On Thursday 6 June 2024, the Undergraduate Primary Care Education Unit hosted its Annual Teachers Conference. This year we welcomed colleagues from the GP community to the new School of Public Health Building at White City Campus. Themed “Innovative Partnerships: Learning and Working Together in Medical Education,”
Dr Chaand Nagpaul CBE delivered the morning keynote address on inspiring and equipping our future generation of doctors. The afternoon keynote was by Maisie Irvine, a 3rd year student from Norwich Medical School. She captivated the audience, sharing her experiences as an autistic medical student. She centred this around a creative enquiry piece, a poem she had written to reflect on her experience on her GP placement. She encouraged Tutors to take a proactive approach with neurodivergent students considering environmental and learning adaptations.
The conference featured a dynamic mix of student presentations showcasing their prize-winning projects that they complete during their GP placements in each year of the course. They engaged with patients and community organisations to address various community priorities including flu vaccine access, healthcare access for refugees, a quality improvement project focused on a holistic, coaching approach to diabetes care.
Members of the department and community GP tutors facilitated interactive workshops including sessions on coaching for collaborative conversations, creating inclusive GP placements for neurodivergent students, supporting students with community-engaged projects and the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in primary care. Workshops also explored the integration of arts in medical education, sustainable healthcare practices, and strategies for supporting interprofessional, multidisciplinary learning.
GP tutors were recognised for their contributions to medical education, with our awards ceremony celebrating their achievements and dedication. Dr Libby Pearson accepted the Outstanding Contribution to Teaching Award on behalf of her practice Fulham Medical Centre. You can see a full list of winners here.
The 2024 Annual Teachers Conference underscored the vital role of innovative partnerships in shaping the future of medical education, leaving attendees inspired and equipped with new strategies to enhance their teaching practices and student support. A big thank you to all our students, community tutors and faculty who helped make the day such a success.