Faith Hill

Implementing the undergraduate mini-CEX: a tailored approach at Southampton University.

Objectives  The mini‐clinical evaluation exercise (mini‐CEX) is widely used in the UK to assess clinical competence, but there is little evidence regarding its implementation in the undergraduate setting. This study aimed to estimate the validity and reliability of the undergraduate mini‐CEX and discuss the challenges involved in its implementation.

Negotiating strategic direction for education staff development: the Southampton experience

The School of Medicine at the University of Southampton has identified and implemented strategic direction for education staff development. This paper reports on the processes of consultation and negotiation undertaken to ensure the success of a strategic approach and reflects on the difficulties involved. In particular, it reports on the development of a successful training programme for established teachers and course coordinators. The authors recommend adopting a transformational style of leadership for staff development and argue that focusing on student needs helps overcome tensions between the institution and individual staff members.

Building leadership capacity in medical education: developing the potential of course coordinators.

The School of Medicine at the University of Southampton has undergone a process of consultation and staff development aimed at developing the leadership role of course coordinators. The paper reports on the negotiation of a generic framework of tasks and the development of a successful leadership training programme for course coordinators. The authors recommend a complex adaptive style of leadership based on whole systems theory and argue that leadership training for course coordinators is vital to the success of undergraduate medical programmes.

Health promotion and complementary medicine: the extent and future of professional collaboration and integration

Purpose – To explore the professional interface between health promotion (HP) and complementary and alternative medicine.Design/methodology/approach – A discussion paper, based on qualitative research involving in‐depth interviews with 52 participants from either side of the interface.Findings – The current interface is predominantly limited to information exchange but there are innovative examples of partnership working on both sides. Key determinants of future collaboration include: the changing nature of both HP and complementary medicine; the place of science and biomedicine; the role of the individual; and perceptions of health, holism and spirituality. There is a perceived need for professional training and development in the area.Research limitations/implications – The discussion presented is based on a small scale, qualitative study and further research is needed to explore the issues raised.Practical implications – One‐third of the public in the UK now use complementary medicine and this paper ex...

The world turned upside down: the case for thinking differently about undergraduate education

In 1985 Julian Tudor Hart observed: ‘… our medical schools teach and our students learn better than ever before’, 1yet he also noted that there was a ‘… crisis of structure’. In response to that crisis he went on to make a case for ‘turning the world upside down’, arguing for a reversal in undergraduate medical education to see the preponderance of teaching time spent in the community rather than in hospital. The change he advocated did not occur; however, the discipline of academic general practice was recognised as playing a key role in the medical school curriculum and the education of medical students. Fast forward over 30 years. Although general practice has become embedded in the medical school curriculum, most teaching continues to remain hospital centred and hospital focused. The ‘crisis of structure’ …