1. Some thoughts in my first month as Head of School
Andy Hassell

2. Personal drivers
The potential impact Keele School of Medicine has on healthcare
130 graduates per year
1 million consultations per year (personal communication P Coventry)
Hundreds of postgraduate doctors completing Keele courses
UK and beyond
The potential to provide education for other healthcare professionals

3. Where are we now?
In a good place!

4. What’s good about the School?
Student focused staff – academic and support, clinical and non-clinical
Commitment
Conscientiousness
Cohesion
(Christmas do!)
Facilities
Student engagement
Flexible and responsive
Evidence: NSS, visiting academics, external examiners, education conference, SSLC, Student societies….

5. 5. The Undergraduate Course
Evidence:
Face validity of the curriculum
Student feedback
Visiting academics
GMC
Competition for places
External metrics – NSS, Preparedness surveys, consultant trainer surveys
Student focused
Students able to muck in
Students prepared for practice
Innovative

6. Postgraduate course provision
1500 CPD students in last 2 years
6 Masters programmes with multiple routes
Provider for 13 NHS organisations
Flexible and responsive
Eg Urgent Care Real time Exchange Learning Programme

8. Undergraduate Course: Some priorities
Immediate: Addressing areas of challenge
PSA, SJT, Foundation placement
Very soon: What are excellent clinicians?
By what metrics do we want to be judged?
Soon (and big!): Curriculum review
Directors of UG Programmes and Curriculum
Determine process and timeline as priorities
Use of external influences
Visits and visitors

9. Some of the factors to consider within curriculum review
National drivers
New GMC standards and outcomes
Registration at qualification
National Licensing exam
Changing healthcare provision
Implications for placement learning (NB placement partners)
Implications for curricular outcomes
Global healthcare
Leadership
Graduate resilience
Resource

10. Postgraduate Courses: Some priorities
Explicit declaration of priorities and targets
We define
Seek Faculty agreement for the targets
Continue development of School QA
Annual report
To go to School first
Penetrating UHNM
Lead for PG UHNM

11. Relationships with Research Institutes
Symbiosis
Interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both.
Optimisation of resources
Specific challenges
Scientists to meet curriculum needs and research agenda
Career sustainability and progression
Students recognising our areas of research excellence

12. Promoting Educational Research and Scholarship
Purpose:
To promote excellence
To enable staff progression
Academic and support
To enhance the School’s reputation
Interest

13. Promoting Educational Research and Scholarship
Means:
Director or Educational Research & Scholarship to:
foster project development
foster individual development
promote a climate of scholarship (NB with staff development)
Relationship with IPCHS
Additional academic appointment(s)
The challenge of achieving critical mass
Climate of scholarship – visiting speakers

14. Director of Educational Scholarship and Research
Debonair Gravitas Vigour Tough gig to make this work

15. Development of International Health
Why?
An integral part of 21st century healthcare
Our students and staff want it (UG and PG)
Keele Distinctive Curriculum
How?
Development of at least one genuine partner institution in the developing world (by the end of this calendar year)
Via University and individual (staff and students) links
Then develop the content of the relationship
NB potential for a Faculty-wide relationship

16. Recruitment of international students
Is important to the School and University
UG and PG
Course enrichment and financial enrichment
Remains work in progress
Current thinking:
we target specific geographic areas
we put more resource into marketing, selection and support of these students
Again, potential for a Faculty-wide approach

17. Exploring new courses Potential for improving healthcare
Potential business for the School and University
UG and PG; importance of local provider engagement
Initial thoughts
Anatomy-related
Physician’s Associate
Radiography possibilities
UHNM needs

18. Structural changes in the School (i)
The Fabric of the School
No planned changes

19. The importance of clinical learning space at RSUH

20. Structural changes in the School (ii)
Organisational structures
No definite plans
Some anxieties
Curriculum review will require a process plan
Individual roles
No specific plans
We should be prepared to adapt roles to play to our strengths

21. My communication with School staff
Regular (6 monthly) meetings with teams within the School
Logical teams with whom to meet?
Purpose: Partly for me to receive information, be interrogated and/or lobbied
Happy hour?

22. Excellent clinicians for excellent healthcare
Exciting times
For the School (and for me)
My dependence on staff support

23. Any questions?