Medical Education Research Consortium Launch
01-May-2012
Scottish Medical Education Research Consortium launched
to
support high quality research in Scotland on medical
workforce
and workplace learning
Edinburgh International Conference Centre
1 May 2012 sees the launch of the NHS Education for Scotland (NES) /University of Dundee Medical Education Research Consortium. The formal launch will be undertaken by Michael Matheson MSP, Minister for Public Health during NES's Annual Medical Conference at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
In his launch address, Minister for Public Health, Michael
Matheson said: "Medicine operates in a dynamic environment, and we
must ensure medical education keeps pace. I am therefore delighted
to have been asked to announce that today sees the launch of the
Scottish Medical Education Research Consortium.
"This innovative consortium is the result of collaboration between
NES, the University of Dundee and others to provide a focus for
research in medical education across Scotland. I have no doubt that
this consortium will create outstanding research that will support
the key role of NES and its postgraduate deaneries in quality
managing medical education and training, and ultimately will
provide clarity on the training and education needs of our future
workforce."
The Medical Education Research Consortium has been formed
following a competitive bidding process between NES and two centres
at the University of Dundee: the Centre for Medical Education and
the Health Informatics Centre. Co-applicants for the work include
staff at the University of Aberdeen and Glasgow University. Staff
from other medical schools in Scotland are also involved. Over the
next three years the consortium will work to develop two
substantial programmes of research in medical education looking at
issues of workforce and
workplace learning.
The Consortium will also undertake substantial data management
work including the analysis and dissemination of the increasingly
complex national quality management information and workforce data.
This evidence base will provide effective support for the research
programmes, as well as supporting NES and its Postgraduate
Deaneries in their work to improve the quality of medical education
in Scotland.
Dr Stewart Irvine, NES Director of Medicine explained "Whilst the
data collected on the quality of training does not directly reflect
the quality of patient care, it is widely recognised that good
training tends to occur in settings of good patient care and vice
versa.
"We therefore have a responsibility to ensure that the data
collected is carefully evaluated for evidence of good practice and
areas of concern about training, and our response not only relates
to the need to share good practice and work to improve training but
also to convey any concerns to other agencies with more direct
responsibilities for patient care.
"The Consortium will work with a wide range of stakeholders
including other universities, the General Medical Council and
health boards to ensure any research programme undertaken is
relevant and can be translated into changes to medical education
and training to benefit future patients and staff. This will be an
important tool to support our continuous quality assurance of
medical education and training."
Professor Charlotte Rees, Director of the Centre for Medical
Education, Dundee added: "The Consortium offers an exciting
opportunity to create excellent research that is relevant locally
but has global impact and that this is a real opportunity to put
Scotland on the map in terms of medical education research
internationally."
Professor John Connell, Vice Principal and Head of the College of
Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing at the University of Dundee said
"This is a very important collaboration that will allow the
strengths of the University in Data analysis and Medical Education
to complement the expertise of NHS Education for Scotland in
workforce management and planning. The outcome will be a richer
understanding of the factors that determine workforce needs in
Scotland and will make an important contribution to our ability to
manage these better in the future."
The launch forms a component of NES's Medical Conference.
Following the first national conference held at Heriot Watt
University in 2011, this year's event will involve all those
involved in medical education and training, whether trainees and
trainers, undergraduate students and teachers, managers, working in
primary care, secondary care, Universities, Postgraduate Deaneries,
or Medical Royal Colleges.
During the day, speakers and delegates will explore many
challenges facing medical education and training in a time of
tightening resources, decreasing medical undergraduate and
postgraduate trainee numbers, and a changing regulatory
environment.
ENDS
Reference: 1112
Further Information From
Mary-Jo O-Brien, Corporate Communications Manager: email: maryjo.obrien@nes.scot.nhs.uk
or tel. 07785 384393
Note to Editors
- NES is NHSScotland's national education and training Board. We are responsible for supporting NHS services to the people of Scotland through the development and delivery of education and training for all those who work in NHSScotland. We work closely with a range of partners to deliver our vision of Quality Education for a Healthier Scotland www.nes.scot.nhs.uk
- An example of NES's longstanding research interest in this
field is its funding of work undertaken by the Scottish Careers
Cohort Group in advance of the Consortium being formed:
Cleland JA, Johnston P, French FH, Needham G. Careers preferences of Year 1 medical students: A national survey. Medical Education, 2012,46, 4.
