forms/p1aha25n1573e97/

If you have any further queries, please contact Ben at b.broglia@imperial.ac.uk

Faculty Teaching Forum

On 16 November 2016 the GP Teaching Team are organising a celebration of medical education around the theme “Tomorrow’s World: Educating Scientists, Doctors and Leaders of the future” in conjunction with the Faculty of Medicine. This annual event brings together faculty staff, clinicians and researchers for an exciting afternoon of innovative workshops, inspirational speeches, and of course the much-loved NHS Teachers Awards.

This year, we are very proud to welcome Visiting Professor of Surgical Education at the University of Oxford Richard Canter to give the keynote speech on the subject of leadership, and are looking forward to an afternoon panel debate on medical student selection.

Our workshop programme this year focuses on some of the current and future developments in medical education being spearheaded by Imperial College, including the use of Virtual Reality and Digital Learning and longitudinal integrated apprenticeships as seen in our pilot ICA course which launched this year.

For more information, please contact Maya Mistry at m.mistry@imperial.ac.uk

Ben Broglia
Primary Care Education Administrator
Department of Primary Care and Public Health

New ‘Mastering Laboratory Skills’ short course

TR6A9107.jpeg copy
The Department of Medicine is pleased to announce the launch of its brand new short course Mastering Laboratory Skills. The course devised by Teaching Fellow Wayne Mitchell and MSc Immunology Course Director Sophie Rutschmann provides a unique opportunity to train and learn essential molecular and cellular biological laboratory techniques in our world class teaching facilities.

The course is aimed at students who are completing or have recently completed an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, at medical staff wishing to undertake scientific research or at those wishing to acquire/strengthen their lab skills. The short course combines a high quality theory-based online element with two weeks of intense laboratory work to execute these essential and current molecular and cellular biology techniques. In addition, data analysis sessions will allow participants to critically examine their results and discuss troubleshooting aspects of the work.

Course Director Wayne Mitchell states “The benefits of attending this course are that it combines both theoretical with practical elements of modern molecular biological techniques. It’s one thing to view a procedure in an online tutorial or be given a protocol but it’s totally different to experience the technique first hand with expert instruction. The beauty of our course is that it combines the theory and practice in an environment that fosters good learning.”

Talking about the overall objectives of the course, Sophie Rutschmann adds: “It doesn’t matter what your current level is, the objective is to ensure that you learn the correct skills to successfully undertake scientific research. We are here to help you reach the next level!”

Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis but will close on 31 July 2016.

The online component of the course will launch 1st August 2016 for enrolled students, with the practical element taking place 5 – 16 September. Students have the option of assessment and those who achieve an overall pass with be awarded 7.5 ECTS.

For more information on the course please visit www.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/masteringlaboratory-skills

Celeste Miles
Course Administrator
Department of Medicine